Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 20: Monday turned out to be a good day for the Orissa players in the National Women’s Chess Challengers Champion-ships in Chennai with almost all of them winning or drawing their encounters.
Kiran Manisha Mohanty and Aparajita Gochhikar scripted emphatic wins over their respective opponents. Kiran defeated T Balakannama of Tamil Nadu to move up to tied fifth position with five points from six matches. On board No. 12 Aparajita overcame the challenge of Chandreyee Hazra of West Bengal. Aprajita is currently in ninth position with 4.5 points from six visits to the table.
In other matches played on the day, Anisha Misra and Priyanka Routray registered facile victories while Anisha Mishra drew her game.
Four players are leading the pack with 5.5 points apiece. They are WIM R Vaishali of Tamil Nadu, WGM Soumya Swaminathan of PSPB, WGM Swati Ghate of LIC and IM Vijaylaxmi Subbaraman of Air Force.
Orissa face UP
Hosts Orissa will meet Uttar Pradesh in the inaugural match of the National Girls’ Football Championship, jointly organised by All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Association of Orissa (FAO) at Cuttack, July 1-17. Twenty two state teams divided into seven groups will participate in the tournament.
Last year’s runners-up Orissa have been clubbed in Group-A along with Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The two top teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals. Both the semifinals will be played July 15 and the final will be played July 17.
