National Women's 2019 R02+03: A juxtaposition of gala and tussle
The second day of the 46th National Women Chess Championship 2019 saw celebration amidst struggle. It was a hectic double rounds day with the second round starting at 9 a.m and the third at 4 p.m but the players and organizers still managed to find time for International Chess Day celebration. Speaking of the games, round-2 gave quite a few surprising results, the most notable among them being WCM Jyothsna L's victory with black pieces over WIM Srija Seshadri. In the same round Nandhini Saripalli also pulled off an upset by beating WIM Pratyusha Bodda. Going into the third round, top-seed IM Soumya Swaminathan was held to a draw by WIM Harshita Guddanti, while the defending Champion Bhakti Kulkarni registered yet another victory by defeating WFM Saranya J. In this report we bring you photos, analyses, and more.
In the second round of 46th National Women Chess Championship 2019 India's recently minted WGM Srija Seshadri of Tamil Nadu suffered a shocking defeat in the hands of state-mate and WCM Jyothsna L. The latter had the Black pieces and chose the French defense against her opponent's king's pawn opening. The critical mistake of the game came as early as move 11 which gave Black a serious material advantage. On the 17th move however, Srija had an opportunity to make a comeback, but she missed her chance!
Srija Seshadri - Jyothsna L., Round 2
Reinforcing the center with 9.f4 is an option here but in the game White adopted a more ambitious plan and went 9.Nf4 with the idea of going Qh5+ next. 9...Nxd4 10.Qh5+ Ke7 was played and here White made the move 11.0-0
A move like 11.Be3 would have been fine, after 11...fxe5 12.Bxd4 exd4 and only now 13.0-0 gives White sufficient compensation for the two pawns as Black's pawns and pieces are in a mess. But 11.0-0? didn't look like the greatest of moves, after 11...Nxe5 12.Nc3 Black didn't have much problems to solve. For instance, with 12...Nxd3 13.Nxd3 g6 14.Qd1 Kf7 the king gets a safe spot on f7 and the pieces find ways to get into the game. However, Jyothsna didn't opt for this continuation and the play went 12...Nc6 13.Re1 Qe8 14.Qh4 Kf7 15.Bxh7 instead. White recovered a pawn, but was this enough?
The game followed 15...Bc5 16.b4 and Black pushed 16...g5? - a mistake that gives White the chance to come back into the game. A move like 16...Bd6 would have been good enough to preserve the advantage - 17.Qh5+ Ke7 18.Qxe8 Kxe8 and Black has the edge.
The correct continuation is 17.Qh5+ Kg7 18.Qxe8+ Rxe8 19. Nh5+ Kxh7 20. Nxf6+ (fork) Kg6 21.Nxe8 and now it looks like White is up an exchange but after 21...Bd4 22.Bd2 Nc4 Black is actually able to pick up another piece and in the resulting position Black, with two minor pieces against a rook, is still better but White has sufficient chances. In the game however, Srija wasn't able to find this and played 17.Qh6 instead. After 17...Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 gxf4 Jyothsna went onto win the game fairly easily. The full game with annotations is presented below:
Another upset came in the form of Nandhini Saripalli defeating WIM Pratyusha Bodda. Nandhini had the White pieces and the game began with an Italian. The following position was reached after move 15.
Nandhini Saripalli - Pratyusha Bodda, Round 2
15...fxg6 is not possible because then White has 16.Nxe4 and Black can't recapture on e4 because the d5 pawn is pinned. After 16...cxb5 17.Nd6 White is clearly better. The simple 15...Nxg6 would have been the best move but Pratyusha went for the slightly worse 15...hxg6 ruining her kingside pawn-structure. The game followed 16.Bd3 Nf5 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.0-0-0 Nxd4 19. Qc4 c5 20. Nxe4 and White's position started to look good with the knight eying the nice d6 square.
Next, Black decided to go for a liquidation and went 20...Qe7 21.f4 Rfd8 22.Kb1 Qe6 23.Qxe6 Nxe6 24.h4 c4 25.Bxb6 axb6, now the following position was all White's to take.
