Dariusz Swiercz emerges champion in Open section
Arvind Aaron
CHENNAI, August 16, 2011
Dariusz Swiercz of Tarnowshie Gory, Poland and Cori Deysi of Lima, Peru, won the SDAT-Ramco World junior chess championship which concluded here on Monday.
Both players remained undefeated and both became the first from their countries to win the prestigious World junior championship.
Overnight leader Hovhannisyan of Armenia drew a difficult rook ending against Azerbaijan’s Durarbeyli in 60 moves which allowed Sziercz to win and catch up. Swiercz who finished third last time won the final round after a marathon 92-move win which gave him a tie for the first place. His tie-break was surprisingly higher and he pipped Hovhannisyan.
“I have a very great feeling today,” said Swiercz, the new 17-year-old champion. “My game against Ter-Sahakyan on Sunday was my best,” he said.
Swiercz aims higher
Swiercz, who learnt the game from his grandfather when he was a four-year-old, wants to become World champion. His parents do not travel with him. “When I arrived in Chennai I believed that I can try to win this event,” said Swiercz who remained undefeated along with Hovhannisyan.
Hovhannisyan of Armenia was second on the same 10.5 points. India’s Sahaj Grover played a brilliant final game to down Ter-Sahakyan of Armenia in a 66-move rook ending. Sahaj played with plenty of energy in the crucial phase to finish third on 9.5 points.
Last year, India won a bronze medal in girls, this time it has moved to the Open section.
Padmini fourth
Padmini Rout slid from her third place finish last year to fourth this time. She became the queen maker in the sense that she defeated Olga Girya of Russia by winning a pawn (move 28) and using that in the endgame after 58 moves.
Cori Deysi who had picked up a rook for knight on move 23 converted the win in 45 moves against Tsatsalashvili of Georgia. It was Deysi’s second World title; she had won the World under-16 crown at Turkey in 2009.
Silver for Girya
Olga Girya did well but was pipped in the end. Last year she finished second on tie-break and this time she was clear second. She had suffered defeats to Padmini on each occasion.
Top seed Nazi Paikidze of Georgia took the third place. Padmini who started as the fifth seed finished fourth and gains 4 Elo points.
Bhakti Kulkarni finished seventh but loses 22 Elo points. At the closing ceremony Mrs. Nirmala Raja, Ramco Group of Companies, gave away the prizes.
During the closing ceremony, Prof. Anantharam, chief arbiter, said Chennai was a norm destination. In the Chennai open 2011, eleven norms were made. In the World junior 13 were made. Sahaj completed a GM norm on the final day. “Sahaj was lucky,” said his coach Vishal Sareen. “He was losing yesterday and probably his opponent had a draw in the ending today,” he added.
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Bravo!