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Vijayalakshmi wins title on better tie-break score

S Meenakshi of Tamil Nadu shocked defending champion and top speed S Vijayalakshmi of Indian Airlines to tie for the first place in the 13th and final round of the 26th Women's National `A' chess championship on Tuesday.

However, Vijayalakshmi emerged champion on a better tie-break score.

In the most sensational match on Tuesday, Vijayalakshmi and her younger sister Meenakshi were engaged in a bitter fight. The game started with an irregular queen pawn opening and entered an interesting middlegame. The players castled on opposite sides and a hair-raising battle ensue. The centre was closed and both players started attacking each other`s king side.

Meenakshi's piece turned out to be better placed in the ensuing fierce attack and she systematically exploited her advantage. She opened up the "h" file and also exchanged off Vijayalakshmi's fianchettoed king's bishop, the best defender of white's king.

The defending champion was forced to give up one pawn to divert Meenakshi's pieces from setting up a mating net. After that it was a very easy task for Meenakshi, who exchanged pieces and entered a minor piece ending.

Vijayalakshmi resigned when she was forced into a lost king and pawn ending.

With the victory, Meenakshi tied for first place with her sister, with a score of 8.5 points out of 12 games. But chief arbiter R I Sagar declared Vijayalakshmi the champion on a better tie-break score.

Vijayalakshmi bagged the first prize of Rs 18,300, the Mayor's Cup and a special prize of Rs 5,000.

Meenakshi, with her fantastic display, not only made her maiden entry in the Indian team for the Chess Olympiad, but has completed a 12-game WIM norm as well.

WFM Saheli Dhar Barua (Railways) drew her last round game against S Sujatha (TN) and secured her place in the Indian team.

Saheli, playing with the black pieces, opted for her favourite Dutch defence and achieved an advantageous position when her opponent played passive moves. Saheli built up the pressure and broke through the `f' file.

Saheli cramped Sujatha's position and won two pawns on the queenside. Sujatha obtained some counterplay for the material loss. Saheli, who had already secured her position, offered a draw that was readily accepted by Sujatha.

In another important game, IWM Pallavi Shah of LIC defeated Baisakhi Das of West Bengal and entered the Indian team. Shah had an easy match as her rival made some dubious moves in the opening and arrived at a completely inferior position.

Baisakhi blundered away her queen and resigned immediately on the 20th move.

World under-18 champion R Aarthi of Tamil Nadu downed her statemate Safira Shehnaz and shattered her hopes of making it to the Indian team.

Aarthi played the king's Indian defence in reply to Shehnaz's queen pawn opening. Shehnaz, who looked exhausted, overlooked a simple move to lose an exchange after Aarthi's pieces dominated the board.

Following are the final placings: S Vijayalakshmi and S Meenakshi (8.5 pts each), S D Barua (8), Pallavi Shah (7.5), Swathi Ghate and Bhagyashree Thipsay (7 each), Anupama Gokhale and S Shehnaz (6.5 each), R Aarthi (6), S Sujatha (4), Neha Singh and Prathiba (3.5 each), Baisakhi Das (1.5).