Chennai, Nov 3 (IANS) Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout of Orissa moved into sole lead with an upset win over top seed and International Master Tania Sachdev (Air India) in the sixth round of the Velammal 38th women’s National Premier Chess championship, here Thursday.
Padmini, with 5.0 points, now holds half a point lead over Tania Sachdev who remains at 4.5. Sharing the third spot with 4.0 points were WGMs Sowmya Swaminathan (PSPB), S. Meenakshi (AI), Mary Ann Gomes (AAI) and Swathi Ghate (LIC), IM Nisha Mohota (PSPB) and Pratyusha Bodda (AP).
Padmini faced the unusual Schliemann-Jaenisch variation in the Ruy Lopez from Tania and took her time to come up with a game plan. By move 11, queens were off the board and a positional fight ensued with a rook and two minor pieces.
Having given up a pawn early in the game, Tania found herself on the defensive and barely managed to complete the 40 moves requirement within the stipulated time.
But by then, the two-time national champion’s position had weakened and gradually Padmini advanced two of her passed pawns closer to the queening square. Caught up with further loss of material, Tania resigned on the 50th move.
Tamil Nadu’s FIDE Master J. Saranya defeated WIM Bhakti Kulkarni, inflicting a third consecutive defeat on the Goan girl. The King’s Indian game between the duo saw a complicated middle game from which Saranya emerged with an advantage.
Deft maneuvers with her queen, rook and minor pieces, gave the Tamil Nadu girl the winning edge after four hours of play. Faced with a forced mate, Bhakti resigned on the 59th turn.
After a day’s break on Friday, the tournament resumes on Saturday with seventh round matches.
Results (Round 6): Padmini Rout (Ori) 5 bt Tania Sachdev (AI) 4.5, Mary Ann Gomes (AAI) 4 drew Sowmya Swaminathan (PSPB) 4, Pratyusha Bodda (AP) 4 drew Nisha Mohota (PSPB) 4, A G Nimmy (Ker) 3.5 drew S Meenakshi (AI) 4, S Harini (TN) 3 lost to Swathi Ghate (LIC) 4, Sai Meera (IB) 3.5 drew Chandika Divyasree (AP) 3.5, Aarthie Ramaswamy (AI) 2.5 lost to Eesha Karavade (Mah) 3.5, Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) 2.5 lost to J Saranya (TN) 3.5, C Sahajasri (AP) 3 drew Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Ori) 3, R Bharathi (TN) 3 bt Shweta Gole (Mah) 2.5, P Bala Kannamma (TN) 2.5 drew Pon N Krithika (TN) 2.5, A Akshaya (TN) 2 drew M Mahalakshmi (TN) 2.5, Madhurima Shekhar (Del) 1.5 lost to P Michelle Catherina (TN) 2.5, P V Nandhidhaa (TN) 2 bt Swati Mohota (WB) 1.5, Supriya Joshi (Mah) 0.5 Bye.
