Going from strength to strength

MUMBAI, June 13: Swati Ghate, 19, became India's ninth International Woman Master when she won her match today to tally eight points from 12...

MUMBAI, June 13: Swati Ghate, 19, became India8217;s ninth International Woman Master when she won her match today to tally eight points from 12 rounds in the 24th National Women8217;s A Chess Championship.

She had won her previous IWM norm at Calcutta during the last National A which was a 13-game round robin norm. Another 13-game norm here makes it a total of 26 for a title when the requirement is just 24.

The Maharashtra Chess Association, the organisers of the National A here, will send a letter to Fide, the world governing body about the completion of Swati8217;s norm requirement. Since Swati already has an Elo rating of 2210, she will be awarded the IWM title after Fide verifies her performance from the All India Chess Federation.

For the second year B.A. student of SP College, Pune, it came as a soothing balm after her two consecutive losses to Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman and Bhagyashree Thipsay respectively in the previous two rounds. She had held a one point lead but with the twin losses, was pushed to thirdposition. But a quick victory today over Saheli Dhar-Barua brought the smile back on her face.

Swati and Pallavi Shah share the second spot with eight points. With one round remaining, she expressed pragamatism: 8220;I hope to qualify for the Indian team. But it is a tough fight. There are at least six players for the four berths in the team to the Olympiad.8221;

She had a good chance to win the National A title last year when she held a 1.5 point lead but performed poorly in the last few rounds.

Swati, who has International Master Arun Vaidya as her coach, has won five national age group titles. Her best performance has been fifth place in the under-16 World Championships at Menorca, Spain in 8217;96. She rates her second place in the under-19 nationals in Delhi in 1993, when she was just 12, very highly.

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Originally from Sangli, Swati improved her game drastically during the one year with Vaidya. 8220;My family had not shifted from Sangli to Pune which forced me to stay with Vaidya. I definitely gained a lotduring that period,8221; she said.