Koneru Humpy finishes 12th in blitz competition
Moscow: A hat-trick of losses in the last three rounds ended Koneru Humpy's hopes of a second title at the women's World Rapid and Blitz Championships as the Indian Grandmaster finished 12th overall in the two-day blitz competition here.
Kateryna Lagno of Russia and Norway's Magnus Carlsen defended their titles in the women's and men's blitz competition on Monday.
Humpy, who had claimed the World Women's Rapid Chess Championship title after drawing the Armageddon game against Lei Tingjie of China on Saturday, was placed second with seven points from nine rounds after the opening day of the blitz competition.
However, the 32-year-old Indian failed to continue in the same vein and ended the tournament with 10.5 points out of 17 games. Humpy started the second day of the blitz competition by winning the first two games. She then shared the lead with Lagno after round 13 with two draws.
After round 13, Humpy and Lagno had 10 points each but the Indian then drew against Russia's Alisa Galliamova in the 14th round to drop to the second position, half-a-point behind Lagno, who had claimed another crucial win.
Humpy, who had taken a two-year sabbatical from 2016 to 2018 after she became a mother, then lost the final three games to bow out of contention.
Another Indian Harika Dronavalli finished 25th in women's blitz competition.
Lagno, who had scored 8 points out of 9 games to grab the top position after day one, continued her good run to finish with 13 points out of 17 games to retain the title.
Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk (with 12 /17) finished second while the 3rd and 4th places went to Tan Zhongyi of China and Valentina Gunina of Russia, both finishing finishing with 12 points each.
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Leopard that killed 8-year-old boy caught after weeks in Thane
Thane (PTI): Forest officials on Sunday captured a leopard that mauled an eight-year-old child to death nearly a month ago in Shahapur of Maharashtra’s Thane district.
The predator walked into one of the cages set up in the area late Saturday night, ending weeks of panic in several villages in the region, an official from the Dolkhamb division of the forest department said.
"The captured leopard will undergo a thorough medical examination before any further decision is taken regarding its relocation or release," he said.
Senior inspector Suresh Gavit from the Kasara police station confirmed the development, stating that the forest department had successfully secured the animal.
Following the news of the capture, a video surfaced on social media showing a large crowd of villagers, including children, cheering and following the vehicle carrying the caged leopard.
The capture comes as a major relief to the area, which had been on edge since April 16, when the big cat killed an eight-year-old boy.
Krishna Bhaga Agiwale, a resident of Kalbhonde in the Kasara range, had ventured into a forest patch near his house to collect wild fruits when the leopard pounced on him, dragged him into the thicket and killed him on the spot.
