India beats Uzbekistan, inches closer to chess gold

Doha -- India took another big step towards wresting the chess gold Monday when it defeated Uzbekistan 3-0 in a sixth-round match to take its points tally to 12 points at the 15th Asian Games here.

With three more rounds to be played, India looks set to wrest the team gold medal on the sport's debut in the continental games.

Hosts Qatar, Iran China and Kazakhstan are placed joint second with eight match points each from six matches. Vietnam is third with seven points.

All three Indian players won their matches. Grandmaster (GM) Sasikiran Krishnan defeated GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GM Pentala Harikrishna GM Alekxei Barsov to earn the point and GM Koneru Humpy beat Women International Master Olga Sabirova to collect one point each.

In this team format each team comprises twp male players and oen woman.