BHUBANESWAR 02-Sep-2012 232
Woman Candidate Master Saina Salonika justified her top billing by emerging champion in the girls category of the Odisha State Under-9 Chess Championship, which concluded at Ratna Mandap in Dhenkanal today.
Bhubaneswar school girls Saina won all six games to top the table with full six points. Nikita Mallick (Cuttack, 4.5 points) became runner-up, while Shreya Smruti Mohanty and Aditi Mohanty finished third and fourth respectively with four points each.
Pranab Patra of Jajpur won the title in the open category, scoring six points from seven rounds. Soumen Rajdev and Amitanshu Priyadarshan (both Bhubaneswar) finished second and third respectively also six points each.
Top four finishers from girls` category and top three from open section qualified to represent Odisha in the National Under-9 Chess Championship to be held at Ahmedabad from October 1 to 10.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Champions Saina Salonika and Pranab Patra with guests in Dhenkanal on Sept 2, 2012.