Girish leads the charge

World Under 10 Champion and FIDE Master Girish
Kaushik (ELO 2086) kept Karnataka's hopes alive
by beating P. Lokesh (ELO 2012) of Tamil Nadu and
then drawing with his statemate FM K. Priyadarshan
(ELO 2298) in the 4th and 5th rounds of the
National Subjunior Championships being conducted at
the Mount Chess Academy, Chennai. Girish next faces
another former World Champion N. Srinath (ELO 2201)
of Tamil Nadu in the 6th round.

There are three leaders with 4.5 points each. On their
hot pursuit are a bunch of others including three from
Karnataka - Girish Kaushik, G.A. Stany (ELO 2097) and
Antonio Viani D'Cunha (ELO 1988) - all with 4 points.
Niranjan Navalgund (ELO 2012) of Belgaum with 3.5 points
also has an outside chance at a top 10 finish.

Lokesh P (2012) - Girish A Koushik (2086)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Nd7 10.Nd5 Nce5 11.Bb3 Nc5 12.Bh6 e6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Ne3 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qf6 16.Rf1 Ned3+ 17.cxd3 Qxd4 18.Ke2 b6 19.Qc3 Qf6 20.Qxf6+ Kxf6 21.Bc4 b5 22.Bb3 a5 23.Bc2 Ba6 24.Rfc1 Rfc8 25.d4 Nd7 26.Bd3 Nb6 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.a4 Nxa4 29.Rxa4 bxa4 30.Bxa6 Rb8 31.Nd1 d5 32.Bd3 Rb4 33.Ke3 Ke7 34.Bc2 f5 35.exd5 exd5 36.Kd3 Kd6 37.Kc3 Rc4+ 38.Kd3 Rb4 39.h3 h5 40.g4 fxg4 41.hxg4 hxg4 42.fxg4 g5 43.Ke3 Ke6 44.Bf5+ Kd6 45.Bd3 Ke6 46.Bc2 Kd6 47.Kd3 Ke6 48.Kc3 Rc4+ 49.Kd3 Rb4 50.Nc3 Rxb2 51.Nxa4 Rb4 52.Nc3 Kd6 53.Bd1 Rb2 54.Bc2 Rb4 55.Bd1 Rb2 56.Bc2 Rb4 57.Bb1 Rb2 58.Ba2 Rg2 59.Bxd5 Rg3+ 60.Ke4 Rxc3 61.Bg8 Rc8 62.Bb3 Rf8 63.Bd1 Rf1 64.Bc2 Rf4+ 65.Ke3 Rxg4 66.Ba4 Rf4 67.Bb3 Rf8 68.Bd1 Rf6 69.Ke4 Rf1 70.Bc2 g4 71.Ke3 g3 72.Be4 Re1+ 73.Kf3 Rxe4 0-1

Girish A Koushik (2086) - Priyadharshan K (2298)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.a3 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.e4 Bg7 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 Re8 9.Re1 e5 10.d5 Nd4 11.Be3 Nxe2+ 12.Rxe2 Ng4 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 h5 16.h3 Nh6 17.Ne1 h4 18.Bh2 g4 19.hxg4 Nxg4 20.Nd3 Kf7 21.f3 Nxh2 22.Kxh2 Bh6 23.Rf2 Be3 24.Re2 Bg5 25.Rf2 Be3 26.Re2 Bg5 27.Rf2 1/2-1/2