Former Asian champion and second seed Bhakti Kulkarni defeated top seed Soumya Swaminathan in the seventh round to emerge the sole leader with 6.5 points in the 46th National women’s chess championship here on Tuesday.
Pawn advantage
Playing white in a Grunfeld Defence game, Bhakti got a pawn advantage on the 23rd move and exerted pressure on the open queenside of her rival.
Under time pressure, Soumya blundered on the 39th move to give a minor piece advantage to Bhakti and resigned immediately.
Vantika Agrawal held the upper hand for most part against Pratyusha Bodda, but failed to capitalise and shared the point with her opponent. Vantika, with six points, now holds the sole second spot.
After the sixth round, Bhakti and Vantika remained joint leaders with 5.5 points.
Important results (seventh round, TN unless specified):
Bhakti Kulkarni (AI) 6.5 bt Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) 5; Pratyusha Bodda (AP) 5.5 drew with Vantika Agrawal (Del) 6; Michelle Catherina 5.5 drew with P.V. Nandhidhaa 5.5; S. Meenakshi (AI) 5.5 bt Swati Ghate (LIC) 5; Harshita Guddanti (AP) 5 drew with Srija Seshadri 5; Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) 5 bt Priyanka Nutakki (AP) 4.5; J. Saranya 4 lost to Divya Deshmukh (Mah) 5; S. Vijayalakshmi (AI) 4 lost to Potluri Saye Srreezza (TS) 5.
Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC) 5 bt M. Mahalakshmi (Rly) 4; Aarthie Ramaswamy (AI) 4.5 drew with Nisha Mohota (PSPB) 4.5; K. Priyanka 5 bt C.H. Meghna (Rly) 4; Isha Sharma (Kar) 4.5 drew with Rutuja Bakshi (Mah) 4.5; P. Bala Kannamma 5 bt Parnali S. Dharia (Mah) 4; Y. Saranya 4 lost to Nityata Jain (MP) 5; V. Nanditha (TS) 4 lost to Bagyashree Thipsay (Mah) 5; Mrudul Dehankar (Mah) 5 bt V. Rindhiya 4.
