JIAXING (CHINA), July 25: Grand Master Harika Dronavalli guided Shandong to the pole position after notching up her second win in the Chinese Chess League here today.
Shandong are now tied with Team Shanghai with 7 points.
It was a crucial game for Harika as her team had fallen behind. Playing white, she planned her moves carefully to force victory in 34 moves.
“I outplayed my opponent positionally. All the other boards of my team ended in draws and I succeeded in sealing a win which was crucial for my team. I am really happy to contribute towards my team’s success, in helping them climb to the top,” the grand master said.
India’s other Grand Master in fray in the elite tournament, P Harikrishna drew his game against Yu Yangyi of team Beijing. Hari is representing Team Shanghai.
The Chinese Chess League is an annual elite tournament, comprising of 12 teams. All of China’s top players and a number of foreign players have assembled in Jiaxing for this event.
The elite league is played from April to December, lasting 22 rounds in six 3-4 day sessions. The current leg will end on July 26. Each match is played over five boards, with women playing on two of them. (PTI)
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