Saloni Sapale gets off to winning start

Woman International Master Saloni Sapale got off to a good start, scoring a win over fellow WIM Chandreyee Hajra in the first round of the Velammal - AICF International Women Grandmaster round-robin chess tournament here Monday. Also posting wins on the opening day were: Iulija Osmak, Olga Babiy (both Ukraine), Sapale Saloni (India), Franco Valencia Angela (Columbia) at 1.0 point each.

Colombian Angela Franco Valencia scored the first upset, beating higher-rated Mongolian Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh down in a Guicco Piano game that lasted 31 moves. In a game that saw both missing their chances, Valencia had the Mongolian on the mat, when she trapped her queen.

Aakanksha Hagawane held top-seed Mungntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia to a draw after catching her rival unawares with a knight sacrifice on the 33rd move. She followed it a perpetual check taking a draw, when she appeared to have the upper hand. Higher rating of the Mongolian might have influenced her to settle for a draw.

In another all-Indian game, WIM Michelle Catherina missed her chances against Divya Deshmukh and managed to snatch a draw in the nick of time. Double WGM norm holder V Varshini went down to Olga Babiy of Ukraine in another match.

Results: Round one (Indians unless specified): Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (Kaz) lost to Iulija Osmak (Ukr) 1, Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh (Mon) lost to Franco Valencia Angela (Col) 1, Olga Babiy (Ukr) 1 beat Varshini V. Aakanksha Hagawane (0.5) drew with Munguntuul Batkhuyag (Mon) 0.5, Chandreyee Hajra lost to Sapale Saloni (1), P Michelle Catherina (0.5) drew with Divya Deshmukh (0.5)..