Padmini Rout wins the Ram Ratna National Women's Premier in Kolkata

Padmini Rout

The Ram Ratna National Women’s Premier was held in Kolkata this year. The top 12 women who were selected from this year’s National Women Challengers played in this prestigious event.

The event saw the participation of one of the strongest women players in the country at the moment. While it was an event to remember for many, it was a disappointing finish for some. After a gruelling 11 rounds Padmini Rout emerged victorious.

At first with just 1.5/3 it seemed difficult for her. However with immense grit and patience she managed to defend her crown. She secured a fantastic seven consecutive victories to clinch the championship with a round to spare.

Youngsters like Vaishali R and Priyanka Nutakki also performed well while it was a disappointing tournament for IM Tania Sachdev who stood seventh.

This Premier Championship will give the winners a huge prize purse and also the title of the best woman player in the country. Padmini Rout now joins the list of women who have won this elite championship twice.

The Women Premier proved that the eves of the country are in strong contention to win titles world over and make the country proud with their play. Rout has been impressive this year and has been extremely consistent in her performances.

Despite being only 21 she has achieved the feat of five Asian medals and four national titles. She was also the best Indian finisher in the World Juniors held in Pune last year. She has also been an integral part of the Indian Women’s team with a superb performance in this year’s World Women’s Team Championship. She is gunning to step into the shoes of Koneru Humpy, the third highest women’s player in the world.

Juniors like Vaishali R continue to prove their mettle. She has already managed to win many aational age category championships this year and even won the third place in the open category of the U-17 Nationals this year.

She did her country proud by winning the gold in the World Youth U-14 Championships in Greece. She won the National Women Challengers this year which was a splendid surprise. Despite her young age she has proved that only hard work and dedication pay and her achievements can inspire many young girls of the country. We are hoping that she would go on to win the World Women’s Championship in the future and achieve many more feats like this. India definitely has a gem to be proud about.

The National Premier continues to be a summit to climb for aspiring Indian girls and a tournament like this just goes to prove that chess can unite girls in a big way and make them stronger.

A national event for ladies is a positive indicator that we care for our champions and want to make it easier for them to the path of success. The event organised by the AICF was a huge success and we are now looking forward to next year’s championship where these girls can yet again prove that they are the best the country has to offer.