MPL 47th National Women R5: Maharashtra's Sakshi and Divya share the lead

by Shahid Ahmed - 28/02/2022

Maharashtra's WGM Divya Deshmukh and WIM Sakshi Chitlange have emerged as the co-leaders at MPL 47th National Women Chess Championship 2022. Both Sakshi and Divya seized their advantage in the major piece endgame against WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) and WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) respectively. They will inevitably face each other in the sixth round. Top seed IM Vaishali (TN) was held to another draw. It was WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB) this time. WIM Mounika Akshaya (AP) also continues great form as she beat WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN). Round 6 starts today at 9:00 a.m. IST. Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Sakshi in a superb form

WIM Sakshi Chitlange beat WGM Mary Ann Gomes to be one of the two leaders | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Vaishali - Arpita: 0.5-0.5

IM Vaishali (TN) made a dubious exchange sacrifice in the endgame against WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB).

Position after 27.Rxa7+

Black had to take it 27...Bxa7 28.Rxa7 Kf8 and the position equalized. Instead, 28...Kf6 would have been interesting for Black. The bishop pair would not have been able to do much even if the king ventured out in the open.

WIM Arpita Mukherjee had a half chance against IM Vaishali | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Sakshi - Mary: 1-0

WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) captured a wrong pawn by declining a rook exchange in the endgame. Her opponent WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) who is in fantastic form, seized her opportunity.

Position after 35...Rxa2

35...Rxd3 36.Qxd3 Qc8 and Black remains fine. However, 35...Rxa2 allows White to exploit Black's back rank weakness 36.Rd8+ Kg7 37.Qa8 and it's all over. Black cannot do much except give a couple of checks in the first two ranks. The king can eventually find a shelter from checks at c3.

WGM Srija Seshadri (TN) - IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Divya - Priyanka Nutakki: 1-0

The solid Petroff's Defence did not work out for WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP). The latter incorrectly decided to exchange a pawn, which cost her one.

Position after 25...Rd4

25...g6 to defend f5-pawn would have been ideal. 25...Rd4 led to 26.Rxf5 Rxf4 27.Rxf4 Rxf4 28.Qd3 and Black loses a6-pawn due to the threat of Qd7. The passed pawn at e6 decided the fate of the game.

WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) beat WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) to stay in the lead | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Mounika - Nandhidhaa: 1-0

Sometimes a tiny inaccuracy can have huge repercussions. WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN) offered an exchange at the wrong square which worked in WIM Mounika Akshaya's (AP) favor.

Position after 24...Nc4

24...Na4 would have been fine for Black, however 24...Nc4 is not. Find out the minute difference between them.

WIM Mounika Akshaya scored an excellent win over WGM Nandhidhaa | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WIM Savitha Shri B (TN) - WCM Bristy Mukherjee (WB): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WFM Jyothsna L (TN) - WIM Parnali Dharia (MAH): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Sarayu - Varshini: 1-0

Sarayu Velpula (TEL) scored a clinical victory over WGM Varshini V (TN).

Sarayu Velpula (TEL) - WGM Varshini (TN): 1-0 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (ODI) - Tejaswini G (TN): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

The Odisha Women flanked by IM Padmini Rout (left) and WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (right) | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

The tournament hall at KITT University, Bhubaneswar | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

For more Round 5 photos, click here.

A total of 102 players including 5 IMs, 8 WGMs and 10 WIMs are taking part in this tournament organized by All Odisha Chess Association. The event is taking place at KIIT at Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 25th February to 2nd March 2022. The nine-round Swiss league tournament has a time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1

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Your task is to guess the winner in both Open and Women's section correctly. Three winners will be chosen and given some exciting ChessBase India goodies!

