KEEPING his slate clean, Manas Gaikwad of Solapur took sole lead at end of fifth round of Maharashtra State Under 13 Open & Girls FIDE Rating Selection Chess Championship in progress at GH Raisoni Institute of Engineering & Technology College, Shraddha Park, MIDC on Monday. The State event is being organised by Chess Association Nagpur in association with GH Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation and Kalpana Prakash Welfare Foundation. It was a happening day in both the sections as race for selection got closer. In Open group, top seed Viresh Sharnarthi of Pune was held to a draw by Daksh Jagesia of Mumbai Suburban in fourth round. In the fifth round, Nagpur’s Shaunak Badole forced second seed Paras Bhoir of Raigad to split the point.

 

Third seed Manas of Solapur took sole lead after five rounds with five points beating Kavyan Sejpal of Mumbai Suburban. In the Girls section, Nagpur girl Vedika Pal stole the limelight by beating top seed Sannidhi Bhat of Thane in fifth round. Top seed Sannidhi had a bad day a she lost her fourth round match to Ishwari Jagdale of Sangli. The FIDE rating chess championship, that concludes on Tuesday, is being held under the aegis of Maharashtra Chess Association andAll India Chess Federation. Earlier during the first round, Girish Vyas, ex-MLC and VicePresident, Maharashtra Chess Association visited the tournament venue and extended his good wishes. IA Ajinkya Pingale is the Chief Arbiter assisted by Deputy Arbiter IA Deepak Chavan, SNA Amit Tembhurne, SNA Swati Kumbhalkar, SNA UdayVagere, Sagar Sakhare, Shyam Agrawal, Prayas Ambade, Prathmesh Machave and Deep Jure.