The second round witnessed three games yield outright wins, while the remaining six were drawn. The match between young Sasikiran and the experienced Thipsay drew considerable attention from the chess-loving crowd. The Grandmaster played his pet King Indian as Sasikiran stunned him with a pawn thrust to c5 on his 17th move. Then he pressurised the veteran with doubled pawns on the file and exchanged queens on the 24th move, which ensured him a win after 58 moves.

International Masters -- RB Ramesh and DV Prasad -- did not disappoint either. Prasad, who had already lost play in the Sicilian defence, was in trouble when Ramesh saddled him with three isolated pawns and thenstamped his authority in 52 moves, conducting the ending with rooks and pawns on both sides.

In an all-Maharashtra tussle, local star Anup Deshmukh held IM Abhijit Kunte to a draw. Deshmukh, who neutralised the IM's advantage in the Reti opening game, enjoyed a stronger position in a see-saw fight. Kunte proposed a draw and Deshmukh agreed readily.

IM's Tejas Bakre and N K Mishra played an unequal game of the Slav defence. Bakre succumbed to pressure and sacrificed his queen for Mishra's pawn on d6. Down but not out, Bakre created a position where Mishra's queen was blocked by Bakre's rook, bishop and a passed pawn on b4.

RESULTS (round 2)

NK Mishra (0.5) drew Tejas Bakre (0.5); V Koshy (0.5) drew SK Rathore (1.5); Sasikiran (2) bt P Thipsay (1); S Saha bt S Roy (0); TS Ravi drew GB Prakash (1); N Das (1) drew RG Hegde (1); RB Ramesh (2) bt DV Prasad (0.5); A Kunte (1.5) drew A Deshmukh (0.5); V Saravanan (1.5) drew P Konguvel (0.5).

THIRD ROUND PAIRINGS: Konguvel-Mishra;Deshmukh-Saravanan; Prasad-Kunte; Hegde-Ramesh; Prakash-Das; Roy-Ravi; Thipsay-Saha; Rathore-Sasikiran; Bakre-Koshy.