49th National Women 2023 R6: Divya and Srija implode against Soumya and Bhakti

by Shahid Ahmed - 06/07/2023

The defending champion IM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) had already shown chinks in her armour. She blundered a piece early in the middlegame against IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB). The former National Women champion does not let these opportunities slip by. IM Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa) also scored a win similarly. Her opponent, WGM Srija Seshadri (TN) dropped a piece for no reason and succumbed easily. Soumya and Bhakti will invitably face each other in Round 7. Six players - WIM Mahalakshmi M (RSPB), WIM Mounika Akshaya Bommini (AP), WGM Varshini V (TN), WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB), WIM Mrudul Dehankar (MAH) and Rebecca Jesumarian (TN) are at 5/6 each. Round 7 starts today at 10 a.m. IST. Photo: Kolhapur Chess Association

Mrudul decimates Pratyusha

IM Eesha Karavade (PSPB) missed her opportunity to win against WIM Mounika Akshaya Bommini (AP). WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) and IM Padmini Rout (PSPB) were held to solid draws by WIM Mahalakshmi M (RSPB) and Mrittika Mallick (WB) respectively. WIM Mrudul Dehankar (MAH) completely dominated WGM Pratyusha Bodda (AP). Yashita Rout (ODI) and WCM Bristy Mukherjee (WB) drew against WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC) and WIM Vishwa Vasnawala (GUJ) respectively. The reigning National Under-13 Girls and Amateur Below 2300 Women champion, Sneha Halder (WB) got the better of IM Nisha Mohota (PSPB).

IM Soumya Swaminathan and... | Photo: Kolhapur Chess Association

IM Bhakti Kulkarni are the coleaders 5.5/6 | Photo: Kolhapur Chess Association

Divya - Soumya

Position after 15.Nb5??

IM Divya Deshmukh (MAH, 2389) made an unforced 15.Nb5?? Qc4 immediately dropped a knight 16.Nd6 Qxb4. Instead 16.Qa4 a5 17.Bd2 axb4 18.Qxa8 Qxb5 would have been slightly better for White than what she played. Soon her opponent, IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB, 2293) returned an exchange to free up her pieces, gain some activity and launched a devastating attack on the kingside.

Position after 35...g4

This is how Soumya likes to play, attacking chess. Since she had a total control of the position, launching a flank attack was quite natural. White won the game in another seven moves.

IM Soumya Swaminathan avenged her loss earlier this year at 20th National Team Women 2023 against IM Divya Deshmukh | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Bhakti - Srija

Position after 17...Rxe2?

Black made a questionable exchange in the previous move 16...Bxd4 17.Rxd4. There was no necessity to exchange the dark-square bishop for the knight at d4 which was harmless. A simple retreat of the knight after 16...Qb6 17.e3 Na6 would have sufficed. The game continued 17...Rxe2? 18.Bf1 Nc2 Black had already cornered herself, thus these type of moves had to be played. 19.Rxd5 Qxd5 20.Bxe2 Ne1 21.f3 Qc5+ 22.Kf1 Re8 23.Be3 Qh5 24.Qxe1 Black has lost too many pieces and there is too little to go on.

Eesha - Mounika

Position after 23...Rac8

IM Eesha Karavade (PSPB, 2293) missed a great opportunity to gain material against WIM Mounika Akshaya Bommini (AP, 2094). Find out what did white miss.

WIM Mounika Akshaya (AP) survived a nearly lost position to move to 5/6 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

The reigning National Under-13 Girls and Amateur Below 2300 Women champion defeated IM Nisha Mohota showcasing nice technique in the endgame | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

A total of 156 players including 6 IMs, 6 WGMs and 10 WIMs are taking part from various states and units across the country in this eleven-day eleven-round Swiss League National Women Rating tournament. The tournament is organized by Gujarat State Chess Association at Rajpath Club in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from 30th June to 10th July 2023. The time control of the event is 90 mins/40 moves + 30 mins/end + 30 seconds increment from move no. 1.

