Safira whitewashes Swati to share second slot

KALYAN, JUN 12: Safira Shahnaz outclassed last year's runner-up Swati Ghate to make her presence felt in the Millennium National Women's C...

KALYAN, JUN 12: Safira Shahnaz outclassed last year’s runner-up Swati Ghate to make her presence felt in the Millennium National Women’s Chess Tournament for the Mayor’s Trophy, here, at Raja Hotel on Monday. Safira, who finished third last year, is now tied with Swati — three draws and two wins — and three others in the second position.

Swati’s fortunes in the tournament remained on the upswing till she met Viji on Sunday. And it seemed as if she hasn’t been able to recover from the hangover of her loss against Viji. Her game on Monday lacked the high vigour of her earlier outings, including that against Viji.

Playing black, Swati answered the Grunfeld Reversed with the Symmetrical variation. However, her game lacked her usual bite.

Safira, on the other hand, built up a solid defence before launching her kingside attack. For some obscure reason, Swati tried to get within Safira’s defences from the Queen’s side. With the centre pawns locked in battle, Swati’s queen and bishop found themselves holding fort within the enemy lines without purpose. And both pieces had absolutely no role to play on the king’s side.

Gaining nothing by the sortie on the queen’s side, Swati watched the king’s side being ravaged by the white Queen and the knight. Playing some weak moves, Swati walked into a forced mate with gxf6 on move 26. With 27. Qh6+, white had a mate in three and Swati felt the bitterness of her second successive loss.

In a largely positional game, sole leader Vijayalakshmi S got the better of five-time National champion Bhagyashree Thipsay in the Horwitz/Dutch defence/Stonewall variation.

Barring two draws, the 6th round saw all other whites emerging victorious.

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Viji, with 5.5 points, is two points ahead of her rivals. With most of the tougher opponents, save for Safira, done with, Viji looksto be in a strong position to claim the title.

“I want as many points as possible from this tournament,” she was telling Bhagyashree as they got into the lift at the end of a longish post-game analysis.

On board five, Viji’s sister, Meenakshi, quietly climbed to the third position with three points. Placed 10th last year, this time round she is yet to lose a game. She drew with Anupama Gokhale playing the Modern Defence, Beefeater variation following up her second move g6 with f5 on her fifth.

Sujatha S must have sprung a surprise by opting for the Polish opening. Y Pratibha’s timid e6 response in preference to the more positive d5, was perhaps, the beginning of the end. However, Sujatha did not seem to have any intentions on the Queen’s side. Instead, she carefully built up her pieces for a king side attack supported by the bishop on a1 diagonally.

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Both Neha Singh and Baisakhi Das chose the Sicilian that passed through the Taimanov variation before getting out of the book. While Neha held Aarthie R to a draw, the more experienced Saheli Dhar-Barua took more than 40 moves to subdue Baisakhi.

Neha has managed two draws while Baisakhi is yet to open her account. It would be a creditable if 14-year-old Baisakhi — playing her maiden Nationals — in the next seven rounds manages even a couple of draws.

Results of Round 6 (Points in brackets): Sujatha S (3.5) bt Pratibha Y (1.5); Vijayalakshmi S (5.5) bt Bhagyashree Thipsay (2.5); Safira Shahnaz (3.5) bt Swati Ghate (3.5) Aarthie R (1.5) drew with Neha Singh (1); Meenakshi S (3) drew with Anupama Gokhale (3.5); Saheli Dhar Barua (3.5) bt Baisakhi Das (0). Pallavi Shah (2.5) Bye.

White: Safira Shahnaz (Elo 2136)
Black: Swati Ghate (Elo 2297)

Queen’s Gambit/Slav Defence/Breyer Variation (transposed) 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 Bf5 4. Bg2 h6 5. O-O e6 6. c4 c6 7. Nbd2 Be7 8. b3O-O 9. Bb2 a5 10. Ne5 a4 11. f3 Bh7 12. Kh1 Bb4 13. bxa4 Qa5 14. Nb3 Qxa4 15.c5 Ba3 16. Bxa3 Qxa3 17. Qd2 Na6 18. g4 Nb4 19. g5 hxg5 20. Qxg5 Nc2 21. Rg1 Ne8 22. Bh3 Nxa1 23. Nd7 Nxb3 24. Nf6+ Kh8 25. Nxe8 Bg6 26. Nf6 gxf6 27. Qh6+ Kg8 28. Bxe6 Black concedes game.