Heading the field, Padmini Rout will be looking for a fourth victory on the trot when she faces Lakshmi Praneetha in the seventh round of the National women chess championship here on Saturday.
Five more rounds remain when the action resumes after Friday’s rest day.
So far, the performances have almost followed the ratings of the players involved with the top five seeds accounting for the first three score-groups.
Continuing with her form and consistency, Padmini needs to stay undefeated against six-time champion S. Vijayalakshmi and in-form fourth seed Bhakti Kulkarni in the eighth and ninth rounds before taking a shot at the title. Her other rivals do not appear to pose a serious threat.
Second-placed Bhakti will be up against top seed Mary Ann Gomes who is still searching for form. Vijayalakshmi, on a comeback trail but playing more from memory than meticulous preparation, will be looking to cash in on former National champion Swati Ghate’s poor form.
Nimmy George, bouncing back from a poor start, is likely to test Nisha Mohota, bidding to add the title here to go with the National challengers’ title won in September.
Seventh round pairings: Padmini Rout (5)-Lakshmi Praneetha (3); S. Vijayalakshmi (4)-Swati Ghate (0.5); Bhakti Kulkarni (4.5)-Mary Ann Gomes (4); Hinduja Reddy (0)-V. Varshini (1); Nimmy George (3.5)-Nisha Mohota (4); Ivana Furtado (3.5)-Pratyusha Bodda (3).
