2-in-1: Mrudul wins gold, becomes WIM at Western Asian chess meet

NAGPUR: A Fide handbook rule might have denied Mrudul Dehankar the Women International Master (WIM) title 45 days ago but the youngster remained patient.
On Tuesday, Mrudal earned the well-deserved WIM title by winning the Western Asian Youth & Junior Chess Championship in the U-18 girls’ group at New Delhi. While an inside regulation of World Chess Federation denied Mrudul the WIM tag this July, she made most of another rule in the handbook to become city’s second WIM. She is only the second player after Divya Deshmukh to become WIM.
As per Fide rules, if a player wins a medal in any Asian or world level championships and has the requisite rating points, then that master is eligible to become either a Candidate Master (CM), Women Fide Master and WIM. By winning the Western Asian meet at an Elo of 2198, the 16-year-old ended two years wait.
“Finally, it happened. I am happy to become a WIM. I am now relaxed. Most importantly, I am very happy to win in a higher age category. However, I didn’t expect to do so well because I wasn’t in practice. I just wanted to give my best and thankfully all went really well,” Mrudul told TOI.
In the nine-round international rating meet, Mrudul played in the higher age-category and remained unbeaten, collecting eight points. On her way to the triumph, Mrudul registered victories in seven rounds and drew two boards including a final round against Rindhiya V.
After starting her campaign with a facile win over Uzbekistan’s Ozoda Khusainova, the top seed Mrudul defeated Toshali V, Priyanka K, city’s Srishti Pandey, Sanskriti Goyal, Srimathi R and Samriddhaa Ghosh. Playing safe, Mrudul drew her fourth round contest against WCM Jyothsna L.
MRUDUL WINS SILVER IN BLITZ TOO
Mrudul also won a silver medal in the shortest format of the game. In the day-long blitz event, Mrudul collected seven points and finished at par with Priyanka K and Jyothsna L. On the basis of the Buchholz Tie-Break system Priyanka pocketed gold, Mrudul won silver and Jyothsna finished third.
BRONZE, WFM TITLE FOR SRISHTI
Srishti Pandey powered her way to the podium with an upset over fourth seed Jyothsna L in the ninth and final round. With this third place finish, behind Mrudul and Priyanka K, Srishti also claimed her maiden international medal and first chess title.
With an Asian medal and 1928 Elo points, Srishti became country’s latest Women Fide Master (WFM). She finished the nine round meet with five wins, two draws and as many defeats and collected six points.
Earlier in the rapid event, Srishti won a bronze medal collecting five points in seven rounds.