National Championship 2022 contest | Video: ChessBase India

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Replay Round 5 games

Round 5 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	1	IM	Vaishali R	2403	TN	3½	½ - ½	3½	WIM	Arpita Mukherjee	2260	WB	11
2	19	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	2205	MAH	3½	1 - 0	3½	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	2361	PSPB	4
3	16	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2219	TN	3½	½ - ½	3½	IM	Soumya Swaminathan	2360	PSPB	5
4	8	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2301	MAH	3½	1 - 0	3½	WIM	Priyanka Nutakki	2301	AP	9
5	20	WFM	Pandey Srishti	2177	MAH	3	0 - 1	3	IM	Kulkarni Bhakti	2388	GOA	2
6	24	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2145	AP	3	1 - 0	3	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2380	TN	3
7	6	IM	Padmini Rout	2350	PSPB	3	1 - 0	3	WGM	Swati Ghate	2136	LIC	25
8	28		Nimmy A.G.	2110	KER	3	0 - 1	3	WGM	Pratyusha Bodda	2328	AP	7
9	12	WIM	Savitha Shri B	2257	TN	3	½ - ½	3	WCM	Bristy Mukherjee	1856	WB	41
10	27		Bala Kannamma P	2120	TN	3	0 - 1	3	WIM	Sharma Isha	2253	KAR	13
11	14	WIM	Priyanka K	2227	TN	3	1 - 0	3	WIM	Michelle Catherina P	2176	TN	21
12	30	WFM	Jyothsna L	2052	TN	3	½ - ½	3	WIM	Parnali S Dharia	2224	MAH	15
13	39		Velpula Sarayu	1875	TEL	3	1 - 0	3	WGM	Varshini V	2206	TN	17
14	18	WFM	Salonika Saina	2206	ORI	3	1 - 0	3	WFM	Lakshmi C	1968	TN	35
15	22	WGM	Kiran Manisha Mohanty	2168	LIC	2½	½ - ½	2½		Tejaswini G	1742	TN	45
16	40		Jayashree P.K.	1864	TN	2½	0 - 1	2½	IM	Mohota Nisha	2147	PSPB	23
17	42		Ishvi Aggarwal	1833	HAR	2½	0 - 1	2½	WFM	Harshini A	2131	TN	26
18	34		Deodhar Vrushali Umesh	1974	MAH	2½	½ - ½	2½		Smaraki Mohanty	1725	ORI	47
19	37	WFM	Kotepalli Sai Nirupama	1914	AP	2½	0 - 1	2½		Sachi Jain	1401	DEL	66
20	46		Sheena E.	1730	KER	2½	0 - 1	2		Supriya Maji	2093	WB	29

Details

Round 6 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	8	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2301	MAH	4½		4½	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	2205	MAH	19
2	1	IM	Vaishali R	2403	TN	4		4	WIM	Priyanka K	2227	TN	14
3	2	IM	Kulkarni Bhakti	2388	GOA	4		4	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2219	TN	16
4	5	IM	Soumya Swaminathan	2360	PSPB	4		4	WFM	Salonika Saina	2206	ORI	18
5	13	WIM	Sharma Isha	2253	KAR	4		4	IM	Padmini Rout	2350	PSPB	6
6	7	WGM	Pratyusha Bodda	2328	AP	4		4		Velpula Sarayu	1875	TEL	39
7	11	WIM	Arpita Mukherjee	2260	WB	4		4	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2145	AP	24
8	23	IM	Mohota Nisha	2147	PSPB	3½		3½	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	2361	PSPB	4
9	9	WIM	Priyanka Nutakki	2301	AP	3½		3½	WFM	Jyothsna L	2052	TN	30
10	26	WFM	Harshini A	2131	TN	3½		3½	WIM	Savitha Shri B	2257	TN	12
11	15	WIM	Parnali S Dharia	2224	MAH	3½		3½	WCM	Bristy Mukherjee	1856	WB	41
12	66		Sachi Jain	1401	DEL	3½		3	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2278	TN	10
13	3	WGM	Nandhidhaa P V	2380	TN	3		3		Deodhar Vrushali Umesh	1974	MAH	34
14	17	WGM	Varshini V	2206	TN	3		3		Anupam M Sreekumar	1724	KER	48
15	35	WFM	Lakshmi C	1968	TN	3		3	WFM	Pandey Srishti	2177	MAH	20
16	21	WIM	Michelle Catherina P	2176	TN	3		3		Abhirami Madabushi	1777	TEL	44
17	49		Keerti Shree Reddy	1721	TN	3		3	WGM	Kiran Manisha Mohanty	2168	LIC	22
18	25	WGM	Swati Ghate	2136	LIC	3		3		Meenatchi Rajam V	1692	TN	50
19	45		Tejaswini G	1742	TN	3		3		Bala Kannamma P	2120	TN	27
20	47		Smaraki Mohanty	1725	ORI	3		3		Nimmy A.G.	2110	KER	28

Details

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