World Rapid chess: Humpy in joint lead; Gukesh, Erigaisi well-placed as Carlsen suffers rare loss
Doha (PTI): Reigning champion Koneru Humpy displayed her trademark composure and tenacity to remain in joint lead in the women's section while Indian star players D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi also remained in the hunt in the 'Open' category on Day 2 of the FIDE World Rapid Championships here.
With three more rounds to go in the women's section on Sunday, Humpy shared the lead with China's Zhu Jiner on 6.5 points out of a maximum eight. The duo was trailed by as many as 10 players on six points, including India's Dronavalli Harika.
However, it was classical world champion Gukesh's fighting spirit that stood out on Saturday despite the Indian ace claiming before the start that he didn't a have a lot of expectations from the season-ending competition.
Gukesh and Erigaisi were placed comfortably on 6.5 points in a cluster of 13 players after nine rounds with just a point separating the India duo from joint leaders Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Niemann (7.5 poinst each).
Starting with two draws, against Dutch GM Anish Giri and Alexey Sarana, Gukesh prevailed over Spain's David Anton in a topsy-turvy Round 8 game.
In the following round he was decimated by Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the King's Indian attack, the Indian's only defeat so far in the competition.
However, it was 27-year-old Russian GM Artemiev who held centre stage after inflicting a rare defeat on world No.1 and five-time world rapid champion Carlsen, and Erigaisi.
Joint leaders Artemiev and Niemann are chased by four players half a point behind -- Carlsen, Alexey Sarana, Yagiz Erdogmus and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Giant-killer Artemiev was in great form as he opened with a victory as black against Erigaisi, coming back from a lost position and playing much of the game on increment.
In Round 7, Artemiev defeated Carlsen in a game where the world's top-rated player made a grave mistake on move 15, which cost him dearly. This win put Artemiev on 6.5 points, a full point ahead of the field.
Artemiev concluded the day with two calm draws with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexey Sarana.
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"I am pleased with my performance, and everything is feeling good," Artemiev told FIDE.
After a 4.5/5 on day one, Carlsen’s performance dipped on day 2 with the Norwegian playing the Sicilian against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in round 6. The world No.1 soon found himself with tripled pawns on the e-file and spent more time looking for the moves. After testing Carlsen for a few moves, Vachier-Lagrave agreed to split a point.
The big defeat came in round seven when after surrendering on move 30, the Norwegian stormed out of the playing hall, visibly unhappy.
Carlsen bounced back in round 8, with a win against Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan and in the final round of the day he was better on time against US GM Ray Robson.
With two straight victories, Carlsen joined the group of four players on seven points.
Humpy joint leader
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The women's event remained closely contested with two-time world rapid champion from India, Humpy defeating Sara Khadem to emerge the sole leader with six points at the end of the Round 7, followed by eight players half-a-point on behind.
A draw in Round 8 against Russia GM Goryachkina Aleksandra took the Indian stalwart's tally to 6.5, while Zu Jiner defeated India's women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh in the last round of the day to join Humpy at the top.
Sunday will be the third and final day of the World Rapid with four more rounds in 'Open' and three in Women's section set to be played.
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EC hands over probe into gherao of seven judicial officers in Bengal's Malda to NIA
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.
Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.
In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.
Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.
Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".
West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.
The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.
The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.
The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.
The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.
