FIDE World Women’s Chess: Harika, Vaishali save India the blushes

Harika’s victory over Gunay Mammadzada, on the top board, neutralised Tania Sachdev’s defeat to Ulviyya Fateliyeva on the third.

D. Harika (in picture) and R. Vaishali won as India twice drew level to hold a resurgent Azerbaijan 2-2 in the first round.

D. Harika and R. Vaishali won as India twice drew level to hold a resurgent Azerbaijan 2-2 in the first round in Group A of the FIDE World Women’s team chess championship at Sitges, Spain, on Monday.

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Harika’s victory over Gunay Mammadzada, on the top board, neutralised Tania Sachdev’s defeat to Ulviyya Fateliyeva on the third. On the second board, Vaishali won against Gulnar Mammadova and made it 2-2 by offsetting Bhakti Kulkarni’s loss to Turkan Mamedjarova on the fourth.

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First-round results:

Group A: Azerbaijan drew with India 2-2; Russia bt Spain 4-0; France lost to Armenia 1.5-2.5.

Group B: Georgia bt Ukraine 3.5-0.5; America bt Poland 2.5-1.5; Kazakhstan drew with Germany 2-2.