Padmini claims title

Defending champion and top seed Padmini Rout of Odisha annexed the Ram Ratna women's national premier chess championship title after posting a win over Tania Sachdev here today.
Playing black against the former national champion, Padmini was content to go for routine exchanges in a Queen's Gambit Declined. Her strategy paid rich dividends for an easy win after Tania faltered in the rook and pawn ending.
Having taken her tally to an unassailable 8.5 points, Padmini will face bottom-ranked K Priyanka tomorrow in the concluding round of the event, organised by Diaspora Times under the aegis of Bengal Chess Association.

Padmini's nearest rival LIC's Swati Ghate, who beat V Varshini of Tamil Nadu, has 7.5 points. So even a loss in the final round would ensure the first place for Padmini as she has the better tie-breaking SB score.
Swati has her task cut out as she faces former world junior champion Soumya Swaminathan of PSCB in the final round.
Three players -- Soumya, Bhakti Kulkarni and Pratyusha Bodda -- are in the joint third spot with 6.5 points apiece.

Swati attacked with vigour and broke open Varshini's kingside in a Sicilian defence before sealing the issue.
Soumya won a couple of pawns against Priyanka Nutakki of Andhra Pradesh in a Queen's Gambit Declined. Priyanka tried to salvage the position by sacrificing a piece to get back the pawns, but Soumya had little difficulty thereafter and checkmated her opponent on the 45th move.

Bhakti Kulkarni effectively utilised her queen and rook to deliver against the weakened kingside of Pratyusha Bodda of Andhra Pradesh.
World U-14 girls' champion R Vaishali lost the exchange in a Reti opening against Neha Singh of Bihar but her superior pieces and her passed b-pawn ensured a win for her.
K Priyanka drew against her statemate Michelle Catherina as neither could make headway in a double knight versus rook ending.