Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran started his campaign with a thumping victory over GM Alexander Onischuk of United States in the first round of the Aerosvit International chess tournament in Yalta, Ukraine.

Sasikiran was a class act with his white pieces as he won a one-sided affair in the Queen's Indian defence game. Onischuk was the first to deviate from main variations on his 12th turn and his 16th move was error-filled that gave Sasikiran an opportunity for a thematic exchange sacrifice leading to complexities favouring the Indian.

Sasikiran slowly increased his advantage in the ensuing middle game, leaving Onischuk's pieces less mobilised even though the position was open.

Banking on his passed pawn on the sixth rank, Sasikiran clinched thee issue in just 35 moves.

It turned out to be an exciting day in general in the 12-players double round-robin tournament.

Apart from Sasikiran, Lenier Dominguezz of Cuba and Latvian-born Spaniard Alexei Shirov were the other winners while the remaining three games ended in draws.

Dominiguez accounted for Loek Van Wely of Holland while Shirov proved clearly superior than Sergei Rublevsky of Russia [Images].

Russian Peter Svidler signed peace with Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania had a similar result against Russian Dmitry Jakovenko and the all Ukrainian duel between Sergey Karjakin and Vassily Ivanchuk also reached a deadlock.

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