49th National Women 2023 R3: Divya Deshmukh averts a disaster against Mrittika Mallick

by Shahid Ahmed - 03/07/2023

Top seed IM Divya Deshmukh averted disaster against Mrittika Mallick (WB) in the third round of 49th National Women 2023. The reigning National Under-17 Girls champion correctly launched an attack when the opportunity was presented. However, she was unable to follow through. Thus, the defending two-time National Women and reigning Asian Women 2023 Gold medalist managed to escape with a win. WFM Sai Nirupama Kotepalli (AP), WCM Bristy Mukherjee (WB) and Sarayu Velpula (TEL) held IM Eesha Karavade (PSPB), IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) and WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH) to a solid draw each respectively. Round 4 starts today at 10 a.m. IST. All photos are by Ankit Dalal unless stated otherwise.

Missed opportunities

WIM Tejaswini Sagar (GUJ) missed a great opportunity to draw against the former Asian and National Women champion, IM Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa). 12-year-old Sherali Pattnaik (UTT) showed great tenacity against WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC). Despite being lost for the better part of the game, she waited for her opportunity. Once she got it at the very end, she took it and scored the full point.

Mrtikka Mallick (WB) had a great opportunity to score a huge win against IM Divya Deshmukh (MAH)

Mrittika - Divya

Position after 18.Ng5!

The reigning National Under-17 Girls champion, Mrittika Mallick (WB, 1948) seized her opportunity when her opponent made a mistake 17...Re8? The position demanded her to play 18.Ng5! and she made it. Black is forced to take it to prevent checkmate 18...fxg5 19.hxg5 Bxc5?? another mistake. Now White needed to play 20.Bxd5 first before going dxc5 then she could have scored the biggest victory of the tournament so far. Instead, she went 20.dxc5 Rxe4 Black got some life back into the position. 21.Bc3 Ne8. White has enough compensation for the lost piece. 22.Bf6? lost all advantage for White Nxf6 23.gxf6 Qxf6 Black has managed to equalize.

Position after 34...Qb3+

White needed to keep the rook on the board to have some chances to draw the game. Thus, 35.Kd2 was a necessity. 35.Kxe4?? Qxd1-+ and the resultant queen ending is completely winning for Black as she has a lot of extra pawns and there is no perpetual check opportunity for White.

Tejaswini - Bhakti

Position after 60...f3+

This endgame is a draw. However, White needs to play precisely. There is only one thing White should avoid - moving the king to the back rank. That is exactly what WIM Tejaswini Sagar (GUJ, 1931) did 61.Kg1?? Ke2 62.Rf5 Rxh5! and it's over for White. What White needed to do was 61.Kh3! f2 62.Kg2 Ke2 63.Rf5 Rg8+ 64.Kh3 Rg5 65.Rxf2+ Kxf2 66.Kh4 and it ends up in a draw.

WIM Tejaswini Sagar (GUJ) could have drawn her game against IM Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa)

WFM Sai Nirupama Kotepalli (AP) - IM Eesha Karavade (PSPB): 0.5-0.5

IM Soumya Swaminathan (PSPB) - WCM Bristy Mukherjee (WB, pictured): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Maharashtra Chess Association

Sarayu Velpula (TEL, pictured) - WIM Sakshi Chitlange (MAH): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Maharashtra Chess Association

Sherali - Kiran

Position after 47.Bc4+

Black can still save the game. Find out how.

Sherali Pattnaik (UTT, pictured) - WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty: 1-0 | Photo: CFSL

Top boards

Round 3 in progress

Replay Round 3 games

Round 3 results

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	27		Mrittika, Mallick	1948	WB	2	0 - 1	2	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	2389	MAH	1
2	2	IM	Padmini, Rout	2353	PSPB	2	1 - 0	2		Potluri, Saye Srreezza	1919	TEL	29
3	28	WIM	Tejaswini, Sagar	1931	GUJ	2	0 - 1	2	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti	2315	GOA	3
4	30	WFM	Kotepalli, Sai Nirupama	1899	AP	2	½ - ½	2	IM	Karavade, Eesha	2293	PSPB	5
5	6	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan	2293	PSPB	2	½ - ½	2	WCM	Bristy, Mukherjee	1885	WB	31
6	33	WIM	Chandreyee, Hajra	1845	WB	2	0 - 1	2	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M	2242	RSPB	9
7	10	WGM	Srija, Seshadri	2226	TN	2	1 - 0	2		Manasa, K.	1827	KAR	35
8	34		Velpula, Sarayu	1845	TEL	2	½ - ½	2	WIM	Chitlange, Sakshi	2225	MAH	11
9	38		Janani, J	1764	TN	2	0 - 1	2	IM	Mohota, Nisha	2185	PSPB	13
10	40		Rebecca, Jesumarian	1750	TN	2	0 - 1	2	WIM	Arpita, Mukherjee	2160	WB	15

