World Top 100 Players

Five time national women's champion Anupama Gokhale of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board won a long 70-move game to defeat M.R.Sangeetha of Tamil Nadu and wrest the sole lead at the end of the sixth round in the 31st National Women A Championship being played at Hotel Goldfinch in Bangalore on Friday.

The 1969-born Anupama of Bharat Petroleum, Mumbai is leading by half a point with 4.5 points from six games. Tied for the second place are Aarthie, Mary and Nisha Mohota with four points. Anupama last won the national title at Kolkata 1997.

Anupama is in the saddle thanks to top seed WGM Nisha Mohota's 41-move victory with the black pieces against the overnight sole leader Aarthie Ramesh. Anupama faces Mary Ann Gomes in the next round with the black pieces.

Describing her 70-move victory, Anupama said, "I could have won in a much easier way." From the Catalan opening she got an advantage playing the white side. Soon, she won a pawn and the game got transposed into a bishop versus knight ending. Here, Anupama used the extra pawn fruitfully.

"The tournament could have been tougher if others had participated. But everyday the younger players are improving and it is strong anyway. In terms of organisation and facility, this I think is the best National Women Championship I have played," certified Anupama Gokhale.

Women Grand Master Swati Ghate of LIC, Pune made lost ground by inflicting a defeat on Swati Mohota with the white pieces to reach 3.5 points. Similarly, tournament veteran Bhagyashree Thipsay downed Raghavi to reach three points. Nimmy George of Kerala shocked Karnataka's Kruttika Nadig with the black pieces. Sivasankari drew but could not move out of the last position.

Seven rounds remain to be played in this 14-player round robin event. The last round and the closing ceremony will take place on May 6 when prize money totalling Rs.1.32 lakhs will be distributed.

The results of the sixth round:

The pairings for Saturday's seventh round:

C o n t a c t