R Vaishali wins first Tata Steel Chess Women's Blitz, Harika takes bronze
At the Tata Steel Chess in Kolkata on Sunday, R Vaishali was named the first-ever women's blitz champion. Out of 18 rounds, the 21-year-old earned 13.5 points for the competition.
After the nine rounds on the first day, Vaishali was ranked second. She was one point behind Mariya Muzychuk when she changed the outcome on Sunday.
In the last game of the competition, the Tamil Nadu girl played to the top of her ability and took the lead. Vaishali made sure there were no setbacks to capture a well-deserving title, needing only a draw in her last game. With 12 points, Muzychuk came in second place, 1.5 points behind the Indian.
While the juvenile Vaishali won the competition, the seasoned Dronavalli Harika secured a second-place finish for India with a score of 11/18. In the women's quick division, the just became mother had also placed in that spot before.
The other Indian competitors, Koneru Humpy, ended fifth with 9.5/18, Savita Shri, a young woman, placed eighth with 6.5 points, and Bhakti Kulkarni, a recent recipient of the Arjuna Award, trailed at position 10 with just 4 points.