Vijayalakshmi, Padmini stay ahead in National Women Premier Chess

Six-time national champion and Grandmaster-elect S Vijayalakshmi of Air India played another impressive game to beat International Master Nisha Mohota of PSPB in the fourth round of 43rd National Women Premier Chess Championship here on Sunday.

Another IM Padmini Rout of PSPB defeated Woman Grandmaster Swati Ghate of LIC in the Rs 6 lakh prize money championship.

Vijyalakshmi has been scoring crushing wins over her opponents while defending champion Padmini has been making it count through sheer hard work on board.

With Vijyalakshmi and Padmini on 3.5 points apiece, former champion and Woman Grandmaster Soumya Swaminathan and her PSPB teammate top seed International Master Eesha Karavade are closely following the two leaders with three points apiece.

With seven rounds still to come, P Bala Kannamma of Tamil Nadu and PSPB duo of Mary Ann Gomes and Nisha Mohota share the fifth spot with two points apiece.

Vijyalakshmi gave an endgame lesson to Nisha out of a Queen’s gambit declined game where the former played white.

The middle game looked intense for some time but the Chennai-based player quickly tore through the queen side to win a pawn and the resulting rook and minor piece endgame was child’s play.

Gaining in confidence now, Padmini Rout again had to work hard and her tactical acumen proved superior to Swati Ghate.