Results of round 2
Bo. | No. | Name | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | Result | Pts. | Name | Rtg | Club/City | No. | ||
1 | 1 | WGM | Soumya Swaminathan | 2402 | PSPB | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Sandhya G | 1975 | AP | 31 | |
2 | 30 | Potluri Saye Srreezza | 1999 | TEL | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WGM | Kulkarni Bhakti | 2388 | AI | 2 | |
3 | 3 | WIM | Divya Deshmukh | 2373 | MAH | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Bakshi Rutuja | 1958 | MAH | 33 | |
4 | 32 | Saranya Y | 1959 | TN | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | IM | Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman | 2357 | AI | 4 | |
5 | 5 | WIM | Srija Seshadri | 2306 | TN | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WCM | Jyothsna L | 1939 | TN | 35 |
6 | 34 | WFM | Sanskriti Goyal | 1948 | UP | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | WGM | Gomes Mary Ann | 2303 | PSPB | 6 |
7 | 36 | Nandhini Saripalli | 1933 | GOA | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | WIM | Pratyusha Bodda | 2265 | AP | 8 | |
8 | 9 | WIM | Nandhidhaa P V | 2259 | TN | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Toshali V | 1920 | AP | 37 | |
9 | 38 | WFM | Meghna C H | 1903 | RSPB | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WIM | Vantika Agrawal | 2243 | DEL | 10 |
10 | 11 | WIM | Mahalakshmi M | 2227 | RSPB | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | WFM | Dhyana Patel | 1900 | GUJ | 39 |
11 | 40 | Pandey Srishti | 1882 | MAH | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WIM | Michelle Catherina P | 2226 | TN | 12 | |
12 | 13 | IM | Mohota Nisha | 2221 | PSPB | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | WFM | Potluri Supreetha | 1873 | AP | 41 |
13 | 42 | Shetye Siddhali | 1837 | MAH | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | Priyanka K | 2217 | TN | 14 | ||
14 | 43 | Sunyuktha C M N | 1815 | TN | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | WCM | Sharma Isha | 2188 | KAR | 16 | |
15 | 44 | Singh Neha | 1809 | BIH | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WGM | Meenakshi Subbaraman | 2163 | AI | 18 | |
16 | 19 | WIM | Parnali S Dharia | 2145 | MAH | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | Sunyasakta Satpathy | 1801 | ODI | 45 | |
17 | 46 | Smaraki Mohanty | 1773 | ODI | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WFM | Jain Nityata | 2135 | MP | 20 | |
18 | 21 | WIM | Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe | 2093 | MAH | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Sheena E. | 1763 | KER | 47 | |
19 | 22 | WIM | Varshini V | 2087 | TN | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | Shah Vishwa | 1734 | MAH | 49 | |
20 | 23 | WIM | Harshita Guddanti | 2078 | AP | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Boramanikar Tanisha S | 1720 | MAH | 51 |
Standings after round 2
Rk. | SNo | Name | FED | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | w-we | |
1 | 1 | WGM | Soumya Swaminathan | IND | 2402 | PSPB | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | -0,21 |
9 | WIM | Nandhidhaa P V | IND | 2259 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,39 | |
10 | WIM | Vantika Agrawal | IND | 2243 | DEL | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,45 | |
12 | WIM | Michelle Catherina P | IND | 2226 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | -0,06 | |
