AICF International Women Grandmaster: Saloni beats Hajra in first round

A winning start should place the Pune girl well on track for her WGM norm. Osmak Iulija (Ukraine), Babiy Olga (Ukraine), Sapale Saloni (India), Franco Valencia Angela (Columbia) also scored wins in their first round.

Colombian Franco Valencia Angela scored the first upset of the day, bringing the Mongolian higher seed Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh down in a Guicco Piano game that lasted 31 moves.

Woman International Master Sapale Saloni defeated fellow WIM Chandreyee Hajra in the first round of the Velammal- AICF International Women Grandmaster round robin chess tournament on Monday.

A winning start should place the Pune girl well on track for her WGM norm. Osmak Iulija (Ukraine), Babiy Olga (Ukraine), Sapale Saloni (India), Franco Valencia Angela (Columbia) scored wins in their first round.

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Colombian Franco Valencia Angela scored the first upset of the day, bringing the Mongolian higher seed Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh down in a Guicco Piano game that lasted 31 moves.

In another all-Indian game, WIM Michelle Catherina missed her chances against Divya Deshmukh and managed to snatch a draw in the nick of time. Double WGM norm holder V. Varshini went down to Babiy Olga of Ukraine.