18-year-old and current women’s chess champion R. Divya Lakshmi (rating 1957) of Chennai with 4 points from 4 rounds, scored the biggest win of her career by beating the current Commonwealth Games 2017 Women’s Champion and third seed WGM Swati Ghate in the fourth round of the tournament and went into the joint lead with two other players, top-seed WGM Soumya Swaminathan and Tamil Nadu’s K. Priyanka (rating 2081), on the third-day of the 44th National Women’s Challengers Chess Championship 2017 organised by Mysore Chess Centre at the Kanteerava Sports Club’s premises here yesterday.

Seven players are tied with 3.5 points and are placed from fourth to tenth in the rankings.  Playing on the top board with white pieces, WGM Soumya Swaminathan capitalised on the advantageous opening position and took the initiative to score a comfortable win over her rival WIM Pranali S. Dharia (MAH) in 25 moves.

On the second board, WGM Mary Ann Gomes playing with black pieces was held to a creditable draw by WIM Mahalakshmi (TN). In the third board, K. Priyanka (Rating 2081), the  current Commonwealth U-16 girls champion from Coimbatore, scored an upset win over eighth seed WFM Srija Seshadri (DEL). In the fourth board, third-seed WGM Swati Ghate (LIC), playing with white pieces, after being in a equal position in the middle game, made a wrong move under time pressure at the end surrendered the initiative to R. Divya Lakshmi (TN).

In the sixth board WFM C. Lakshmi (TN) scored an upset win over ninth seed and WIM Pujari Rucha (MAH) in 37 moves. In the ninth board Sanskriti Goyal (UP) scored a good win over WCM Chandreyee Hajra (WB) in 80 moves.

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC-3.5 points), WGM Kulkarni Bhakti (AI-3 points), WGM Meenakshi Subbaraman (AAI-3 points), IM Nisha Mohta (PSPB-3 points) registered good wins over their respective rivals. WGM Ramaswamy Arathie was held to a draw by LIC’s Jayashree P. Sankpal in 31 moves.

Important Results: Round 4: Soumya Swaminathan (4) bt Pranali S. Dharia (3), M. Mahalakshmi (3.5) drew Mary Ann Gomes (3.5), K. Priyanka (4) bt Srija Seshadri (3), Swati Ghate (2.5) lost R. Divya Lakshmi (4), P.V. Nandhidhaa (3) drew P. Bala Kannamma (3), Pujari Rucha (2.5) lost C. Lakshmi (3.5), Kiran Manisha Mohanty (3.5) bt L. Jyotsna L (2.5), Shyte Siddhali (3) drew A.G. Nimmy (3), Chandreyee Hajra (2.5) lost Sanskriti Goyal (3.5), Makhija Aashna (3.5) bt Chitlange Sakshi 92.5), G. Lasya (3.5) bt Isha Sharma (2.5), G. Abhirama Srinithi (2) lost Mohota Nisha (3), Kulkarni Bhakti (3) bt Ghosh Samriddhaa (2), Y. Saranya (2.5) drew Pratyusha Bodda (2.5), Deodhar Vrushali Umesh (2) lost Meenakshi Subbaraman (3).