Harika, Meenakshi Pack Bags

By Arvind Aaron

Two of the three Indians in the world women's championship have bowed out of the race. Neeeding a win to stay in the race, Dronavalli Harika, dropped a pawn early in the middlegame and went down in the long rook ending to Viktoria Cmilyte (Shirov's wife). Meenakshi Subbaraman got into unknown opening territory and paid for that by losing to Iweta Radziewicz of Poland with the white pieces. Harika lost 0-2 and Meenakshi by 0.5-1.5.

India had a bright side though when top seed Koneru Humpy won her second game too. Needing a draw to advance, Humpy, created chances by opening up the queen side. Trooping her rook into the enemy camp, Humpy was about to win a knight when the South African player, Van der Merwe resigned. Unlike in the first game, Humpy was more assertive in her outlook and completed the kill with sharp and creative play.

Most of the top seeds advanced. The 2000 World Cup finalists, Xu Yuhua and Natalia Zhukova drew a second time to be in the play-off against different opponents. Wang Pin of China was shocked by Elisabeth Paehtz of Germany 0-2. Nine matches are in the play-off stage. Round two is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday.

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