Fluent win keeps Bhagyashree in fray

By P.K. Ajith Kumar

NEW DELHI, NOV. 28. At 39, she may not be getting any younger, but there is still a lot of fire left in India's most experienced campaigner in the women's game.

Bhagyashree Thipsay scored a splendid 22-move win against Peng Zhoaqin of the Netherlands in the second game of the first round in the women's World chess championship at Hotel Hyatt Regency on Tuesday to level the scores at 1-1. They will now play the tie- break games on Wednesday.

India's best bet, S. Vijayalakshmi, however, went out of the race, when she went down for a second successive day to Finland's lowly rated Niina Koskela. Somehow Vijayalakshmi managed to play so badly for two consecutive days.

Among the first players to move into the second round were Natalia Zhukova of Ukraine, China's Xu Yuhua, the fifth seed and World Cup champion, Russia's Julia Demina, Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania, Inga Khurtsilava of Georgia, Rakhil Eidelson of Belarus, Cornia Peptan of Romania, Ketvan Arakhamia-Grant of Georgia and Dana Reiziece of Latvia.

There was only one way for Bhagyashree to stay alive in the championship - by attacking and she did that with aplomb. And of course agressive chess is something she is good at it. She was well prepared for her rival, who she knew was going to play French Defence. And French it was, after the Indian's Dutch defence failed to contain the Dutchwoman on Monday.

Bhagyashree made her intentions clear with a pawn sacrifice on the 11th move, after making the long castle a move earlier. That gave her a lot of piece play. Her rooks got open files, bishops were active and with a fine knight move on the 13th turn, she was able to take control of the centre too, with that knight on e5.

Peng was driven to a corner and had no defence against White's potent attacks. Black could not castle, and her ploy to hang on to the sacrificed did not help her either. She resigned when she faced a mating threat on f3 by the Indian's queen.

To win a World championship game in 22 moves is quite an effort, and that too a must-win encounter. No wonder the amiable Mumbai lady looked delighted after the game. ``It is one of my best wins ever,'' said a delighted Bhagyashree.

Vijayalakhsmi, playing on the white side of Nimzo- Indian Defence, did not have the better in the opening, but she recovered well in the middle game to even enjoy a better position. But on the 27th move she erred, when she failed to exchange her queen and three moves later she blundered a piece.

Though she hung on for a while in the losing position in a minor piece ending - her long bishop against Black's bishop, knight and pawn - she had long lost the game before she resigned after 70 moves.

Like Viji, Hoang too came to this championship with a lot of hopes, but the eighth seed, again like Viji, slumped to a second straight loss, when she lost with white pieces to Viktorija Cmilyte, one of the fastest rising players in the women's game. Cmilyte won comfortably in 27 moves of Nimzo-Indian Defence, while Corina, who also won 2-0, beat Spain's Monica Calzetta in 26 moves of Sicilian Alapin.

lThe results (round one, game two): Amura Claudia (Arg) 0.5 lost to Xu Yuhua (Chn) 1.5; Bhagyashree Thipsay (Ind) 1 bt Peng Zhoaqin (Ned) 1; Zahira El Gharbi (Mar) 0 lost to Julia Demina 2; Corina Peptan (Rom) 2 bt Monica Calzetta (Esp); S. Vijayalashmi (Ind) 0 lost to Niina Koskela (Fin) 2; Ketvan Arakhamia-Grant (Geo) 2 bt Jennifer Shahade (US) 0; Natasa Bojkovic (Yug) 2 bt Dana Reiziece (Lat) 0; Hoang Thanh Trang (Vie) 0 lost to Viktorija Cmilyte (Lit) 2; Nana Gaprindashvili (Geo) 0 lost to Inga Khurtsilava (Geo) 2; Alisa Maric (Yug) 1.5 bt Sopio Tkeshelashivili (Geo) 1.5; Rakhil Eidelson (Blr) 1.5 drew with Asma Houli (Alg) 0.5.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Sasikiran's win cockles Indian hearts
Next     : India has good future: Salov