Replay Round 6 games

Round 6 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.	PGN
1	1	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	2389	MAH	4½	0 - 1	4½	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan	2293	PSPB	6	PGN
2	3	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti	2315	GOA	4½	1 - 0	4½	WGM	Srija, Seshadri	2226	TN	10	PGN
3	9	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M	2242	RSPB	4½	½ - ½	4½	WGM	Gomes, Mary Ann	2315	PSPB	4	PGN
4	5	IM	Karavade, Eesha	2293	PSPB	4	½ - ½	4½	WIM	Bommini, Mounika Akshaya	2094	AP	19	PGN
5	2	IM	Padmini, Rout	2353	PSPB	4	½ - ½	4		Mrittika, Mallick	1948	WB	27	PGN
6	23	WIM	Mrudul, Dehankar	2030	MAH	4	1 - 0	4	WGM	Pratyusha, Bodda	2250	AP	8	PGN
7	15	WIM	Arpita, Mukherjee	2160	WB	4	½ - ½	4	WIM	Tejaswini, Sagar	1931	GUJ	28	PGN
8	17	WFM	Nimmy, A.G.	2151	KER	4	½ - ½	4		Velpula, Sarayu	1845	TEL	34	PGN
9	35		Manasa, K.	1827	KAR	4	0 - 1	4	WGM	Varshini, V	2120	TN	18	PGN
10	20	WFM	Saranya, J	2050	TN	4	0 - 1	4		Rebecca, Jesumarian	1750	TN	40	PGN

Details

Standings after Round 6

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	3	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti		w	N	IND	2315	GOA	5,5	22	25	22,50	0	5
2	6	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan		w	N	IND	2293	PSPB	5,5	19	22	20,00	0	5
3	9	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M		w	N	IND	2242	RSPB	5	21	23,5	18,50	0	4
4	19	WIM	Bommini, Mounika Akshaya	U20	w	N	IND	2094	AP	5	20,5	23,5	18,75	0	4
5	18	WGM	Varshini, V		w	N	IND	2120	TN	5	20,5	22,5	17,50	0	4
6	4	WGM	Gomes, Mary Ann		w	N	IND	2315	PSPB	5	20	22,5	18,25	0	4
7	23	WIM	Mrudul, Dehankar	U20	w	N	IND	2030	MAH	5	18	21	16,50	0	5
8	40		Rebecca, Jesumarian	U18	w	N	IND	1750	TN	5	17	18,5	14,50	0	5
9	1	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	U18	w	N	IND	2389	MAH	4,5	23	26	18,25	0	4
10	10	WGM	Srija, Seshadri		w	N	IND	2226	TN	4,5	23	25	17,25	0	4
11	5	IM	Karavade, Eesha		w	N	IND	2293	PSPB	4,5	22	25	17,75	0	3
12	11	WIM	Chitlange, Sakshi		w	N	IND	2225	MAH	4,5	22	24,5	17,25	0	4
13	34		Velpula, Sarayu	U18	w	S	IND	1845	TEL	4,5	20,5	24	17,50	0	3
14	27		Mrittika, Mallick	U16	w	S	IND	1948	WB	4,5	20,5	23,5	16,25	0	4
15	15	WIM	Arpita, Mukherjee		w	N	IND	2160	WB	4,5	20,5	23	16,25	0	4
16	2	IM	Padmini, Rout		w	N	IND	2353	PSPB	4,5	20	23	15,75	0	4
17	12	WIM	Salonika, Saina	U20	w	N	IND	2223	ODI	4,5	20	22,5	15,25	0	4
18	30	WFM	Kotepalli, Sai Nirupama		w	N	IND	1899	AP	4,5	20	22	15,25	0	4
19	21	WGM	Kiran, Manisha Mohanty		w	N	IND	2049	LIC	4,5	18,5	21	15,25	0	4
20	28	WIM	Tejaswini, Sagar		w	N	IND	1931	GUJ	4,5	18,5	21	13,25	0	4

Details

Round 7 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	6	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan	2293	PSPB	5½		5½	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti	2315	GOA	3
2	4	WGM	Gomes, Mary Ann	2315	PSPB	5		5	WIM	Bommini, Mounika Akshaya	2094	AP	19
3	40		Rebecca, Jesumarian	1750	TN	5		5	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M	2242	RSPB	9
4	18	WGM	Varshini, V	2120	TN	5		5	WIM	Mrudul, Dehankar	2030	MAH	23
5	28	WIM	Tejaswini, Sagar	1931	GUJ	4½		4½	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	2389	MAH	1
6	30	WFM	Kotepalli, Sai Nirupama	1899	AP	4½		4½	IM	Padmini, Rout	2353	PSPB	2
7	27		Mrittika, Mallick	1948	WB	4½		4½	IM	Karavade, Eesha	2293	PSPB	5
8	10	WGM	Srija, Seshadri	2226	TN	4½		4½	WFM	Nimmy, A.G.	2151	KER	17
9	36		Sneha, Halder	1807	WB	4½		4½	WIM	Chitlange, Sakshi	2225	MAH	11
10	12	WIM	Salonika, Saina	2223	ODI	4½		4½	WGM	Kiran, Manisha Mohanty	2049	LIC	21

Details

Links

Tournament Details

Gujarat State Chess Association: Official site

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