KOZHIKODE, March 28: Unseeded TS Subhashini of Tamil Nadu leapfrogged to the top position with a magnificent victory over Y Pratibha in the seventh and penultimate round of the 14th National Sub-junior Girls Chess Championship, here, today.World under-10 champion Koneru Humpy of Andhra Pradesh and Ananya Sarkar of Goodricke National Chess Academy, Calcutta posted crucial victories to share the second spot with 5.5 points. Humpy would need a win in the final round tomorrow to clinch the title, while a draw would do for Subhashini to corner glory.
The young Subhashini, who has been pretty quick to spot a winning chance in the last couple of rounds, capitalised on a poor exchange of bishop for the knight by Pratibha who played the Keres attack. With Subhashini's Queen and rook turning formidable, Pratibha's pieces suffered square weakness. After the Queen exchange, Pratibha lost a pawn.
Subhashini did not hesitate to exchange the pieces as she was a piece up. Subhashini's double rook advantage coupledwith the advanced positions of `d' and `e' pawns forced Pratibha to resign after 51 moves.
Results (7th round): Y Pratibha (TN) 5 lost to T S Subhashini (TN) 6, Koneru Humpy (AP) 5.5 bt C Delphin (TN) 4.5, Ananya Sarkar (GNCA, Cal) 5.5 bt C V Rajalakshmi (TN) 4.5, J E Kavitha (TN) 4 lost to Aswini Kulkarni (Mah) 5, Baisakhi Das (WB) 4 lost to P Sumathi (TN) 5, Manjula James (TN) 5 bt Monalisa Malakar (Mah) 3.5, M Priyadarshini (TN) 4.5 bt Ra Mahima (TN) 3.5, Amrutha Mokal (Mah) 3.5 lost to Madhuri Patil (Mah) 4.5, Eesha Karvade (Mah) 3.5 lost to S Gayathri (TN) 4.5, V T Sindhujah (TN) 3 lost to Manasi Dadarkar (Mah) 4, Nazia Nona (Ker) 3 lost to Sradha Samani (Mah) 4, B Vijaya Deepthi (AP) 3 lost to K Charanya (TN) 4, P Malarselvi (TN) 2.5 lost to Tania Sachdev (Del) 3.5, Chitra Sridhar (Kar) 3.5 bt N Sandhya (Ker) 2.5, Pannaga Magal (Mah) 3 bt P Priya (TN) 2.5, N Vinuthna (AP) 2.5 drew M Kasturi (TN) 2.5, Rucha Karvade (Mah) 2.5 drew Krishna Manjusha Gopalam (AP) 2.5, Sanitha Satyan (Ker) 3 bt Nadia Nona(Ker) 1.5, T Aravinda Lochanai (AP) 2 drew Lakshmi Damodar (Ker) 1.5, Gayatri Balu (Ker) 0 lost Saheli Nath (WB) 2
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
