Sasikiran maintains winning streak

Indian Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran trounced Russian Sergei Rublevsky to maintain his winning streak even though compatriot P Harikrishna lost to Giovanni Vescovi of Brazil in the first game of the second round in the World Chess Cup in Russia.

Playing with white, Sasikiran gradually manage an advantageous position in the middle game and he never looked back. In a desperate attempt, the Russian threatened to give check to white King, but Sasikiran repulsed the threat with ease. Seeing no way out, the Russian Grandmaster resigned after 31 moves.

Harikrishna, meanwhile, was at his toes trying to save his black King from the onslaught of the Brazilian opponent. But, the Indian Grandmaster could not survive for long and had to resign after 44 moves.

In another second round game, Indian Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly drew with Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia after 45 moves.

The upset of the day saw Grandmaster Ivanchuk Vassily of Ukraine losing to Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria.