Speed Chess: Dronavalli Harika beats Kateryna Lagno, reaches final

Dronavalli Harika reached the final of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship, stunning the reigning World Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno of Russia.

Published : Jul 02, 2021 19:32 IST

Dronavalli Harika moved into the finals of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship.

Dronavalli Harika reached the final of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship, stunning the reigning World Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno of Russia. The Indian, who came to the main draw through the qualifiers, won a thrilling semifinal via the tie-breakers.

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Harika won 14-13 after the scores were level 11.5-11.5 at the end of the three segments. "It was a very tough match," she said. "Any moment, it could have gone either way. I'm just happy it worked today for me."

In the final on Saturday, she will meet the World No. 1 Hou Yifan, who defeated Lei Tingjie 11.5-9.5 in all Chinese semifinal.