Tamil Nadu's Arun Prasad justified his top billing among the boys in the National Sub-junior Super League chess championship, emerging champion in the 10th and penultimate round in Kozikhode n Tuesday.
Arun, who defeated Rahul Sangma (Goodricke) in a Sicilian defence, collected eight points to gain an unassailable 1.5 points lead over second-placed Rahul.
Arun gained ascendancy after the 30th move to unleash a centre attack and eventually win in 50 moves.
Along with Arun and Rahul, Vijay Keerthi (Karnataka) and G N Gopal (Kerala), with 6.5 and 6 points respectively, qualified to represent India in the youth Olympiad, to be held in India in July.
The fifth qualifying position will be decided in the final round tomorrow, with Nikhilesh Kumar (Andhra) and T Abhay (Tamil Nadu) logged at 5.5 points followed by Sriram Sarja (Karnataka), Pratik Shriwas (Maharashtra) and Praveen Prasad (Andhra), who are also in contention with 4.5 points apiece.
Among the girls, Mary Ann Gomes inched closer to the title by maintaining sole lead with nine points, followed by Soumya Swaminathan (Maharashtra) with eight points after eleven rounds.
P Sivasankari and Rajadarshini (both Tamil Nadu) followed in third and fourth spots with 7.5 and 6.5 points respectively.
Gomes split points against N Raghavi (Tamil Nadu) in an English converted game involving 28 moves, while Sivasankari beat Rajadarshini in a queen-pawn opening after 36 moves.
Results:
Boys' (10 round): T Abhay (TN) 5.5 bt Vishal V Shah (Mah) 3.5, P Karthikeyan (TN) 3 drew with Sriram Sarja (Kar) 4.5, Rahul Sangma (Goodricke) 6.5 lost to Arun Prasad (TN) 8, Navin Kanna (TN) 2 drew with Pratik Shriwas (Mah) 4.5, Vijay Keerthi (Kar) 6.5 drew with Nikhilesh Kumar (AP) 5.5, Praveen Prasad (AP) 4.5 drew with G N Gopal (Ker) 6.
Girls' (11th round): P Sivasankari (TN) 7.5 bt Rajadarshini (TN) 6.5, S Harini (TN) 3.5 drew with V K Sindhu (TN) 5, Mary Ann Gomes (WB) 9 drew with N Raghavi (TN) 5.5, G Pratika (Kar) 1.5 drew with N Krithikha (TN) 3, J Rajasurya (TN) 4.5 bt Meenu Rajendran (Ker) 4, Ajana N Sowjanya (TN) 2 lost to Kiran Monisha Mohanty (Ori) 6, Soumya Swaminathan (Mah) 8 bye.