Details

Standings after Round 3

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	Gr	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	1	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	U18	w	N	IND	2389	MAH	3	4	6	6,00	0	3
	2	IM	Padmini, Rout		w	N	IND	2353	PSPB	3	4	6	6,00	0	3
3	3	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti		w	N	IND	2315	GOA	3	4	5,5	5,50	0	3
	13	IM	Mohota, Nisha		w	N	IND	2185	PSPB	3	4	5,5	5,50	0	3
	20	WFM	Saranya, J		w	N	IND	2050	TN	3	4	5,5	5,50	0	3
6	10	WGM	Srija, Seshadri		w	N	IND	2226	TN	3	4	5	5,00	0	3
	18	WGM	Varshini, V		w	N	IND	2120	TN	3	4	5	5,00	0	3
	19	WIM	Bommini, Mounika Akshaya	U20	w	N	IND	2094	AP	3	4	5	5,00	0	3
9	9	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M		w	N	IND	2242	RSPB	3	4	4	4,00	0	3
	67		Sherali, Pattnaik	U14	w	N	IND	1565	UTT	3	4	4	4,00	0	3
11	15	WIM	Arpita, Mukherjee		w	N	IND	2160	WB	3	3,5	4,5	4,50	0	3
12	23	WIM	Mrudul, Dehankar	U20	w	N	IND	2030	MAH	3	3	4	4,00	0	3
13	34		Velpula, Sarayu	U18	w	S	IND	1845	TEL	2,5	4,5	6,5	5,25	0	2
14	30	WFM	Kotepalli, Sai Nirupama		w	N	IND	1899	AP	2,5	4,5	6	4,75	0	2
15	4	WGM	Gomes, Mary Ann		w	N	IND	2315	PSPB	2,5	4,5	5,5	4,25	0	2
	5	IM	Karavade, Eesha		w	N	IND	2293	PSPB	2,5	4,5	5,5	4,25	0	2
	6	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan		w	N	IND	2293	PSPB	2,5	4,5	5,5	4,25	0	2
	11	WIM	Chitlange, Sakshi		w	N	IND	2225	MAH	2,5	4,5	5,5	4,25	0	2
	31	WCM	Bristy, Mukherjee	U20	w	N	IND	1885	WB	2,5	4,5	5,5	4,25	0	2
20	47		Kanishka, S	U16	w	S	IND	1676	TN	2,5	4	5	3,75	0	2

Details

Round 4 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	1	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	2389	MAH	3		3	WIM	Arpita, Mukherjee	2160	WB	15
2	19	WIM	Bommini, Mounika Akshaya	2094	AP	3		3	IM	Padmini, Rout	2353	PSPB	2
3	3	IM	Kulkarni, Bhakti	2315	GOA	3		3	WGM	Varshini, V	2120	TN	18
4	9	WIM	Mahalakshmi, M	2242	RSPB	3		3	WFM	Saranya, J	2050	TN	20
5	23	WIM	Mrudul, Dehankar	2030	MAH	3		3	WGM	Srija, Seshadri	2226	TN	10
6	13	IM	Mohota, Nisha	2185	PSPB	3		3		Sherali, Pattnaik	1565	UTT	67
7	14	WIM	Vishwa, Vasnawala	2181	GUJ	2½		2½	WGM	Gomes, Mary Ann	2315	PSPB	4
8	5	IM	Karavade, Eesha	2293	PSPB	2½		2½	WCM	Ankitha, Goud Palle	1977	TEL	26
9	47		Kanishka, S	1676	TN	2½		2½	IM	Soumya, Swaminathan	2293	PSPB	6
10	7	WIM	Sharma, Isha	2267	KAR	2½		2½		Velpula, Sarayu	1845	TEL	34

Details

Links

Tournament Details

Gujarat State Chess Association: Official site

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