Swati in sole lead, Padmini climbs to joint second

Kolkata, Sept 2

Swati Ghate halted top seed Tania Sachdev’s winning run carving out a draw to remain in sole lead with five points after the seventh round of the 40th National Women’s Premier Chess Championship here on Sunday.

Two-time defending champion Mary Ann Gomes, Soumya Swaminathan and Padmini Rout occupied the second position, closely chasing the leader with half-a-point deficit.

Swati opted for the Queen’s defence in reply to Tania’s queen pawn opening as both the players chose not to take the risk to force a draw in 33 moves.

Padmini jumped to the joint second spot with a win against Nisha Mohota in the advance variation of the Caro Kan defence. The Odisha girl won a knight with a pin against Nisha’s king after which the latter resigned immediately.

Playing black against Bodda Pratyusha, Mary Ann was involved in her third consecutive draw in the meet in a Sicilian defence. Pratyusha obtained a slight advantage from the opening but Mary Ann held her own in a difficult position to draw in a rook endgame.

National sub-junior champion G K Monnisha squandered an excellent position against former world junior girls champion Soumya to go down in 72 moves.

14 year-old National Junior Champion Ivana Furtado of Goa was content to keep her position near the top with a draw against WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty in 25 moves in the advanced variation of the Caro-Kan defence.

Results (Round 7):

IM Tania Sachdev (AI) (4) drew WGM Swathi Ghate (LIC) (5); WFM G K Monnisha (TN) (2) lost to WGM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) (4.5); CM Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) (3) drew Michelle Catherina (TN) (1.5); WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC) (3) drew WIM Ivana Maria Furtado (Goa) (4); Bodda Pratyusha (AP) (3) drew WGM Mary Ann Gomes (W.B.) (4.5); WGM Padmini Rout (Odisha) (4.5) bt IM Nisha Mohota (PSPB) (3).