Top-seeded IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul from Mongolia lived up to her billing to claim the top honours in the SBI Life-AICF Women Grandmaster Chess Championship today.
The tournament was jointly organised by the Indian Chess School & South Mumbai Chess Academy.
Thirty-year-old Batkhuyag (ELO rating 2410), who was in second position at the end of the 10th and penultimate round, scored a decisive win against Russian WIM Elena Tomilova (ELO 2334) in the final round to earn the full point and take her tally to eight from the 11-round competition, a media release said.
Overnight leader WGM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (ELO 2323) from Kazakhstan slipped at the final hurdle losing to talented Indian WIM Srija Seshadri (ELO 2207), who churned out another impressive performance against the higher rated Kazak player.
Guliskhan with 7.5 points in the kitty had to settle for the second place, while the Tamil Nadu player Srija with a cumulative tally of seven points finished third, it said.
Vietnam's WGM Thi Kim Phung Vo (ELO 2376), who was held to a draw by Indian WIM Vantika Agrawal (ELO 2279) was placed fourth, also with 7 points.
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WIM Aakanksha Hagawane 6.5 points, WIM Vantika Agrawal and Monnisha GK, both with 5.5 points each finished in fifth, sixth and seventh positions respectively, it added.
Batkhuyag went home richer by Rs 1.60 lakh, while Guliskhan earned Rs 1.30 lakh as the prize money.
The final standings: 1. IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul (MGL, ELO 2410) 8 pts, 2. WGM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (KAZ, 2323) 7.5 pts, 3. WIM Srija Seshadri (IND, 2207) 7 pts, 4. WGM Thi Kim Phung Vo (VIE, 2376) 7 pts, 5. WIM Aakanksha Hagawane (IND, 2297) 6.5 pts, 6. WIM Vantika Agrawal (IND, 2279) 5.5 pts, 7. WIM Monnisha G.K. (IND, 2295) 5.5 pts, 8. WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (UZB, 2379) 5.5 pts, 9. WIM Elena Tomilova (RUS, 2334) 5 pts, 10. IM Anna Zozulia (BEL, 2314) 4.5 pts, 11. WFM Divya Deshmukh (IND, 2138) 3.5 pts, 12. Rakshitta Ravi (IND, 2067) 0.5 pts.