Li Ruofan stays on course for title

International Woman Master Li Ruofan of China stretched her lead by a full point when she scored a lucky win over IWM Aarthie Ramaswamy in the ninth round of the Asian chess championship in Madras on Monday.

Li Ruofan now has 7.5 points, followed by top seed Woman Grandmaster S Vijayalakshmi and second seed Wang Yu (China) on 6.5 points each. With two more rounds left in the World championship qualifying Asian event, the leader needs only one point from the remaining rounds to usurp the coveted title.

The Indian WGM trio of Nisha Mohota, Aarthie Ramaswamy and Swati Ghate alongwith Huang Qian (China) are in third spot with six points each.

As seven top ranking players from this tournament will move to the women's World championships in Moscow by the year end, there will be a stiff contest for top honours in the last two rounds.

On the white side, Aarthie lost her rook for her opponent's bishop in the early middle game, arising from Ruy Lopez opening. In exchange down position, Aarthie prolonged the game to a drawish ending. When Li Ruofan was left with a rook and pawn, Aarthie had a knight and two pawns and the position seemed headed for a draw.

Unexpectedly, Aarthie failed to notice the chess clock, counting down to zero. When it showed zero on her 57th move, the arbiter declared that she had lost on time.

After the game, Li Ruofan agreed that the position was only a draw. Aarthie's loss in this round has left no player with a clean slate in this tournament, since she was the only unbeaten player till on Sunday.

National champion S Vijayalakshmi inflicted a humiliating defeat on Swati Ghate in 46 moves. She opened up with a queen pawn and used her opening innovation and theoretical knowledge against black's slow defence.

Viji then marched her pawn to the enemy king. White's king side attack was so unbearable that Swati had to give up an exchange in her 40th move. The next five moves witnessed a bloody ouslaught by Viji. When she sacrificed her rook for a pawn on the 45th move, Swati had to resign, anticipating a checkmate in the next move.

The tournament's early leader, Nisha Mohota won her game on Monday after facing a reverse for the past two days. Against English opening of Vietnam's Nauyen Thi Th, the Indian WIM took control of long diagonal from A8 to H1 by outposting her white Bishop. Later, she combined her queen and Bishop and threatened a mate.

Nisha's extra pieces plundered the kingside to win one move piece. Nauyen accepted defeat on the 38th move.

In another match, Wang Yu of China beat Sergeeva Maria of Kazakastan. Playing white, Wang Yu handled her opponent's Sicilian defence in great style. An open rook file on the kingside was enough for the Chinese to pressurise black.

Wang Yu's two rooks attacked the base rank of black and Sergeeva had to forego one of the rooks for white's Bishop. The game was over by 50 moves.

The dark horse of the tournament, Huang Qian, eliminated her teammate Yu Ting, to take up third spot. Huang Qian employed Reti opening with white pieces.

Asian Sub-junior champion M Kasthuri of India earned a creditable point from highly rated Gu Xiaobing of China after a long end-game battle, lasting 80 moves.