Sunday 12 March 2017

2017 ACT Championships - Day 2

The 2017 ACT Chess Championships is already following a familiar script, with IM Junta Ikeda and IM Andrew Brown sharing the lead after 3 rounds. They have both scored 3 from 3, and will meet in tomorrow mornings round.
The start of the day saw a number of lower rated players struggle to shake off their sleepiness, as at least 4 games were over within 45 minutes. This included games on the top 2 boards, where lost pieces in the opening cost the game. The afternoon round saw more determined resistance as the top seeds did have to work harder for their points.
With Ikeda and Brown likely to take the top 2 positions, the battle for third place is still of interest. Currently sharing this position are WFM Alana Chibnall, and tournament surprise Lachlan Ho. Ho (seeded 29th) has collected the scalps of two higher rated opponents, along with a draw, to make it all the way to board 2 tomorrow. He does have a tough assignment against Chibnall, but given his current form, an upset win may not be beyond him.
Along with tournament standings and live coverage, the tournament website now has the first 3 round's games available. You can either download them or replay them via the game viewer.

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