Neelash Saha Upsets Seventh Seed in 61st National Chess Championship

Kolkata Trio Takes the Lead at National Chess Championship

In a surprising turn of events at the 61st National Chess Championship, three players from Kolkata have taken the lead after the fifth round. Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Aronyak Ghosh, and Neelash Saha are all tied at the top with five points each, leaving behind a field of 338 competitors.

What makes this trio even more remarkable is the fact that they all speak Bengali, adding an interesting cultural element to the competition. With six rounds still to go, they are closely followed by defending champion S.P. Sethuraman and a few others, all within striking distance.

One of the standout performances of the day came from Neelash Saha, who pulled off a fine win against seventh seed Sankalp Gupta. Despite being the lowest seeded player among the leaders and still holding the title of International Master, Saha played a brilliant game to secure victory.

In a King’s Indian Defence game, Saha strategically sacrificed an exchange and eventually forced his opponent to resign, with checkmate looming. This unexpected result has certainly shaken up the leaderboard and added an exciting twist to the competition.

As the championship progresses, all eyes will be on these talented players from Kolkata as they continue to battle it out for the title. With their impressive performances so far, they have proven that they are serious contenders in this prestigious event.