Three young guns make GM norm

New Delhi, Jan 21 (UNI) With just a round remaining in the fifth Parsvnath International Chess tournament, as many as four players, including India's G Rohit, emerged as joint leaders at the end of the ninth and penultimate round here today.

The Indians had a good day in the office as Abhijeet Gupta ensured of his second Grandmaster norm after settling for a quick draw with Grandmaster Neelotpal Das. The others to make the GM norm are G Rohit and Arun Prasad.

In fact, with three Grandmaster norms being made in the event, it is the first time in an Indian open event that as many as three Indian players made Grandmaster norms.

''The tournament is by far the biggest success from the perspective of Indian players, something like this has never happened before", said Mr Bharat Singh Chauhan who is the organizing secretary of the tournament.

Playing with white, Rohit played solidly to hold the favourite to win the event, top seed GM Alexey Dreev, to a draw. Going by the terrific run the Indian is having in the tournament, it was no surprise that Dreev did not take any unwarranted risk as he signed the truce after a few exchanges.

Abhijeet Gupta had to do little with his white pieces as Neelotpal Das agreed to a quick draw and it was a similar story for Arun Prasad as well against M R Venkatesh.

Dreev of Russia, Ahmed Adly of Egypt, India's G Rohit and B Adhiban, all share the lead with 7.5 each. However, at least 13 players are closing in on them with 7 points in their kitty.

India's Abhijeet Gupta, Neelotpal Das, S Arun Prasad, M R Venkatesh, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, are all are placed joint second.

UNI