Chennai based Woman International Master Michelle Catherina moved into shared lead with 3.0 points after the fourth round of the Velammal AICF Woman Grandmaster Round Robin Chess tournament 2019 held at Hotel Abu Sarovar Portico, Chennai here today. Michelle scored over fellow Indian Varshini V in a Ruy Lopez game that lasted 40 moves. The two passed pawns on the queen side turned the game favour of Michelle in a queen and rook ending game.
Sharing the lead with Michelle at 3.0 points were top seed International Master Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia and Woman Grandmaster Babiy Olga of Ukraine. Half a point behind at 2.5 points were Divya Deshmukh, Aakanksha Hagawane (both India) and Osmak Iulija (Ukraine).
Overnight leader Olga went down to Mongolian Woman Grandmaster Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh. In a complicated Sicilian game, Olga fell for a middle game combination losing her piece and the game in 34 moves.
Nagpur girl Divya Deshmukh went down to top seed IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia, still managed to remain half a point behind the leaders. The Sicilian game saw Munguntuul sacrifice a piece for three pawns to wrest the initiative from the Indian. To reduce the pressure, Divya gave back the piece nurturing the resultant position to a rook and pawn ending. The pawn deficit could not be matched, as Munguntuul converted the ending comfortably to wrap the game in 59 moves.
The 7.5 lakhs prize money tournament in this Velammal – AICF event concludes on Monday 4th February, 2019.
Round 4 Results (Indians unless specified) : Osmak Iulija (Ukr) 2.5 bt
Sapale Saloni (1.0), Munguntuul Batkhuyag (Mon) 3.0 bt Divya Deshmukh (2.5), Varshini V (1.5) lost to Michelle Catherina P (3.0), Franco Valencia Angela (Col) 1.0 lost to Chandreyee Hajra (1.5), Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (Kaz) 1.0 lost to Aakanksha Hagawane (2.5), Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh (Mon) 1.5 bt Babiy Olga (Ukr) 3.0
Babiy Olga
Munguntuul, Batkhuyag
Munguntuul, Batkhuyag – Divya, Deshmukh
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 Qc7 9. O-O-O b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. f3 Nc6 12. Ndxb5 axb5 13. Nxb5 Qd8 14. Nxd6+ Bxd6 15. Qxd6 Qxd6 16. Rxd6 O-O 17. Rhd1 Rfc8 18. Kb1 h6 19. c3 Na5 20. Bb6 Nxe4 21. fxe4 Bxe4+ 22. Bd3 Bxg2 23. Rg1 Bd5 24. Bd4 g6 25. Rd7 Nb3 26. Be3 Nc5 27. Bxc5 Rxc5 28. Kc2 Rcc8 29. Rf1 Rf8 30. c4 Bg2 31. Rf2 Bh1 32. Kc3 e5 33. Re7 e4 34. Bxe4 Bxe4 35. Rxe4 f5 36. Re6 Kf7 37. Rb6 Rfe8 38. Kb4 Re4 39. Kb5 f4 40. c5 g5 41. Rxh6 g4 42. Rd2 Kg7 43. Rh4 Rb8+ 44. Kc6 f3 45. h3 Re6+ 46. Kc7 g3 47. Rg4+ Rg6 48. Rxg3 Rxg3 49. Kxb8 Rg2 50. Rd3 Rxb2+ 51. Kc7 f2 52. Rf3 Rb3 53. Rxf2 Rxa3 54. c6 Rc3 55. Kd7 Rxh3 56. Rd2 Kf6 57. c7 Rh7+ 58. Kc6 Rh8 59. Rd8 1-0
Attachment
