16-year-old Divya Deshmukh clinches MPL 47th National Women Chess Championship 2022

by Shahid Ahmed - 03/03/2022

WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) drew her final round game against IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) to clinch MPL 47th National Women Chess Championship 2022. She finished a full point ahead of the competition. WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH), WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) and WGM Srija Seshadri (TN) scored 7.0/9 each. They were placed second to fourth according to tie-breaks. Divya finished third in the 2019 edition. She became the fifth-youngest woman to win National Women 2022, tying the record with Humpy at the age of 16 years. Sakshi and Priyanka Nutakki scored a WGM-norm each. Priyanka Nutakki became India's 23rd Woman Grandmaster. Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Divya ties the record with Humpy

Vasanti Khadilkar, Jayshree Khadilkar and Rohini Khadilkar - the Khadilkar sisters who dominated the first decade (1974-83) of the National Women's championship, won their first ever National Women's championship at the age of 13 years. Saritha Reddy won it in 1987 at the age of 15 years. Koneru Humpy won the National championship in 2003 when she was 16. Divya also won it at the age of 16 years. We will have a separate article on Priyanka Nutakki becoming India's 23rd Woman Grandmaster.

Top 3 (L to R) - 2nd WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) 7.0/9, 1st WGM Divya Deshmukh 8.0/9 and 3rd WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) 7.0/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Champion - WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) 8.0/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Divya Deshmukh's crisp interview after becoming the National Champion 2022 | Video: ChessBase India

Divya Deshmukh on winning the National Championship 2022 at the age of 16 years | Video: ChessBase India

2nd WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) 7.0/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

2nd at National Championship 2022 - Sakshi Chitlange shows her positional win over Mary Ann Gomes | Video: ChessBase India

3rd WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) 7.0/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

The 23rd WGM of India - Priyanka Nutakki + 3rd place at Nationals 2022 | Video: ChessBase India

Divya had a quick draw with Soumya in the last round | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Padmini - Priyanka Nutakki: 0.5-0.5

IM Padmini Rout (PSPB) did not go easy on WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP). The former National champion tested the new WGM of India.

Position after 31...Rh8

32.Be2 threatening Bc4 would have made things extremely difficult for Black to survive. Fortunately for her, White did not find it and opted for 32.hxg6+ Kxg6 33.Rg1 Rh1 34.Bxa7 Rxc2 35.Kxc2 Rh2+ 36.Be2 allowed Black to save the game and salvage a draw eventually.

WIM Priyanka Nutakki (AP) scored a crucial half point against IM Padmini Rout (PSPB) to become India's latest WGM | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Arpita - Sakshi: 1-0

WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) needed a win against WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB) to earn her final WGM-norm. The game was heading towards until the latter blundered.

Position after 39...Kc6

In a Rook ending with 3 vs 4 pawns, it is a relatively easy draw. Almost anything and everything leads to a draw here, 40.Kf5/Kxh5/h4 everything is okay, except 40.Rxg7 which allows Black to create a passed pawn on the e-file Rxg7+ 41.Kxg7 f5 and it's over for White.

WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB) made a rare mistake in the endgame which cost her dearly against WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WGM Srija Seshadri (TN) beat WIM Isha Sharma (KAR) to secure fourth place | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

IM Vaishali R (TN) made a short work of WGM Pratyusha Bodda (AP) in 24 moves | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WIM Priyanka K (TN) - IM Nisha Mohota (PSPB): 1-0 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

Photo Gallery

4th WGM Srija Seshadri (TN) 7.0/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

5th IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

6th IM Vaishali R (TN) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

7th IM Padmini Rout (PSPB) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

8th WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

9th WIM Priyanka K (TN) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

WIM Parnali Dharia (MAH) 6.5/9 | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

The top 10 finishers | Photo: IA Suresh Chandra Sahoo

For more Round 9 photos, click here.

