India have mixed fortunes at Chess Olympiad

India had mixed fortunes in the third round of the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul on Monday, with the women's team demolishing Mongolia 2.5-0.5 and the men losing to second seeds England 1.5-2.5.

In the men's section, Hungary sprang a major surprise by defeating top seeds and favourites Russia 2.5-1.5.

Hungary and Germany now share the lead in the men's section, with 10.5 points each to their credit.

India have 8.5 points.

In women's play, China and the Netherlands share the top spot with eight points each while India have seven.

Pitted against the highly-rated English team, the six-member Indian men's team had a tough day. On the top board, Grandmaster K Sasikiran took on former World No. 2 GM Nigel Short with black pieces and got a dynamically balanced position in the Advance variation of the Caro Kann defence. In the middle game, Short steamrolled his kingside pawns and appeared to have an advantage as Sasikiran's kingside looked vulnerable. However, the closed nature of the position on the other flank gave Sasikiran enough counter attacking measures on the same side.

All the minor pieces got traded and Short succeeded in marching his king bishop pawn to the seventh square. Sasikiran replied with a brilliant continuation, involving a rook sacrifice, and steered to a draw.

The team management decided to drop GM Abhijit Kunte for Monday's matches, thereby enabling 14-year-old International Master Pendalya Harikrishna to battle it out against former World Championship candidate Jonathan Speelman.

Playing with white pieces, Harikrishna faced an original set up. He employed sensible developing moves which netted him a miniscule advantage in the ensuing middle game.

Speelman had to part with a pawn to keep pace with the activity of white forces and soon all parts of the board became impregnable for both. A draw was agreed after 40 moves.

On the third board, GM Dibyendu Barua easily held GM Anthony Miles to a draw in an irregular opening with white pieces. Miles ventured into complications in the middle game but Barua remained tactically alert to exchange a couple of minor pieces. The peace was signed on Miles's proposal.

On the fourth board, IM Surya Shekher Ganguly could not keep the momentum going for his team and went down to GM John Emms in a Sicilian Scheveningen defence game with white pieces.

Ganguly shied away from the recently fashionable variations and allowed black to get an easy equality after the opening. The Indian IM had to pay a heavy price for being optimistic in a position where a draw was an acceptable result.

Soon, Emms wrested the initiative and a series of exchanges followed, leaving Ganguly with a bad knight against the bishop. Emms won a queenside pawn and registered the much wanted victory for his team.