Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout of Orissa drew with WGM Meenakshi Subbaraman of Air India, and now shares the lead with top seed International Master Tania Sachdev (Air India) after the seventh round of the Velammal 38th National Women Premier Chess Championship 2011 being held at Media Centre, Nehru Stadium, Periamet, Chennai here today.
Padmini and Tania remain on top of the table with 5.5 points, followed by WGM Mary Ann Gomes (AAI) and International Master Nisha Mohota (PSPB) at 5.0 points each. Further half a point down at 4.5 points were the trio, WGM Meenakshi Subbaraman (Air India), IM Eesha Karavade (Maharashtra), Chandika Divyasree (AP) respectively.
The top board game between Meenakshi and Padmini began in a quiet manner. Keeping themselves out of the opening preparation, the duo traded a minor piece and a rook. Higher rated Padmini found herself in the back foot right through the game.
Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout
In the final phase of the rook and pawn end game, Padmini found herself two pawns down at one stage, but hung on grimly to eke out a draw after 82 moves. The hard fought draw keeps the Orissa girl in joint lead along with Tania.
In the second board, Tania faced the Nimzo-Indian defence from the Andhra girl Pratyusha Bodda. Aggression was the watch word, as Tania rolled her king side pawns for a massive attack. Into the middle game, Pratyusha’s indiscretion cost her two pawns, which Tania went on to convert in style and wrap the game in 59 moves. The defeat puts Pratyusha behind in her pursuit of Woman International Master Norm, but with four rounds to go, she still has something to fight for.
Defending Champion Sowmya Swaminathan had it tough against International Master Nisha Mohota, and went down in a miniature game. Nisha finished with a flourish sacrificing her queen on the 19 move, forcing immediate resignation from Sowmya. The smashing win takes Nisha Mohota to a top board duel with Tania Sachdev in the next round.
International Master Tania Sachdev
Tamil Nadu girls with Norm chances, viz., Saranya and Harini had mixed results, as the former drew with Sai Meera, while Kiran Manisha Mohanty put it across Harini in a minor pieces end game. In another upset of the day, 13-year-old Woman FIDE Master Mahalakshmi of Velammal School found a late game tactic to defeat Woman Grandmaster Aarthie Ramaswamy.
Important round eight pairings: Nisha – Tania, Padmini – Mary Ann, Meenakshi – Eesha, Sowmya – Divyasree.
IM Nisha Mohota – WGM Sowmya Swaminathan
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.c4 dxc4 5.O-O Nbd7 6.Qc2 Nb6 7.a4 a5 8.Na3 Qd5 9.Ne1 Qe6 10.d3 cxd3 11.Nxd3 Nfd5 12.e4 Nb4 13.Nxb4 axb4 14.Be3 Nd7 15.Nb5 Kd8 16.Rac1 b3 17.Qc3 Rxa4 18.Rfd1 Ra6 19.Qa5 1-0
IM Tania Sachdev – Pratyusha Bodda
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 c5 5.d5 O-O 6.e4 Re8 7.Nge2 d6 8.Ng3 exd5 9.cxd5 Nbd7 10.Be2 Ne5 11.O-O Bd7 12.a4 a6 13.Be3 h6 14.Qc2 Rc8 15.h3 c4 16.Nd1 Qa5 17.Kh1 Bc5 18.Bd2 Bb4 19.Bc3 Bxc3 20.bxc3 b5 21.f4 Ng6 22.Ne3 Qb6 23.Ng4 Nxg4 24.Bxg4 Bxg4 25.hxg4 b4 26.cxb4 Qxb4 27.Rab1 Qc5 28.Qc3 Nh4 29.Nh5 f6 30.Nxf6 gxf6 31.Qxf6 c3 32.Qxh4 c2 33.Rbe1 Qa3 34.Rc1 Qd3 35.e5 Qxd5 36.Qh5 Qe6 37.exd6 Red8 38.f5 Qf6 39.Qh3 Rxd6 40.Rxc2 Rcd8 41.Qb3 Kh8 42.Re2 Rd4 43.Qh3 Rd1 44.Ree1 Rxe1 45.Rxe1 Qg5 46.Qe3 Qf6 47.Qe7 Rf8 48.Qxf6 Rxf6 49.Re6 Rxe6 50.fxe6 Kg7 51.Kh2 Kf6 52.Kh3 Kxe6 53.Kh4 Kf6 54.Kh5 Kg7 55.g5 hxg5 56.Kxg5 a5 57.Kf5 Kf7 58.Ke5 1-0
WIM Bhakti Kulkarni watching the marathon top board game between WGMs Meenakshi Subbaraman & Padmini Rout
Results Round 7:
Meenakshi S (AI) 4.5 drew with Padmini Rout (Ori) 5.5, Tania Sachdev (AI) 5.5 bt Pratyusha Bodda (AP) 4, Swathi Ghate (LIC) 4 lost to Mary Ann Gomes (AAI) 5, Nisha Mohota (PSPB) 5 bt Sowmya Swaminathan (PSPB) 4, Chandika Divyasree (AP) 4.5 bt A G Nimmy (Ker) 3.5, J Saranya (TN) 4 drew with Sai Meera (IB) 4, Eesha Karavade (Mah) 4.5 bt Cholleti Sahajasri (AP) 3, Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Ori) bt S Harini (TN) 3, Pon N Krithika (AICF) 3.5 bt R Bharathi (TN) 3, Shweta Gole (Mah) 2.5 lost to Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) 3.5, M Mahalakshmi (TN) 3.5 bt Aarthie Ramaswamy (AI) 2.5, P Michelle Catherina (TN) 3.5 bt P Bala Kannamma (TN) 2.5, Supriya Joshi (Mah) 1.5 lost to P V Nandhidhaa (TN) 3, A Akshaya (TN) 2.5 drew with Madhurima Shekhar (Del) 2, Swati Mohota (WB) 1.5 – Bye.
R R Vasudevan
Press Officer
Velammal 38th National Women Premier Chess Championship 2011
