Bhakti gets Woman Grand Master Norm

From The Times of India
PTI, Jan 24, 2011, 06.37pm IST

PANAJI: International woman master Bhakti Kulkarni of Goa became the first from the State to win the Woman Grand Master norm after she finished second in the Merianbad Open Chess Championship in Czech Republic.

Bhakti scored 5.5 points out of 9 rounds as she beat Matras Ondrej, Jurek and Bulmaga Irina and drew with Volodi Viktor and Antipov Milhail of Russia, Mickiewicz Piotr of Poland and Dimitrijeski Boris of Germany, a press release issued by the Goa Chess Association, said.

A brand ambassador for Carbon Group of Dempo, Bhakti was recently awarded the WIM title by FIDE.

The Goa Chess Association said it expects Bhakti would complete her two other WGM norms and get the WGM title.

Bhakti wins 24th National Junior Girls Chess Championship

From The Central Chronicle Posted On Sunday, September 27, 2009 Agencies Chennai, Sept 27: Commonwealth Games gold medalist Bhakti Kulkarni bagged the prestigious 24th National Junior Girls Chess Championship with a round to spare here. Bhakti scored a whopping 9.5 pts out of ten rounds so far. On the top board today Bhakti outplayed Mitali Madhukar Patil of Maharashtra with some deceptive manoeuvres in the middle game. Bhakti's gamble paid off when Mitali blundered an exchange on the 35th move. She checkmated her opponent on the 49th move. WIM Padmini Rout of Orissa and Savetha of Tamil Nadu shared the second spot with eight points each after beating Nandhidhaa and Shalmali Gagare, respectively.