D V Prasad shares the lead

International Master D V Prasad scored a fine technical victory over Grandmaster Vladimir Belikov of Russia in the eighth round of the Dortmund Open, to share the lead with Hungarian GM Zoltan Varga.

The marathon Sicilian game victory, which lasted more than six hours and 73 moves, took Prasad closer to his second GM norm.

Three rounds remain in this mega Open, which is a part of the Dortmund Chess Festival.

In the ninth round on Saturday, the joint leaders face each other.

Prasad, who had won his first GM norm at Madras in the Sakhi Grandmaster's tournament five years ago, has to complete his second norm this year.

On Friday, it was typical hard-fought win, more the Russian way, for Prasad nurtured a small advantage and gradually improved the position, converting it into a win.

The game started as a quiet Sicilian and Prasad rattled out his moves with confidence and from preparation. Into the middle game after two hours of play, Belikov, who is playing with Joel Lautier of France as Kramnik's second, offered a draw.

But Prasad, who was in a fighting mood, refused and soon had the Russian in a vice-like grip. Caught on the wrong foot in both the flanks, Belikov went on exchanging pieces when Prasad's advantage grew.

Just after the second time control Prasad had victory in sight and Belikov resigned when he was two pawns down in a rook and pawn ending.

It was a mixed day for the other two Indians in the fray, with GM Abhijit Kunte playing a draw and IM P Konguvel losing.

Kunte, playing with white pieces, couldn't make much of a headway against 14-year-old Csaba Balogh. The young lad came up with some solid theoretical play and in an equal positon a draw was agreed after 23 moves.

Konguvel lost to some dynamic play from IM Koscielski Janusch and remains on five points.

Main Results (Round 8):
A Mikhaichisin (6.0) drew Zoltan Varga (6.5); M Saltaev (6.0) drew V Epishin (6.0); D Lobzhanidze (6.0) drew Dottling Fabian (6.0); V Belikov (5.5) lost to D V Prasad (6.5); Abhijit Kunte (5.5) drew Csaba Balogh (5.5) and P Konguvel (5.0) lost to Koscielski Janusch (6.0).

The moves:-
Vladimir Belikov vs D V Prasad:

1.e4 c5 2.Sf3 e6 3.Sc3 Sc6 4.Lb5 Sge7 5.0-0 a6 6.Lxc6 Sxc6 7.d 4 cxd4 8.Sxd4 Dc7 9.Te1 Sxd4 10.Dxd4 f6 11.e5 f5 12.Dh4 b5 13. Lg5 Lb7 14.Tad1 Dc6 15.Dh5+ g6 16.Dh3 Lg7 17.Td6 Dc7 18.Dd3 Lc6 19.a3 0-0 20.Dg3 Tf7 21.h4 h6 22.Lc1 Kh7 23.Se2 Tg8 24.Dh2 Ld5 25.Sc3 Lb7 26.Tdd1 Lf8 27.Td3 Dc6 28.Lf4 a5 29.Tc1 b4 30.ax b4 axb4 31.Se2 Lc5 32.c4 De4 33.Td2 b3 34.Kf1 Ta8 35.f3 Dc6 36.Td3 Db6 37.Ld2 Kg7 38.Sc3 Lc6 39.Df4 g5 40.hxg5 hxg5 41.Dh2 Kg6 42.Ke2 Th7 43.Dg3 Th5 44.Sd1 Kf7 45.Lxg5 Tg8 46.f4 Le7 47. De3 Dxe3+ 48.Sxe3 Lxg5 49.fxg5 Thxg5 50.Tf1 Ke7 51.Txb3 Lxg2 52.Tf2 Le4 53.Kd2 Th8 54.Tb5 Th4 55.Sd1 Tg3 56.Sc3 Lc6 57.Tc5 Thh3 58.Se2 Tb3 59.Txc6 dxc6 60. Kc2 Tb4 61.Tf4 Te3 62.Sc1 Txe5 63.Sd3 Te2+ 64.Kc3 Tb8 65. b4 Te3 66. Kd4 Txd3+ 67. Kxd3 Txb4 68. Th4 Kd6 69. Th8 Tb3+ 70. Kd2 f4 71. Th5 e5 72. Th6+ Kc5 73. Te6 Te3 0-1.