Veteran International Woman Master and third seed Bhagyashree Thipsay (IDBI) emerged winner on better progressive scores after a three-way tie in the 30th National Women's 'B' chess championship in Kozikhode on Thursday.
Playing on the second board, the five-time national 'A' champion, drew her final round match with second seed Tania Sachdev (Delhi) to tie on seven points with M R Sangeetha (TN) and 11th seed Koneru Chandrahasa (CCA), but was declared winner on better progressive score of 39.
Sangeetha and Koneru finished second and third with progressive scores of 38.5 and 37 respectively in the tournament played on nine-round Swiss format.
With the top five boards resulting in a draw in the final round, fourth seed Anupama Gokhale (PSCB) and Tania finished fourth and fifth with 6.5 points each, the former holding a better progressive score.
However, it was Sangeetha who hogged the limelight in the tournament, threatening to run away with her maiden national title in the finishing rounds but fell short to the ultimate conqueror Bhagyashree by a mere 0.5 progressive score.
Sangeetha's best-ever peformance so far had been her runner-up title in the National sub-juniors at Thalassery in 1998.
The top 10 finishers -- Bhagyashree, Sangeetha, Koneru, Anupama, Tania, Kruttika Nadig (MAH), Prathiba Y (TN), Saimeera Ravi (BSB), Saheli Nath (WB) and Eesha Karavade (MAH) -- would now be eligible to play in the National 'A' event.
The tournament turned out to be a nightmare for the top seed and IWM Swati Ghate (LIC), who finished a poor 18th with only six points to her credit.
Important results (final round):
Koneru Chandrahasa (CCA) 7 drew with M R Sangeetha (TN) 7; Tania Sachdev (DEL) 6.5 drew with Bhagyashree Thipsay (IDBI) 7; Y Pratibha (TN) 6.5 drew with Anupama Gokhale (PSCB) 6.5; H Nilavoli (TN) 6.5 drew with Eesha Karavade (MAH) 6.5; Sreeparna Chakraborty (ACC) 6 drew with Kruttika Nadig (MAH) 6.5; J E Kavitha (Mt.C) 5.5 lost to Saimeera Ravi (BSB) 6.5; C V Rajalakshmi (CHRO) 6.5 beat Safira Shahnaz (TN) 5.5; Saheli Nath (WB) 6.5 beat Supriya Maji (GNCA) 5.5; Dolan Chamba Bose (JHAR) 6.5 beat Saheli Dhar Barua (WB) 5; Soumya Swaminathan (MAH) lost to Swathi Ghate (LIC) 6; Mary Ann Gomes (GNCA) 6 beat Madhuri M Patil (MAH) 5; Ketaki Shrirang Kulkarni (MAH) 6 beat M Rajadarshini M (ECC) 5; Kiran Monisha Mohanty (ORI) 5 lost to Patil Anuprita Anil (MAH) 6; Swati Mohota (WB) 6 beat N Sandhya (KER) 5; Pushpalata Krishna Mangal (BSB) 5 lost to N Vinuthana N (AP) 6; Alka Das (JHAR) 5.5 drew with Nimmy A George (KER) 5.5; Ramya Krishna (AP) 5 drew with Baisaki Das (JHAR) 5.5; Ayushi Rai Choudhury (ORI) 5 drew with C Delphin (MCA) 5; Amita Kashikar (MAH) 4.5 lost to M Priyadarshini (ECC) 5.5; N Raghavi (CAPA) 5.5 beat Sougaijam Victoria (MAN) 4.5.