On a day when the most of the boards saw players play to a truce, top-seeded International Master Dronavalli Harika (Andhra Pradesh) and local lass Eesha Karavade were two of the six winners that Round 2 produced in the 34th Women’s National A chess championship.

The victories helped IM Harika and WGM Eesha to share the top spot with two points on Wednesday.

Trailing by half-a-point are a clutch of players that include; Nisha Mohota, Kiran Manisha Mohanty, Nimmy AG, Tania Sachdev, Pon N Krithika, Aarthi Ramaswamy, Swathi Ghate, Sai Meera and Mary Ann Gomes.

On the top-board Harika (Elo 2480) opted the Sveshnikov variation of the Sicilian against the rather standard king pawn opening by her opponent Padmini Rout. With Padmini doing her best to steer the game towards a draw by offering a Queen exchange, Harika declined.

In the middle-game with opposite coloured bishops and queen and two rooks each, Harika threatened to attack White’s king. Padmini in a bid to save the situation gave up a pawn. The seasoned Andhra lass entered a rook-pawn ending with an extra pawn which sealed Padmini’s fate.

WGM Esha on the second board was involved in am all-Maharashtra encounter. Eesha (2331) ended WIM Soumya Swaminathan’s hopes in a King’s Indian game. Playing with the Na6 variation Soumya erred early in the game.

Eesha won a pawn and thereafter the game seemed to slip into a not-so-easy Rook pawn ending. Having opened in the negative, Soumya erred with her King move and to Eesha's correct reply overstepped the time limit.

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