Vantika held to draw by Shohradeva in World’s Women Cup

Batumi (Georgia) (PTI) India's Woman Grandmaster Vantika Agrawal was held to a draw by Turkmenistan's Lela Shohradeva in the first round of the FIDE World Women’s Chess Cup here on Sunday.

There were not many surprises on the opening day when as many as 86 players competed to progress to the second round.

The top three finishers at the World Women’s Chess Cup will qualify for the prestigious Candidates' tournament.

India's Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh have been directly granted an entry in to the second round by virtue of their ratings and the other five Indian girls had mixed results on the opening day.

Vantika as black did get as many chances she might have liked against Turkmenistan's Lela Shohradeva. But her calculation did not back her well in the middle game that was about equal.

The endgame appeared soon with rooks on board and despite being a pawn less it was clear that it was headed to a draw.

Former national women’s champion Padmini Rout and P V Nandhidhaa won their openers while Kiran Manisha Mohanty and K Priyanka crashed out of the tournament.

Rout came up with a fine effort to beat Zhang Linin of China while Nandhidhaa got the better of Ortiz Verdezoto Anahi of Ecuador.

It was a tough draw for the two other Indian women in the fray as Yuxin Song defeated Mohanty while Hungary's Zsoka Gal scored a win over Priyanka.

A second game and a tiebreak will be played to decide who will make to the round of 64.

The total prize pool of the event is 6,91,250 USD.

Top pairings round 1: Carissa Yip (Usa) beat Hannah Wilson (Bar); Evi Yuliana (Ina) lost to Stavroula Tsolakidou (Gre); Bella Khotenashvili (Geo) beat Caxita Esperanca (Ang); Ning Isabelle Yixuan (Nzl) drew with Valentina Gunina (Fid); Anna Ushenina (Ukr) beat Jesse February (Rsa); Ruelle Canino (Phi) lost to Anna Shukhman (Fid); Yuxin Song (Chn) beat Kiran Manisha Mohanty (Ind); Tania Miranda Rodriguez (Mex) lost to Kulon Klaudia (Pol); Azhar Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa (Mas) lost to Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul); Zsoka Gaal (Hun) beat K Priyanka (Ind); Lala Shohradova (Tkm) drew with Vantika Agrawal (Ind); Padmini Rout (Ind) beat Zhang Lanlin (Chn); Ortiz Verdezoto Anahi (Ecu) lost to P V Nandhidhaa (Ind) PTI COR APA APA