The Indian players had a mixed day in Round 4 of the Cairns Cup at the St Louis Chess Club, with Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh settling for draws, while Vaishali Rameshbabu suffered a defeat against Tan Zhongyi.
Vaishali was the only Indian player to lose. Playing with the black pieces, she faced a tough battle against Tan. The game remained competitive for a long time, but Vaishali soon found herself in serious time trouble. By the 26th move, she had less than a minute on the clock.
Tan took advantage of the situation and increased the pressure with her rooks and queen. Vaishali continued to fight, but Tan eventually broke through and won the game after 40 moves.
Humpy, meanwhile, had a complicated game against Anna Muzychuk. Humpy got an active position early and pushed forward aggressively, but Muzychuk defended well. The game eventually moved into a rook endgame, where neither player could find a way to win. The two agreed to a draw after 34 moves.
Divya also had to work hard for her half-point against Carissa Yip. Yip created attacking chances in the middlegame and even sacrificed a knight to put pressure on Divya’s king. Divya, however, stayed calm and defended accurately.
The game went deep into the endgame, with both players fighting for an advantage. After 68 moves, neither could force a breakthrough, and the game ended in a draw.
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