In an intense battle of wits at the 19th Shri Maheshwaranand Saraswati Memorial All India Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament in Pune, Rucha Pujari and RR Laxman emerged as joint leaders at the end of the eighth round. The tournament, hosted by the Buddhibal Kreeda Trust at Ganesh Sabhagruha on Karve Road, witnessed strategic moves and thrilling draws, setting the stage for an exciting climax.
Leaders Locked in a Stalemate:
Rucha Pujari and RR Laxman, both with 7.5 points, faced off on the top board in a crucial eighth-round encounter. The game ended in a draw, leaving them in a shared lead as they head into the later stages of the tournament. The closely contested match showcased the tactical prowess of the players.
Chasing the Leaders:
Sammed Shete, VS Raahul, and Vikramaditya Kulkarni are hot on the heels of the leaders, each accumulating 7 points. With only a slight point difference, these contenders are poised to make their moves in the upcoming rounds, adding an element of suspense to the competition.
Results of the Eighth Round:
- Rucha Pujari (7pts) vs. Laxman, R.R. (7pts) – Draw
- Akshay Borgaonkar (6.5pts) vs. Mohammad Shaikh (6.5pts) – Draw
- Om Lamkane (6pts) vs. Sammed Shete (7pts) – Shete wins
- Raahul, V S (7pts) vs. Aanjaneya Phatak (6pts) – Raahul wins
- Ram Parab (6pts) vs. Vikramaditya Kulkarni (7pts) – Kulkarni wins
- Ritvik Krishnan (6.5pts) vs. Vedant Nagarkatte (6.5pts) – Draw
- Sourabh Mhamane (5.5pts) vs. Kushagra, Mohan (6.5pts) – Mohan wins
- Lalitaditaayyanar Boominathan (5.5pts) vs. Suyog Wagh (6.5pts) – Wagh wins
- Nikhil Dixit (6.5pts) vs. Jeet Shah (5.5pts) – Dixit wins
- Abhishek Kelkar (5.5pts) vs. Om Gada (6.5pts) – Gada wins
- Sharveel, Chouridule (5.5pts) vs. Kashish Jain (6.5pts) – Jain wins
- Viresh Sharnarthi (6pts) vs. Arnav Kherdekar (5.5pts) – Sharnarthi wins
- Aryan Karmalkar (5pts) vs. Padmini, Rout (6pts) – Rout wins