13 | IM | Mohota Nisha | IND | 2221 | PSPB | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | -0,15 | |
18 | WGM | Meenakshi Subbaraman | IND | 2163 | AI | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | -0,10 | |
20 | WFM | Jain Nityata | IND | 2135 | MP | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,31 | |
21 | WIM | Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe | IND | 2093 | MAH | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,35 | |
23 | WIM | Harshita Guddanti | IND | 2078 | AP | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,55 | |
25 | WFM | Saranya J | IND | 2067 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,03 | |
26 | WGM | Kiran Manisha Mohanty | IND | 2054 | LIC | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | 0,58 | |
27 | Bala Kannamma P | IND | 2051 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 2,00 | 2 | -0,09 | ||
13 | 2 | WGM | Kulkarni Bhakti | IND | 2388 | AI | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,5 | 1,50 | 2 | 0,30 |
14 | 3 | WIM | Divya Deshmukh | IND | 2373 | MAH | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | -0,21 |
28 | WGM | Ramaswamy Aarthie | IND | 2020 | AI | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 0,42 | |
29 | Meenal Gupta | IND | 2004 | J&K | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 0,03 | ||
35 | WCM | Jyothsna L | IND | 1939 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 1,32 | |
36 | Nandhini Saripalli | IND | 1933 | GOA | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 1,25 | ||
43 | Sunyuktha C M N | IND | 1815 | TN | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 0,85 | ||
45 | Sunyasakta Satpathy | IND | 1801 | ODI | 2,0 | 0,0 | 1,0 | 1,0 | 1,00 | 2 | 0,73 |
Round 3 - Five players take lead with 3.0/3
After the third round five players - WIM Nandhidhaa P V, WIM Vantika Agrawal, WFM Nityata Jain, WIM Bhagyashree Sathe Thipsay, and WGM Bhakti Kulkarni - have emerged as leaders with 3.0/3 each. Surprising result came from first board where WIM Harshita Guddanti held top-seed IM Soumya Swaminathan to a draw.
Bhakti Kulkarni - Saranya J, Round 3
The best way to offer resistance would have been 42...Qc1+ 43.Kh2 Ne3, but 42...Nc7 is a mistake as now White has 43.Bd2 Qe5 44.Qc4+
Results of round 3
Bo. | No. | Name | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | Result | Pts. | Name | Rtg | Club/City | No. | ||
1 | 23 | WIM | Harshita Guddanti | 2078 | AP | 2 | ½ - ½ | 2 | WGM | Soumya Swaminathan | 2402 | PSPB | 1 |
2 | 2 | WGM | Kulkarni Bhakti | 2388 | AI | 2 | 1 - 0 | 2 | WFM | Saranya J | 2067 | TN | 25 |
3 | 26 | WGM | Kiran Manisha Mohanty | 2054 | LIC | 2 | ½ - ½ | 2 | WIM | Divya Deshmukh | 2373 | MAH | 3 |
4 | 29 | Meenal Gupta | 2004 | J&K | 2 | 0 - 1 | 2 | WIM | Nandhidhaa P V | 2259 | TN | 9 | |
5 | 10 | WIM | Vantika Agrawal | 2243 | DEL | 2 | 1 - 0 | 2 | Bala Kannamma P | 2051 | TN | 27 | |
6 | 12 | WIM | Michelle Catherina P | 2226 | TN | 2 | ½ - ½ | 2 | WGM | Ramaswamy Aarthie | 2020 | AI | 28 |
7 | 35 | WCM | Jyothsna L | 1939 | TN | 2 | ½ - ½ | 2 | IM | Mohota Nisha | 2221 | PSPB | 13 |
8 | 18 | WGM | Meenakshi Subbaraman | 2163 | AI | 2 | ½ - ½ | 2 | Nandhini Saripalli | 1933 | GOA | 36 | |
9 | 20 | WFM | Jain Nityata | 2135 | MP | 2 | 1 - 0 | 2 | Sunyuktha C M N | 1815 | TN | 43 | |
10 | 45 | Sunyasakta Satpathy | 1801 | ODI | 2 | 0 - 1 | 2 | WIM | Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe | 2093 | MAH | 21 | |
11 | 4 | IM | Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman | 2357 | AI | 1½ | 1 - 0 | 1½ | WFM | Sanskriti Goyal | 1948 | UP | 34 |