A total of 102 players including 5 IMs, 8 WGMs and 10 WIMs took part in this tournament organized by All Odisha Chess Association. The event took 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

Replay Round 9 games

Round 9 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	8	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2301	MAH	7½	½ - ½	6	IM	Soumya Swaminathan	2360	PSPB	5
2	6	IM	Padmini Rout	2350	PSPB	6	½ - ½	6½	WIM	Priyanka Nutakki	2301	AP	9
3	11	WIM	Arpita Mukherjee	2260	WB	6	0 - 1	6	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	2205	MAH	19
4	16	WGM	Srija Seshadri	2219	TN	6	1 - 0	6	WIM	Sharma Isha	2253	KAR	13
5	7	WGM	Pratyusha Bodda	2328	AP	5½	0 - 1	5½	IM	Vaishali R	2403	TN	1
6	4	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	2361	PSPB	5½	1 - 0	5½	WIM	Rakshitta Ravi	2278	TN	10
7	14	WIM	Priyanka K	2227	TN	5½	1 - 0	5½	IM	Mohota Nisha	2147	PSPB	23
8	15	WIM	Parnali S Dharia	2224	MAH	5½	1 - 0	5	WIM	Savitha Shri B	2257	TN	12
9	2	IM	Kulkarni Bhakti	2388	GOA	5	1 - 0	5		Nimmy A.G.	2110	KER	28
10	38		Ghosh Samriddhaa	1910	WB	5	0 - 1	5	WGM	Varshini V	2206	TN	17
11	18	WFM	Salonika Saina	2206	ORI	5	½ - ½	5	WFM	Jyothsna L	2052	TN	30
12	20	WFM	Pandey Srishti	2177	MAH	5	1 - 0	5		Velpula Sarayu	1875	TEL	39
13	47		Smaraki Mohanty	1725	ORI	5	1 - 0	5	WIM	Michelle Catherina P	2176	TN	21
14	22	WGM	Kiran Manisha Mohanty	2168	LIC	5	0 - 1	5	WCM	Bristy Mukherjee	1856	WB	41
15	67		Dakshita Kumawat	1395	RAJ	5	½ - ½	5	WGM	Swati Ghate	2136	LIC	25
16	27		Bala Kannamma P	2120	TN	5	0 - 1	5		Deodhar Vrushali Umesh	1974	MAH	34
17	40		Jayashree P.K.	1864	TN	4½	½ - ½	4½	WFM	Bommini Mounika Akshaya	2145	AP	24
18	37	WFM	Kotepalli Sai Nirupama	1914	AP	4½	½ - ½	4½	WFM	Harshini A	2131	TN	26
19	31	WCM	Kheerthi Ganta	2011	TEL	4½	½ - ½	4½		Tejaswini G	1742	TN	45
20	32	WIM	Chandreyee Hajra	2001	WB	4½	0 - 1	4½		Keerti Shree Reddy	1721	TN	49

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	8	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	IND	2301	MAH	8,0	47,5	51,5	46,50	0,0	7
2	19	WIM	Chitlange Sakshi	IND	2205	MAH	7,0	48,5	53,0	37,25	0,0	6
3	9	WIM	Priyanka Nutakki	IND	2301	AP	7,0	48,0	52,0	38,00	0,0	6
4	16	WGM	Srija Seshadri	IND	2219	TN	7,0	46,5	51,0	38,75	0,0	6
5	5	IM	Soumya Swaminathan	IND	2360	PSPB	6,5	51,0	55,5	38,50	0,0	4
6	1	IM	Vaishali R	IND	2403	TN	6,5	50,5	54,5	32,75	0,0	5
7	6	IM	Padmini Rout	IND	2350	PSPB	6,5	45,5	50,0	35,00	0,0	4
8	4	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	IND	2361	PSPB	6,5	44,0	48,0	32,75	0,0	5
9	14	WIM	Priyanka K	IND	2227	TN	6,5	43,0	47,0	32,25	0,0	6
10	15	WIM	Parnali S Dharia	IND	2224	MAH	6,5	42,5	47,0	33,25	0,0	6

Details

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