PNN & Agencies
Kolkata, Nov 20: Defending champion Padmini Rout of Orissa emerged joint leader at the end of the seventh round of the 42nd Women’s National Premier Chess Championships here Friday. In her seventh round match, Padmini defeated V Varshini of Tamil Nadu to reach 5.5 points, the same as Swati Ghate who defeated Neha Singh of Bihar.
However, both should be thankful to Michelle Catherina of Tamil Nadu who upset overnight leader Soumya Swaminathan of PSCB in the seventh round to open up the competition. Soumya was on five points and even if she had drawn the tie, she would have stayed in top position with the other two. But the defeat cost her dearly.
Bhakti Kulkarni and Pratyusha Bodda are in the joint third spot with 4.5 points apiece.
Padmini, however, stated that in the remaining four rounds her matches against Swati and Somuya would be very crucial in her efforts to retain the title. “I play Soumya tomorrow (Saturday) and then Swati, both very close games for me,” she stated over the phone. “I have to do well in both those matches if I am to retain the title. But then I am playing well and hopeful of putting up a good show. However, one has to keep in mind that both Swati and Soumya are playing well at the moment,” added the Orissa girl.
A computer engineering student of Anna University, Chennai’s Michelle won two pawns in the centre playing white in an Accelerated Dragon against Soumya. She then thwarted Soumya’s attack and swapped her pieces well to take the game into a winning king and pawn ending. Soumya played on for some time but could not stop the inevitable and resigned.
Padmini once again played a splendid game to outclass Varshini in a Sicilian defence, while Swati faced little resistance from tail-ender Neha in a Ruy Lopez opening with black.
IM and former national champion Tania Sachdev of Air India tried desperately to squeeze out a win from a sterile position against Bodda in a bishop ending in what was the longest game of the championship as it went on for 124 moves before a draw was agreed upon.