Top-seed WGM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) and fifth seed Bhakti Kulkarni (Air India) shared the lead with 7.5 points each from nine rounds at the end of the seventh day in the 44th National women’s challengers chess championship 2017, conducted by Mysore Chess centre at the Kanteerava sports Club here on Thursday.
In the biggest upset of the day, unseeded Bala Kannamma played an excellent middle and endgame with white pieces to shock the present Commonwealth Games women’s champion and third seed WGM Swati Ghate in 64 moves.
In another upset, the unseeded G. Sandhya playing black beat WGM Aarathie Ramaswamy.
Ten players are tied with 6.5 points and are placed from fourth to 13th.
Playing on the top board with white, overnight joint leader WFM C. Lakshmi fought gallantly, but faltered with her endgame to go down to Bhakti in 91 moves.
Soumya, playing with black pieces on the second board, capitalised on P.V. Nandhidhaa’s error during the endgame to register a crucial win in 43 moves.
Important results:
Ninth round: C. Lakshmi (6.5) lost Bhakti Kulkarni (7.5), P.V. Nandhidhaa (6.5) lost to Soumya Swaminathan (7.5).
Mary Ann Gomes (7) bt Arpita Mukherjee (6), Kiran Manisha Mohanty (6.5) drew with Meenakshi Subbaraman (6.5), P. Bala Kannamma (6.5) bt Swati Ghate (5.5).
Nisha Mohota (6.5) bt Aashna Makhija (5.5), L. Jyotsna (6.5) bt Mahalakshmi (5.5), Siddhali Shetye (5.5) lost Pranali S. Dharia (6.5), Sakshi Chitlange (6.5) bt Palkin Kaur (5.5).
Aarthie Ramaswamy (5.5) lost to Sandhya G. (6.5), Srija Seshadri (5.5) drew with Sanskriti Goyal (6), K. Manasa (5) lost Rucha Pujari (6).
A.G. Nimmy (5) lost to Samriddhaa Ghosh (6), Lasya G. (5.5) drew with Toshali V. (5.5), Divya Lakshmi R. (6) bt Archi Agarwal (5), Savitha Shri (4.5) lost P. Michelle Catherina (5.5).