Mohota emerges sole leader

International Woman Master Nisha Mohota of India emerged sole leader with 4.5 points when she secured a full point against China's Huang Quain in the fifth round of the Asian women's chess championship in Madras on Thursday.

Woman Grandmaster S Vijayalakshmi and Quain are in second spot with four points each.

Vijayalakshmi had lost to Quain on Wednesday.

Four others, Aarthie Ramaswamy of India and Wang Yu, Gu Xiaobing and Li Ruofan (all China) occupy the third place with 3.5 points each.

Twenty-one-year-old Mohota halted the dream run of giant- killer Quain by outwitting her opponent in a simple game.

Playing white, Mohota employed the sharp Samisch variation against King's Indian defence of her opponent. After placing all her pieces in the competent squares, Mohota grabbed black's unsupported rook pawn on her 22nd move. She improved her position steadily to win one more pawn on her 47th move. These two pawns were sufficient for Mohota to finish the game in her favour in the two rooks and bishop ending, which lasted upto 53 moves.

Vijayalakshmi bounced back into form after Wednesday's upset loss, by securing a brilliant win against Maria Sergeva, a WIM from Kazakstan.

Choosing her pet Fianchetto system against King's Indian defence by her rival, Vijayalakshmi entertained the spectators by going in for a combinative style.

Offering a pawn on her 20th move, Vijayalakshmi earned space mobility in the form of her knight. White's knight was so dynamic, that Maria lost a pawn on its every move. The exposed nature of black's king made Vijayalakshmi's job easy and at the appropriate time, Viji sacrificed her rook to win back black's queen by a 'knight fork' and also the game.

WIM S Meenakshi met her waterloo on Thursday at the hands of Gu Xiaobing (China). Playing white in an unusual queen pawn game, Meenakshi saddled her pieces in targetting the black's king castled on the kingside. But Xiaobing stubbornly defended thwarting white's attack.

The Chinese then retaliated by winning white's bishop and this material was enough for her to settle the issue in her favour in 32 moves.

WGM Zhao Xue of China was too impressive in her game against WGM norm holder Baghyashree Thipsay.

In the advance variation of Baghyashree's Caro-Kann's defence, Zhao Xue foiled all the attempts of black to castle. The Chinese GM pierced through the centre to trap black's king at the centre by coordinating her queen and pair of bishops. When Baghyashree's king got trapped, she had no option but to resign on her 32nd move.