Bhakti bags Silver in Tashkent, three medals in three Asians!!

Goa's Woman FIDE Master Bhakti Kulkarni (ELO 2112)
added yet another feather in her cap by
winning the Silver medal in the Asian Girls
Under 16 Chess Championships which concluded in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Bhakti registered a performace rating of
2087 and should be earning herself 16 ELO Rating points
as well as a bonus!

Last year's Commonwealth Girls Under 18 Gold medallist
Bhakti started off the tournament terribly by losing
in the first and third rounds. However, she recovered
superbly thereafter winning the next six on the trot
and beating the top seed and hot favourite WIM Padmini
Rout (ELO 2246) as well as strong contender WFM Pon.
N. Krithika (ELO 2122) in the process. The first place was bagged by
Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (ELO 2024) of Kazakhstan whereas
Padmini had to remain content with the Bronze medal.

Bhakti thus gets the unique distinction of having won three
medals in three consecutive Asian Championships. She won the
Bronze in New Delhi in 2005, the Gold in Teheran in 2006 before
completing her treble in Tashkent this year. Bhakti also has won the
Commonwealth Under 18 Girls Gold medal in Mumbai in 2006
to cement her place as flagbearer of Goan chess.

She will be received in New Delhi on her return by her parents and
AICF Vice President and GSCA President Sameer A. Salgaocar.
The last mentioned stated that this was a proud day in the history of Goan
sports and that Bhakti, her coach Dronacharya Awardee Raghunandan
Gokhale and parents should be lauded for their efforts!

Round 1 - lost to Gulruhsor Esonboeva of Uzbekistan
Round 2 - beat Hulkar Tohirjanova (ELO 1923) of Uzbekistan
Round 3 - lost to Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (ELO 2024) of Kazakhstan
Round 4 - beat Maftuna Khidirova of Uzbekistan
Round 5 - beat Mekhrangez Rakhmatova of Tajikistan
Round 6 - beat Thamina Turdialieva (ELO 1931) of Uzbekistan
Round 7 - beat Padmini Rout (ELO 2246) of India
Round 8 - beat Krithika Pon (ELO 2122) of India
Round 9 - beat Maftuna Orzikulova of Uzbekistan

Final Ranking - Second among 19 contestants. A full report on the tournament
is available at the following link - http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3995