Chess - Indian trio close in on gold

India's dominance in chess at the Asian Games is set to be confirmed with gold in the mixed team classical chess tournament at Al-Dana Indoor Hall but the other medals are still up for grabs.

India's team of grand masters Sasikiran Krishnan (cor), Harikrishna Pentala (cor) and Humpy Koneru (cor) have won all seven of their matches so far. They hold a 4.5 point lead with two rounds remaining and can clinch gold with a big win in their next match.

Indonesia, currently in third place, are India's next opponents and they will need to break their winning streak if they are to remain in medal contention.

First-board players Krishnan and Indonesia's Wahjuwidajat Utut Adianto (cor) have only played each other in Calcutta, India, in 1998 when they shared the point. The players on second board and the women's board players will have their first encounter against eachother in a classical chess game.

China have taken over second place and can take a big step toward chess silver by beating Kazakhstan, who share third place with Indonesia. On all three boards of the China versus Kazakhstan match, the players will meet for the first time in a classical chess game.

Qatar still retain some hope of a medal. They currently lie in fifth spot and with the top four all playing each other they can make up ground with a big win against Turkmenistan.

On all three boards of this match, the players will have their first classical chess game. However the hosts can enter with confidence as in the women's rapid individual event earlier in the Games, Chen Zhu (cor), who defends the women's board for Qatar, beat her opponent Mahri Geldyyeva (cor).

15th Asian Games, Doha 2006