India No 5 and Kerala's top-rated chess player Grandmaster S L Narayanan had an eventful outing in Prague where he took on one of the Czech Republic's finest and crushed a 23-player field comprising a former prime minister.
Narayanan had been invited for a two-player CEZ Trophy chess festival with highly-rated GM David Navara that was held at the Michna Palace 'symbolising' the bilateral relationship between India and the Czech Republic.
He also gave a simultaneous chess exhibition featuring 23 players including former Czech PM Andrej Babis.
Besides, Babis, former minister of health and a 2179-rated player, Roman Prymula, former minister of interior (police) Martin Pecina and member of parliament Patrik Nacher were some of the others that lost to Narayanan.
Earlier, the 2662-rated Indian played a pulsating 13-game showdown with the 2681-rated Czech GM David Navara. The local favourite managed to edge Narayanan in an 'Armageddon' tie-breaker.
After the 10-game match was tied 5-5, a two-game Blitz tie-breaker was held. Narayanan took the lead but Navara levelled the tie by winning the second game forcing an Armageddon, which is traditionally employed to decide an outcome. In it the player drawing black pieces has draw odds, meaning if black draws the game, he/she is declared the winner.
"It was a tale of many missed chances for Narayanan who played very well and gained precious experience in his first individual match series," said former national player NR Anilkumar, who attended the event.