National Under-9 Champion Sahaj Grover, Y Sandeep, V A V Rajesh and N Srinath continued their excellent run with smashing victories to top their respective groups in the fourth round of the World Youth Chess championships in Belfort, France [Images].

Sahaj, with his fourth victory on the trot jumped in to a two-way lead in the under-10 boys section, Sandeep leads the Under-14 section and Rajesh and Srinath are also among the toppers in the under-12 boys section registering four wins each.

On a relatively better day for Indians, two pre-tournament favourites Indians International Master candidate Parimarjan Negi in the under-12 section and Woman Grandmaster D Harika in the Under-14 girls section came back strongly to beat Jon Aplin Christer and Pauline Van Nies respectively.

With the victory, Parimarjan moved to 3 points out of a possible 4 while Harika took her tally to 3.5 points.

Still seven rounds remain in ten different World Championships organised here simultaneously from under-10 to under-18 age groups for boys and girls.

Sahaj was in his element in cruising past Irakli Beradze from the white side of a Caro Kann defense. The Delhi-based did not have to do much as his opponent blundered a piece early in the opening and the remaining technicalities did not bother the Dubai Junior under-10 champion and he checkmated his opponent in 54 moves.

Sandeep defeated Robert Huss in a finely crafted game from the white side of an irregular opening.

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