Meenakshi Subbaraman of Air India held Padmini Rout of Orissa to a fighting draw in the seventh round of the Velammal Educational Trust National premier women's chess championship at the Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
In a slow positional game, the middle game styles of the players being similar, Meenakshi held a slight upper hand at various junctures as they drew in 82 moves with only the two kings left on the board.
This draw allowed Air India's Tania Sachdev, who registered a victory, to join Padmini Rout in the lead on 5.5 points from seven games.
In the joint third-fourth places are Nisha Mohota and Mary Ann Gomes. Four rounds remain to be played.
Fighting against a passed pawn of black, Tania Sachdev capitalised on Pratyusha's mistake on move 28 to sacrifice a knight.
That yielded a couple of pawns and Tania converted it in a 58-move pawn ending.
Mary Ann Gomes played energetically to sacrifice a rook on move 32 and defeat former champion Swati Ghate 10 moves later.
Nisha Mohota won a 19-move brilliant brevity after she punished Soumya Swaminathan for trying to defend a gambited pawn.
Eesha scores
Eesha Karavade outplayed Sahajasri by winning a rook for bishop on move 15.
Kiran Mohanty made a comeback by defeating Harini in 55 moves. Kiran proved that in minor piece endings, a bishop is superior to the knight when pawns are present on both flanks.
Divyasree chased the advancing black queen into passivity before sacrificing a rook for checkmate on move 31 against Nimmy George.
Mahalakshmi shocked WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy in 38 moves. Norm seekers Saranya and Sai Meera drew a level rook ending after 35 moves.
The results: Seventh round: S. Meenakshi (TN) 4.5 drew with Padmini Rout (Ori) 5.5; Tania Sachdev (Del) 5.5 bt B. Pratyusha (AP) 4; Swati Ghate (Mah) 4 lost to Mary Ann Gomes (WB) 5.
Nisha Mohota (WB) 5 bt Soumya Swaminathan (Mah) 4; C. Divyasree (AP) 4.5 bt Nimmy George (Ker) 3.5; J. Saranya (TN) 4 drew with Sai Meera (TN) 4; Eesha Karavade (Mah) 4.5 bt C. Sahajasri (AP) 3.
Kiran Mohanty (Ori) 4 bt S. Harini (TN) 3; Pon N. Krithikha (TN) 3.5 bt R. Bharathi (TN) 3; Shweta Gole (Mah) 2.5 lost to Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) 3.5; M. Mahalakshmi (TN) 3.5 bt Aarthie Ramaswamy (TN) 2.5.
Michelle Catherina (TN) 3.5 bt Bala Kannamma (TN) 2.5; Supriya Joshi (Mah) 1.5 lost to P.V. Nandhidhaa (TN) 3; A. Akshaya (TN) 2.5 drew with Madhurima Shekhar (Del) 2; Swati Mohota (WB) 2.5 – bye.
