National champion and double-GM norm holder K Sasikiran (3), who was back in the reckoning with his fourth round win, made some tactical mistakes to lose the fifth round and IM V Saravanan (2.5) also let go the chance by failing to grab any point against German Oliver Koeller.

Kidambi employed the Grunfeld defence with black and made a positional pawn sacrifice on the queen side to wrest the initiative.

The youngster was on song as he declined a draw offer from his seasoned rival and played precisely to win a couple of pawns in the middle game.The Indian handled his material advantage blemishlessly in the ending when Cvijan threw in the towel.

Russian GMs Sergey Volkov and Nukhim Rashkovsky meanwhile shared the lead by garnering 4.5points each when they accounted for IM's Tyomkin (Israel) and Bagirov (Azerbaijan) respectively.

Sasikiran's loss was a major setback for the Indian camp as he was considered a bright prospect to grab his third norm and the GM title which would have made him the fourth Indian to do so. Sasikiran needs to log eight points from 11 rounds and with six rounds remaining, he is left with a tough task of winning all his rounds.

Sasikiran lost to Latvian GM Janis Klovans in the Caro Kann defence with the Indian playing black pieces.

Klovans with white played a novel ideal by advancing his King-side pawns and kept his King in the centre to obtain a microscopic advantage.

Sasikiran was unable to find the right plan and gradually drifted into a lost position.

GM Pravin Thipsay (3) was held to a draw by Taleb Moussa of the United Arab Emirates in a Sicilian defence. Though Thipsay obtained a technically won position, he came under severe time scramble and missed the right sequence which enabled Moussa to holdthe game.

DV Prasad (2.5) was held to a draw by Swiss player Ermeni in a razor sharp battle in the Catalan opening. Ermeni sacrificed a pawn in the middle game and Prasad followed up with a flurry of tactics.

The Swiss simplified the position to reach a drawn bishop ending when the players signed the peace treaty.

Oliver Koeller of Germany outwitted Saravanan in the centre counter opening. Saravanan lost a couple of pawns in the rook ending and gave up the struggle in a hopeless position.

Another Indian hope, IM Abhijit Kunte, also vying for his third GM norm, agreed for a quick draw against Volker Duscher of Germany from a Sicilian Paulsen variation.

Important 5th round results:

Tyomking (3.5, Israel) lost to Volkov (4.5, Russia); Bagirov (3.5, Azerbijan) lost to Rashkovsky (4.5, Russia); Vadim Milov (4, Switzerland) bt Mi Chalevski (3, Israel); Tukamov (3.5, Ukraine) drew Gruenfeld (3.5, Israel); Cvijan (2, Croatia) lost to Kidambi (3, India); Thipsay (3, India) drew Moussa (3, UAE);Duschek (3, Germany) drew Kunte (3, India); Ermeni (2.5, Switzerland) drew Prasad (2.5, India); Sarvanan (2.5, India) lost to Koeller (3.5, Germany).