Parimarjan strikes back twice, reduces lead

New Delhi, Dec 24 (UNI) Pushed to the wall by an unrelenting Kateryna Lahno, world's youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi hit back with vengeance as he scored two consecutive wins in three rapid games to keep his hopes alive in the Amity Grandmaster Challenge here today.

Despite winning two games, Parimarjan will have a tall task on hand on the final day as the Ukranian girl still leads the Re 5,00,000 prize money event by 7.5-4.5, needing just two points in the final six blitz games slated tomorrow.

The long awaited victory for Parimarjan came, but not before Kateryna had struck her fourth blow on the trot, in the first game of the day, leaving Parimarjan in a must win situation.

Luckily for Parimarjan, Kateryna missed a winning combination in the second game and succumbed to some fine tactical tricks thereafter.

The third game of the day proved to be a real cakewalk for Parimarjan who was fully charged after his first win. A renewed vigor had Kateryna's Spanish in a quick soup and Parimarjan also found the right answers in quick time. Kateryna was fighting a lost cause after making her first blunder of the match, as she conceded a bishop without any compensation on the 17th move. Shocked by her own amiss, a smiling Kateryna played a few more mechanical moves and gave up on 26th move, giving Parimarjan his second and shortest win of the event.

UNI DH DKA RK2003