Chess Chess Bhakti Kulkarni in lead; Catherina checkmates Viji Bhakti Kulkarni in the lead after a 35-move win over former winner Swati Ghate. Team Sportstar Jaipur 23 November, 2018 20:04 IST File photo: Bhakti Kulkarni (left) enjoys a half-point lead over former champion Mary Ann Gomes. - P. K. Ajith Kumar Team Sportstar Jaipur 23 November, 2018 20:04 IST Fourth seed Bhakti Kulkarni emerged as the sole leader after eight rounds following a 35-move triumph over former winner Swati Ghate in the National Women Chess Championship here on Friday.Bhakti, one of the three overnight leaders, has seven points. She enjoys a half-point lead over former champion Mary Ann Gomes, M. Mahalakshmi and P. Catherina Michelle.Catherina served a serious blow to the title-hopes of six-time winner S. Vijayalakshmi with a 53rd move checkmate after the Mary-Mahalakshmi encounter ended in a 31-move draw.The resultsEighth round: Mary Ann Gomes (6.5) drew with M. Mahalakshmi (6.5); Bhakti Kulkarni (7) bt Swati Ghate (5.5); P. Catherina Michelle (6.5) bt S. Vijayalakshmi (5.5); P. V. Nandhidhaa (5.5) drew with A. G. Nimmy (5.5); Sakshi Chitlange (5) lost to Priyanka Kumari (6); K. Priyanka (5) lost to Arpita Mukherjee (6); S. Meenakshi (5.5) drew with Aarthie Ramaswamy (5.5); Kiran Manisha Mohanty (5) lost to B. Akshaya Mounika (6); S. Harini (5.5) drew with Chandreyee Hajra (5); Y. Saranya (5) drew with Niha Mohota (5). Support Sportstar Dear Reader, Support our journalism — where text and pictures intermingle so seamlessly — and help us scale up your experience as the world changes around us. Your contribution is vital to our brand of uninfluenced, boots-on-the-ground reportage that’s worth your while. Clickbait sensationalism is not for us, but editorial independence is — we owe it to you. Support Quality Journalism Subscribe to our daily newsletter Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox! SUBSCRIBE Please enter a valid email address. Dugout videos