Chess Battles Unfold at Asian Continental Championship

The Asian Continental Chess Championship saw intriguing matches with India's Grandmaster V Pranav losing to Jan Emmanuel Garcia of the Philippines. A mixed day for Indian players, highlighted by victories for Murali Karthikeyan and Surya Shekhar Ganguly, while Nihal Sarin managed only a draw against Paulo Bersamina.

In a day of intense chess battles at the Asian Continental Chess Championship, Indian junior champion V Pranav faced a setback, losing to the experienced Grandmaster Jan Emmanuel Garcia from the Philippines.

Meanwhile, top-seeded Grandmaster Nihal Sarin faced a tough challenge, concluding his match with a draw against Filipino player Paulo Bersamina. Fourth seed Murali Karthikeyan secured a straightforward victory over China's Cao Qingfen.

The competition presented a spectrum of performances from the Indian contingent, comprising 18 Grandmasters. Notable victories came from Murali Karthikeyan and Surya Shekhar Ganguly, while games featuring Leon Luke Mendonca and S L Narayanan ended in draws.