Vijayalakshmi hopes to be India’s first WGM

“At last, I have won something after being the favourite. The two losses to Pallavi and Bhagyashree had a big impact on me. I kept telling myself that I have to treat the next round as just another match, but as soon as I started playing, the desire to win came flooding,” said the beaming Vijayalakshmi, an accounts officer in Indian Airlines.

And finally, the highest rated player in the country, will be playing her first Chess Olympiad at Elista in Kalmikiya Republic in September. This being the Olympic year, the scramble for berths in the top four was very hot and had Vijayalakshmi lost, she would have finished fifth.

Viji, as she is called, is looking forward to playing in the Olympiad. “I want to play on the top board,” she said very emphatically when reminded that Bhagyashree despite being the captain and the top player was not on the top board.

She has a burning desire to complete her Woman Grandmaster title formalities and she hopes to come back from Elista as India’s first WGM. “I have missed six chances to make a WGM norm." She has two WGM norms and the last one came at Linares this year when she beat a Grandmaster after going into the match needing a win in the final round.

Viji treasures the memory as one of the special moments of her life. Viji called up her parents immediately after her victory over Sarita. “My mother (in Chennai) and I shed tears of joy. Unfortunately my father was not at home,” said Viji, who won her first National A title in 1995 at Madras.

For Pallavi Shah, the last two rounds must have been her best two days in her career. Her second IWM norm followed by the second-place finish in the National A she could not have had a better time. “I am obviously very happy and I owe it to my parents for their encouragement and support,” said Pallavi.

The 18-year-old, who has played in the ’96 Olympiad at Yerewan, Armenia which was her first international tournament. She was playing the fourth board and was not very happy with the four points she had from the seventh matches she played. “Because I lost in the last round, we lost a few positions in the Olympiad. We should have finished much better than 23rd,” she said.

Pallavi’s immediate aim is to complete her IWM title requirements. “And I think I my experience at Yerewan and the other tournaments I have played subsequently will hold me in good stead,” Pallavi added.

Bhagyashree Thipsay was almost ruled out when she had just 3.5 points from eight rounds. But a brilliant surge in the last five rounds saw her finish third.

The most experienced player in the championships, Bhagyashree said she always played well under pressure. “When the task becomes difficult, my determination intensifies,” she said.

Of course Bhagyashree will have her husband and coach, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay for company at Elista.

When Swati Ghate lost to Bhagyashree in the 11th round, she was very visibly upset and shed tears of frustration. A one-point lead had slipped away and there was a danger of her not even making it to the top four.

But a pragmatic approach in the final two rounds helped. “There is no point in thinking about those losses. Of course the IWM title helped me and now I will play my first Olympiad,” said the 19-year-old from Pune.