Chess

National Women's Chess Championship: Mary, Mahalakshmi share lead

Mary Ann Gomes and M. Mahalakshmi shared the lead at the end of the ninth round of the National Women's Chess Championship held in Jaipur.

Rakesh Rao
JAIPUR 24 November, 2018 19:09 IST

File photo: Bhakti Kulkarni (left) lost to Mary Ann Gomes on Saturday.   -  P. K. Ajith Kumar

Rakesh Rao
JAIPUR 24 November, 2018 19:09 IST

Former champion Mary Ann Gomes defeated overnight leader Bhakti Kulkarni and M. Mahalakshmi stopped Cathrina Michelle to share the lead at 7.5 points after the ninth round of National women chess championship here on Saturday.

Bhakti (7) slipped to the third spot but remained half a point ahead
of S. Vijayalakshmi, Priyanka Kumari, Catherina, Arpita Mukherjee, J.
Saranya, P. V. Nandhidhaa and S. Meenakshi.  Two more rounds remain.

The results:
 

Ninth round: Mary Ann Gomes (7.5) bt Bhakti Kulkarni (7); M.
Mahalakshmi (7.5) bt Catherina Michelle (6.5); Arpita Mukherjee (6.5) drew with Priyanka Kumari (6.5); B. Mounika Akshaya (6) lost  to P. V. Nandhidhaa (6.5); S. Vijayalakshmi (6.5) bt S. Harini (5.5); Swati Ghate (5.5) lost to S. Meenakshi (6.5); A. G. Nimmy (6) drew with Srija Seshadri (6); Aarthie Ramaswamy (5.5) lost to J. Saranya (6.5).