Prasanna Rao draws with top seed Aleksandrov

Prasanna Rao held top seed Aleksandrov Aleksey of Belarus to a draw in the fourth round of the 4th Mayor`s Cup International Chess Tournament.

Mumbai: Local youngster Prasanna Rao, an International Master, surprisingly held top seed Aleksandrov Aleksey of Belarus to a draw in the fourth round of the 4th Mayor`s Cup International Chess Tournament on Sunday.

Playing with white pieces on the top table, Prasanna chose the Spanish opening, but opted for closed variation. He then maintained a slight edge throughout the game. The two players signed the peace treaty on the 39th move, after GM Aleksey felt he could not outwit his younger rival. After round 4 in the event, organised by Venus Chess Academy and co-sponsored by LIC, six players - including five Indians - were in the lead bunch with 4 points apiece. PTI