12 | 6 | WGM | Gomes Mary Ann | 2303 | PSPB | 1½ | ½ - ½ | 1½ | Saranya Y | 1959 | TN | 32 | |
13 | 49 | Shah Vishwa | 1734 | MAH | 1½ | 0 - 1 | 1½ | WIM | Mahalakshmi M | 2227 | RSPB | 11 | |
14 | 14 | Priyanka K | 2217 | TN | 1½ | 1 - 0 | 1½ | Thamaraiselvi P | 1752 | TN | 48 | ||
15 | 39 | WFM | Dhyana Patel | 1900 | GUJ | 1½ | ½ - ½ | 1½ | WIM | Varshini V | 2087 | TN | 22 |
16 | 24 | WCM | Mrudul Dehankar | 2074 | MAH | 1½ | 1 - 0 | 1½ | Shetye Siddhali | 1837 | MAH | 42 | |
17 | 59 | Senthamizh Yazhini S | 1622 | TN | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WIM | Srija Seshadri | 2306 | TN | 5 | |
18 | 60 | Mudaliar Nandini | 1609 | GUJ | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WIM | Priyanka Nutakki | 2293 | AP | 7 | |
19 | 8 | WIM | Pratyusha Bodda | 2265 | AP | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | Panda Miracle | 1605 | ODI | 62 | |
20 | 61 | Aishwarya | 1607 | DEL | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | WGM | Swati Ghate | 2192 | LIC | 15 |
Standings after round 3
Rk. | SNo | Name | FED | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | w-we | |
1 | 9 | WIM | Nandhidhaa P V | IND | 2259 | TN | 3,0 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,0 | 5,00 | 3 | 0,39 |
10 | WIM | Vantika Agrawal | IND | 2243 | DEL | 3,0 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,0 | 5,00 | 3 | 0,45 | |
20 | WFM | Jain Nityata | IND | 2135 | MP | 3,0 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,0 | 5,00 | 3 | 0,31 | |
21 | WIM | Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe | IND | 2093 | MAH | 3,0 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,0 | 5,00 | 3 | 0,35 | |
5 | 2 | WGM | Kulkarni Bhakti | IND | 2388 | AI | 3,0 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 4,5 | 4,50 | 3 | 0,30 |
6 | 1 | WGM | Soumya Swaminathan | IND | 2402 | PSPB | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,21 |
3 | WIM | Divya Deshmukh | IND | 2373 | MAH | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,21 | |
12 | WIM | Michelle Catherina P | IND | 2226 | TN | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,06 | |
13 | IM | Mohota Nisha | IND | 2221 | PSPB | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,15 | |
18 | WGM | Meenakshi Subbaraman | IND | 2163 | AI | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,10 | |
23 | WIM | Harshita Guddanti | IND | 2078 | AP | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | 0,55 | |
26 | WGM | Kiran Manisha Mohanty | IND | 2054 | LIC | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | 0,58 | |
35 | WCM | Jyothsna L | IND | 1939 | TN | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | 1,32 | |
36 | Nandhini Saripalli | IND | 1933 | GOA | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,5 | 5,5 | 4,25 | 2 | 1,25 | ||
15 | 4 | IM | Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman | IND | 2357 | AI | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,5 | 4,50 | 2 | -0,26 |
11 | WIM | Mahalakshmi M | IND | 2227 | RSPB | 2,5 | 0,0 | 4,0 | 5,5 | 4,50 | 2 | -0,21 | |
17 | 14 | Priyanka K | IND | 2217 | TN | 2,5 | 0,0 | 3,5 | 5,0 | 4,25 | 2 | -0,25 | |
18 | 28 | WGM | Ramaswamy Aarthie | IND | 2020 | AI | 2,5 | 0,0 | 3,5 | 3,5 | 2,25 | 2 | 0,42 |
19 | 24 | WCM | Mrudul Dehankar | IND | 2074 | MAH | 2,5 | 0,0 | 3,0 | 4,0 | 3,25 | 2 | -0,09 |
20 | 29 | Meenal Gupta | IND | 2004 | J&K | 2,0 | 0,0 | 5,0 | 6,0 | 3,00 | 2 | 0,0 |