AGENCIES, PUNJAB: Goa’s young chess players continued their dominance as Om Barde and Gunjal Chopdekar took their points tally to five after the seventh round of the 31st U-13 national open and girls chess championship 2017, in Jalhander, Punjab, on Sunday.

Om Barde defeated Chattisgarh’s Banerjee Ashutosh while Gunjal Chopdekar managed to hold Maharastra’s Bhagyashree Patil.

Earlier in the sixth round, mastermind Om clinched a victory over Uttarakhand’s Saksham Rautela while Gunjal Chopdekar pulled out a draw against Odisa’s Routray Priyanka.

In the other boys matches, Ayush Shirodkar and Ishan Pagi suffered narrow defeats at the hands of Assam’s Rishubh Singh and Chandigarh’s Goel Pratyaksh respectively.

Tanvi Hadkonkar was shocked by Telangana’s Sahithya G. in the seventh round after she brilliantly defeated Karnataka’s Deepthi Lakshami K in the sixth round.

After seventh round, Om Barde is on five and half points while Gunjal is on five ponts. Tanvi has four and half points while Ayush and Ishan are rooted on 2 and half points.