Koneru Humpy reaches second round of World Women Chess Championship
Grandmaster Koneru Humpy defeated her Algerian counterpart Hayat Toubal in the second game of the first round of the World Women Chess Championship on Sunday. Out of the other Indian contenders, Bhakti Kulkarni was eliminated in the first round after losing a match and tying another.
A second victory on the trot took Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy into the second round of the World Women Chess Championship. She defeated Hayat Toubal of Algeria in the second game of the first round. On the other hand, D.Harika was held for a tie against her opponent Sopiko Khukhashvili of Georgia. Thus two ties in two matches for her means that she will have to go through the tie-breaker to reach the next round.
Humpy overcame the challenge easily and ended the game with a much-famous back-rank theme. Harika put some pressure on Khukhashvili but it was not enough as the latter managed to eke out a draw. Harika, a bronze medallist in the last two editions of the knockout format, will have to win the next tie-breaker which will be of a shorter duration time to proceed further in the tournament.
Bhakti Kulkarni was the lone Indian to exit the tournament as she drew her second game against Natalija Pogonina of Russia. Though Kulkarni tried to put up a fight, Pogonina was up to the task and managed a draw against her.
Padmini Rout is the final contestant from India and she too will have to go the Harika way as she will have to play the tie-breaker to reach the second round. Rout held Zhansaya Abdumalik twice in two days to take the game to the tie-breakers.