IM Nisha Mohota Won the 41st National Women Challengers Chess Championship 2014

IM Nisha Mohota Won the 41st National Women Challengers Chess Championship 2014
By Kishore Bandekar

IM Nisha Mohota of petroleum Sports Promotion Board, a former National Women Premier Champion Won the 41st National Women Challengers Chess Championship 2014 held at Pedem Sports Complex Mapusa Goa . Overnight joint leaders, IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi of Air India IM Nisha Mohota of PSPB won their respective games with Neha Singh of Bihar and Lakshmi Praneetha of AP and the winner had to be decided on tie break as both the players scored equal 9.5 points from 11 rounds , IM Nisha managed to win the Gold Medal due to better tie break and IM Vijalakshmi had to satisfy with Silver Medal . Hinduja Reddy of Anrdra Pradesh won the Bronze Medal. She scored 8.5 points. Nisha and Vijee had a good tournament. They did not loose a single game throughout the tournament .

Both the Goan ,last years National Premier players WGM Bhakti Kulkarni & WIM Ivana Furtado won their respective games with WGM Swati Ghate of LIC and Smarki Mohanty of Orisa to qualify for Women National Premier Chess Championship .

IM Vijayalakshmi the former National Champion, in the Queen pawn opening which got converted into Sicilian accelerated dragon variation, did not give any advantage to Neha and became Queen up which forced Neha to resign after 33 moves. In the Caro kann Opening, IM Nisha Mohota also easily meted Lakskmi Praneetha in 40 moves. Hinduja Reddy of AP defeated Nimmy George of Kerala.

Following Players will Qualify For Women National Premier Chess Championship:

1) IM Nisha Mohota, ( 9.5 points ) of PSPB, 2) IM Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman ( 9.5 points) Air India, 3) Hinduja Reddy ( 8.5 points) of Anrda Pradesh, 4) WGM Pamini Raut of Orisa, 5) WGM Bhakti Kulkarni ( 8 points) of Goa, 6) WIM Ivana Furtado ( 8 Points) of Goa, 7) Pratusha Bodda ( 8 Points)of Andra Pradesh, 8) WGM Swati Ghate ( 7.5 points) of LIC.

WGM Padmini Raut of Orisa defeated M Mahalakshmi of Tamil Nadu. Pratusha Bodda of AP Defeated WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy of Air India.

Other Prrize winners: from 9th to 20th are Lakshmi Praneetha of AP, Nimmy George of Kerala, WFM Varshini V of Tamil Nadu, Mruta Mokal of Maharashtra, Lasya G. of AP, Neha Singh of Bihar, Sunasakta Satapathy of Orisa, WFM Riya Savant of Goa, WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanthy of LIC, WGM Soumya Swaminathan of PSPB, WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy of Air India, and Bala Kannamma of Tamil Nadu.

The Goa Chess Association successfully organised the 41st National Women Challengers Chess Championship on behalf of the All India Chess Federation, Sports Authority of Goa and Sai.

Shri Dilip Parulekar, Tourism Minister of Goa was the Chief Guest of the function . Also present were Shri. Dilip Salgaocar, Chairman of Geno Pharmaceuticals, Shri. Sandeep Falari, Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal council, Shri. Sudhanshu Jha, Commissioner of Income tax (Appeals) , Goa and Shri. Yeshwant Tawade, Director of Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs,along with other dignitaries. Shri Vinay Tendulkar , President of GCA & BJP Goa , Shri Kishor Bandekar, Joint Secretary AICF & Secretary GCA, Mr Bruno Cutinho , Joint Director SAG, and Shri Ramdas Sawant , Treasurer of GCA..