In a remarkable display of talent, determination, and composure, the Andhra Pradesh Women’s Team comprising Sravya Sree, Modipalli Deekshitha, Tripurambika, and Saranya Devi registered a sensational victory against the top-seeded Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) team at the ongoing National Team Chess Championship in Raipur.
What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is that the entire Andhra Pradesh team consists of players below 14 years of age, while their opponents featured highly experienced and titled players including WGM Gomes Mary Ann, IM Padmini Rout, WFM Arshiya Das, and WFM Prishita.
The match witnessed intense battles across all boards. Boards 1, 3, and 4 ended in hard-fought draws against strong opponents. The decisive breakthrough came on Board 2, where Modipalli Deekshitha delivered a brilliant victory over International Master Padmini Rout. This crucial win sealed a memorable triumph for Andhra Pradesh against one of the strongest teams in the championship.
Playing with the black pieces, Deekshitha faced IM Padmini Rout, who opened with 1.e4. The game entered the Steinitz Deferred Variation of the Ruy Lopez. In the opening phase, White obtained a slightly better pawn structure, while Black secured the bishop pair and dynamic counterplay.
A slight inaccuracy by White with 13.Nd5 allowed Deekshitha to gain the initiative. As the game progressed, White created a dangerous passed pawn on the queenside, advancing the A-pawn to the seventh rank. In response, Deekshitha generated strong attacking chances on the kingside.
With both players under severe time pressure, the struggle became highly tactical. A critical moment came with the move ...c6, which enabled Black to exchange the central pawn on d5 and at the same time allowed the bishop to control the a8 promotion square, preventing White from queening.
The game was highly complex and dynamic, and Deekshitha handled the complications with remarkable composure and precision, ultimately securing a well-deserved full point against a strong International Master.
Game Notation: IM Padmini Rout ( White ) vs Deekshita ( Black )
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Bxc6+ bxc6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Nf6 9. O-O a5 10. a4 Be6 11. Re1 Be7 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Bf5 15. Bd2 Bf6 16. Nxa5 Bxb2 17. Ra2 Qf6 18. Nc4 Bd4 19. Qf3 Rfe8 20. Rxe8+ Rxe8 21. a5 Qe7 22. Ne3 Be4 23. Qd1 Qg5 24. h4 Qxh4 25. c4 c6 26. a6 cxd5 27. a7 dxc4 28. Qa4 Ra8 29. Qxc4 Qg5 30. Qb5 h6 31. Qb8+ Kh7 32. Ba5 c4 33. Bb6 Qb5 34. Bc7 Qb3 35. Ra5 Bxe3 36. Qxb3 cxb3 37. Rb5 Rxa7 38. Bxd6 Rb7 0-1
This inspiring performance reflects the strong support system behind the players. Deekshitha and Tripurambika are coached by International Master Krishna Teja, Saranya Devi is coached by Mr. Ramaraju, and Sravya Sree is coached by Mr. P. Ramakrishna. Their dedicated guidance has played a crucial role in shaping these young talents.
With this confidence-boosting victory, the Andhra Pradesh team will next face another strong team, West Bengal, in the upcoming round. The entire Andhra Pradesh chess community extends its best wishes to the team for continued success.