Chess Olympiad Women’s Section Round 5: Tania to the fore again; India 1, Georgia, Romania lead

Round 5 in the women’s section proved a tough one for a number of medal-contenders but India 1, Georgia and Romania maintained their winning run.

Twice in 24 hours, Tania Sachdev’s decisive blow kept India 1 among the leaders. | Photo Credit: Velankanni Raj B/ The Hindu

Twice in 24 hours, Tania Sachdev’s decisive blow kept India 1 among the leaders.

Round 5 in the women’s section proved a tough one for a number of medal-contenders but India 1, Georgia and Romania maintained their winning run.

Facing fifth seed France, the top Indian combination scored a 2.5-1. 5victory following Tania’s clincher against Andreea Navrotescu, amid drawn games involving K. Humpy, D. Harika and R. Vaishali on the higher boards.

For Georgia, it will be a third successive match against an Indian team on Wednesday. After beating India 3 in the fourth round, Georgia easily nailed India 2 by striking on the two lower boards.

India 3. which looked like winning against Brazil after P. V . Nandhidhaa’s victory put the team 2-1 ahead, but could not get more.

Pratyusha Bodda lost to Juliana Sayumi Terao in the concluding fixture.

Romania, the conqueror of fourth seed Poland 2.5-1.5, joined India 1 and Georgia at 10 points to stay in the leading pack.

Second seed Ukraine suffered a minor setback when sixth seed Azerbaijan proved equal. Former World champion Mariya Muzychuk’s top-board victory over Gunay Mammadzada stood nullified with Uliviyya Fataliyeva stretching her winning run to four after facing Ukraine’s Nataliya Buksa.

The other two boards ended in draws.

Seventh seed USA continued to struggle after Peru, seeded 31, handed out a 2.5-1.5 defeat. Shocking were the defeats of Irina Krush (2430) and Carissa Yip (2416) to Ann Chumpitaz (2278) and Paula Paredes Bustamante (2162), respectively.

The results (with match-points)

Women (fifth round)

France (8) lost to India 1 (10) 1.5-2.5 (Marie Sebag drew with K. Humpy; Sophie Milliet drew with D. Harika; Anastasia Savina drew with R. Vaishali; Andreea Navrotescu lost to Tania Sachdev).

India 2 (8) lost to Georgia (10) 1-3 (Vantika Agrawal drew with Nana Dzagnidze; Padmini Rout drew with Nino Batsiashvili; Soumya Swaminathan lost to Lela Javakhishvili; Divya Deshmukh lost to Meri Arabidze).

India 3 (7) drew with Brazil (7) 2-2 (Eesha Karavade drew with Julia Alboredo; P. V. Nandhidhaa bt Kathie Goulart Librelato; Pratyusha

Bodda lost to Juliana Sayumi Terao; Vishwa Vasnawala drew with Vaness aRamos Gazola).

Ukraine (9) drew with Azerbaijan (9) 2-2; Poland (8) lost to Romania (10) 1.5-2.5; Kazakhstan (9) bt Cuba (7) 3-1; Germany (8) bt Mongolia (6) 3-1; USA (6) lost to Peru (8) 1.5-2.5; Indonesia (6) lost to Armenia (8) 1-3; Hungary (8) bt Sweden (6) 3.5-0.5; Colombia (7) drew with Spain (7) 2-2.