Tania Sachdev begins with win at 40th National Premier Chess Championship

Tania Sachdev is the top seeded player at the ongoing National Chess Championship (Getty Images)

Top seed Tania Sachdev faced stiff resistance before prevailing over Padmini Rout in the first round of the 40th National Premier Women’s Chess Championship on Monday.

Former world U-14 girls’ champion WGM Padmini’s enterprising play got her an excellent position from the opening, despite having the black pieces against WGM Tania in a King’s Indian defence.

But Padmini blocked the kingside which allowed Tania’s pieces a free run on the queenside as the top seed won a pawn and went on to win the game.

Young Michelle Catherina of Tamil Nadu had a slight advantage against the second seed and two-time defending champion WGM Mary Ann in Najdorf variation of the Sicilian defence.

In a see-saw battle, Mary’s spirited play in the end-game gave her enough chances to win, but with both players under severe time pressure, the game petered out into a draw in a rook ending.

In a battle between two former national champions, Soumya Swaminathan of PSPB and city based Nisha Mohta of Oil India, the former obtained a slight positional advantage from the opening, but failed to capitalise on it after which both agreed to split the points.

The youngest player at the meet, former world Under-8 champion Evana Furtado of Goa held former national champion Swathi Ghate of LIC in 36 moves in a Nimzo Indian defence. B Pratyusha of Andhra Pradesh prevailed over national sub-junior champion GK Monnisha of Tamil Nadu in a rook versus triple pawn ending in a long game.

Source: PTI