Chennai: Woman Grandmaser Olga Babiy of Ukraine snatched the sole lead with three points after the third round of the Velammal AICF Woman Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament here Tuesday.
She defeated WIM Nakhbayeva Guliskhan of Kazakhstan in a double-edged French game where the Kazakh girl missed her way and lost in 42 moves.
Former World Under-12 champion Divya Deshmukh moved into the sole second spot with 2.5 points scoring a facile win over fellow Indian Saloni Sapale. It was all aggression in the Sicilian game between Divya and Saloni. In the ensuing time scramble, Saloni found herself a rook down as Divya forked her way to win after 33 moves.
Earlier, the second round saw WIM Babiy posting a second straight win, with Munguntuul, Michelle, Divya close behind with 1.5 points. Babiy accounted for Colombian Angela Franco Valencia in an interesting Sicilian game.
Results:
Round 3 (Indians unless specified): Olga Babiy (Ukr) 3.0 beat Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (Kaz) 1.0, Aakanksha Hagawane (1.5) beat Franco Valencia Angela (Col) 1.0, Chandreyee Hajra(0.5) drew with Varshini V (1.5), Michelle Catherina P (2) drew with Munguntuul Batkhuyag (Mon) 2, Divya Deshmukh (2.5) beat Saloni Sapale (1);
Round 2: Osmak Iulija (Ukr) 1 lost to Divya Deshmukh (1.5), Saloni Sapale (1) lost to Michelle Catherina P (1.5), Munguntuul Batkhuyag (Mon) 1.5 beat Chandreyee Hajra, Varshini V (1) beat Aakanksha Hagawane (0.5), Franco Valencia Angela (Col) 1 lost to Babiy Olga (Ukr) 2, Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (Kaz) 1 beat Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh (Mon).