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Russians in the lead in Biel

Russian grandmasters Volkov and Rashkovsky took the lead with 4.5 points apiece, at the end of the 5th International Chess Festival in Biel, Switzerland.

Indian national junior championship S Kidambi (3 points) enhanced his chances of an IM norm with a brilliant victory over Grandmaster D Cvitan (2 points) of Croatia.

Kidambi, playing black, adopted world champion Garry Kasparov's favourite Grunfeld Defence. Cvitan made an unsound pawn sacrifice and offered a draw to Kidambi, which the latter spurned, going on to display superb middle game technique to win one more pawn and with it, the game.

Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay (3) was held to a draw by Moussa (3) of the UAE in a Sicilan Defence. National champion Krishnan Sasikaran (3) adopted the Caro-Kann defence against grandmaster Klovans (4). Klovans rolled his king-side pawns for a crushing attack to pocket the full point.

IM Abhijit Kunte (3) and IM D V Prasad (2.5) were held to draws by Duschek (3) and Ermeni (2.5) respectively. IM V Saravanan (2.5) suffered an upset defeat at the hands of the German, Koeller (3.5).

IWM Anupama Gokhale (1.5), who was a pawn up in a Dutch Defence against IM Jokics (2.5) of Yougoslavia, blundered an exchange to lose the game after a marathon struggle of 90 moves.

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