Harika makes history

By Our Sports Reporter

PALAKKAD, FEB. 23. Aarthie Ramaswamy has had to go through a rough patch after her stunning triumph at the World under-18 chess championship in Spain in 1999. The wide-eyed Chennai girl is now playing close to her best again, and on Friday she capped a fine performance at the Srichakra Cool Mist 27th National women's `B' chess championship, shocking Swati Ghate in the final round at Hotel Srichakra International.

That, however, was only good enough to give Aarthie, representing Wipro, the runner-up spot, because the top-seeded Swati, a cut above the rest, had already won the tournament after the eighth round on Thursday. Swati's superior progressive score helped her finish above Aarthie and Nisha Mohota, after the three girls scored seven points each.

But the day belonged to ten-year-old D. Harika of Andhra, who became the youngest player ever to qualify for the National women's `A' championship when she finished ninth with a victory against Amruta Mokal of Maharashtra. ``I will now prepare hard for the National `A','' said Harika, who won the silver in the World under-10 championship a few months ago in Spain.

M. R. Sangeetha of Tamil Nadu is another girl who would be making her debut at this year's National `A' for women. The 19-year-old from Chennai finished sixth, easily her best performance after her second place at the National juniors at Thalassery a couple of years ago.

The others to qualify for India's strongest domestic tourney for the weaker sex are the second-seeded Nisha (LIC), who has made the grade after a gap of three years, fourth seed Anupama Gokhale of PSCB, fifth seed Bhagyashree Thipsay, Y. Prathiba of Chromepet Chess Academy, Chennai, Saimeera Ravi of Indian Bank, back in the elite group after three years, and Dolan Champa Bose of Bihar, who clinched the last available spot, edging out Bindu Saritha of LIC and Safira Shanaz of Tamil Nadu, both of whom finished with lesser progressives scores.

It was surprising and refreshing to see all the top three boards going to the full distance, instead of the quick draws one would have expected at such junctures. It was no surprise, though, that the fourth board was drawn after just five moves, for it featured Anupama, whose last two previous games ended in 14 and four moves.

lThe results (ninth round): Aarthie Ramaswamy (Wipro) 7 bt Swati Ghate (LIC) 7; Saimeera Ravi (IB) 6 lost to Nisha Mohota (LIC) 7; Bhagyashree Thipsay (IDBI) 6.5 drew with M.R. Sangeetha (TN) 6.5; Dolan Champa Bose (Bih) 6 bt C. Delphin (TN) 5.5; Safira Shanaz (TN) 6 bt Kruttika Nadig (Mah) 5; P. Priya (TN) 5 lost to Anuprita Patil (Mah) 6; R. Mahima (Chromepet Chess Academy, Chennai) 5.5 drew with S. Sujatha (Emanuel Chess Centre) 5.5; M. Rajadarshini (Emanuel) 5 lost to Bindu Saritha (LIC) 6; D. Harika (AP) 6 bt Amruta Mokal (Mah) 5; S. Nabeela Farheen (TN) 5.5 bt Sreeparna Chakraborty (Ben) 4.5; S. R. Radha (PSCB) 4.5 lost to Anurdadha Beniwal (Har) 5.5; Arpi Shah (Guj) 5.5 bt Baisakhi Das (Ben) 4.5; E. Sheena (Ker) 4.5 drew with Kiran Agrawal (Chg) 5.

Jayashree Sankpal (LIC) 4 lost to Tania Sachdev (Del) 5; Swati Mohota (Ben) 5 bt L. Iswarya Shobana (Capa Chess Academy, Chennai) 4; Nimmy A. George (Ker) 4 lost to Pazha Sivakami (TN) 5; P. Malar Selvi (T. Nagar Chess Academy, Chennai) 4 lost to M. Kasthuri (TN) 5; Krishna Sudhakar Babu (AICF) 4.5 drew with Eesha Karvade (Mah) 4; Mrunalini Aurangabadkar Kunte (IDBI) 4.5 bt Manjula V. James (Ker) 3.5; Prasanna Sivasamy (Goa) 4.5 bt Anila Shah (Guj) 3.5; N. Raghavi (Capa) 3.5 lost to N. Sandhya (Ker) 4.5; Alka Das (Bih) 4 drew with Pooja Rathode (Chg) 4; Aswathi Balagopalan (Ker) 4 bt S. Sushama (Kar) 3; S. Aneegha Tahseen (T. Nagar) 4 bt P. Sudha (Ker) 3; Sanjana Raj (MP) 4 bt G. Lalitha (Kar) 3; Shah Jabeen (MP) 3.5 bt Vidya Fotto (Goa) 3; Sasmita Bhoi (Ori) 3 drew with V. Mrunalini (Kar) 3; Cija Augustus (Ker) 3 drew with Sneha Hobble (Goa) 3; Sofia V. James (Lak) 2 lost to Sreedevi Sivadas (Lak) 3; Reshma (Ker) 2.5 bt Joyce Maria Simoes (Goa) 2; Y. Swetha (AP) 0 lost to S. Anushya (Pon) 3.

The final placings: 1-3. Swati Ghate, Aarthie and Nisha 7; 4-6. Bhagyashree, Prathiba and Sangeetha 6.5; 7-12. Anupama, Saimeera, Harika, Dolan, Bindu and Safira 6; 13-15. Priya, Sujatha and Arpi.

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