Battle of Sex title under belt, Ukrainian teen turns Indophile

New Delhi, Dec 26 (UNI) Kateryna Lahno has the looks to kill but it was not her beauty but the shrewd, manoeuvring brain which saw her win the Battle of Sex on chequered board against local favourite Parimarjan Negi. Another feather added to her cap and Rs three lakh in pocket, the Ukrainian teen returns home with fond memories of India.

Kateryna's 11-7 win against younger but higher rated Parimarjan proved she was no pretty nitwit, rather a beauty with brain who is hardly interested in her opponent's reputation. Mission accomplished, the Ukrainian blonde let her shoulder length hair down and talked about life outside the black-and-white squares.

''I could not go out much and playing nine days of non-stop chess hardly allows you such sightseeing. The focus was always on chess.

Still from whatever I saw, it was an unforgettable experience and the only thing I missed was an elephant ride,'' Kateryna told UNI.

Growing up in the chess city of Kramatorsk, Kateryna drew early attention as a child prodigy in 2001 when she, then a chirpy 11-year-old, stopped legendary Victor Korchnoi's winning spree in a blitz tournament and raised further hackles refusing Korchnoi a draw.

Korchnoi, somehow, survived the game and eventually split point with his opponent.

Ketryna's win against Parimarjan was not her first against any Grandmaster. She had beaten GMs including Efimenko Zahar (2599), Areshchenko Alexander (2546), Malakhatko Vadim (2503) and Shtyrenkov Veniamen (2449) in the past.

On her way to lift the Amity Grandmaster Challenge, which made her richer by Rs three lakh, Kateryna clearly won a few hearts as well with an endearing smile and the teen, who turns 17 tomorrow, clearly knows how to woo the crowd.

Kateryna had opted for a black saree for the inaugural programme and minutes after winning the title yesterday, the Luviv-born teen swap per her jeans and t-shirt for a bright yellow-orange lehenga.

''I'm taking home couple of sarees as well,'' revealed the youngster.

Coming from a country, which boasts of players like Vassily Ivanchuk, Kateryna is a Viswanathan Anand fan and she recalls meeting the Indian at Corus Grandmaster tournament.

''I'm a huge fan of Anand and he is such a great personality. I have met him in Corus and exchanged pleasantries,'' she reminisced.

Away from chess, she admires legendary compatriot Sergei Bubka.

''Bubka was the ultimate in pole vault and he made us aim higher for sky is the limit for any sportsperson,'' she said.

Winner of the 2005 European Individual Women's Championship, Kateryna has in fact become a Grandmaster but she is awaiting the official confirmation and she has 2460 ELO points against her name.

Her trainer Ruslan Sherbakov predicts bright future for his ward, who became WGM at the age of 12 years and 4 months, breaking Judit Polgar's record to become the youngest ever to earn this title.

''She is a balanced player and you can't pinpoint any grey area in her game. The opening, middle game or end game -- everything is sound about her. And both in classical and blitz, she is equally at home.

''If you have any particular weakness, experienced players would expose and exploit you and what makes Kateryna different is her all-round, resourceful and resilient game,'' he told UNI.

Visibly tired after playing 18 rounds of non-stop chess, Kateryna said she was craving for some rest.

''It's time to go home and relax a bit. After that, it would be chess again for me starting the new year with Gibraltar Open,'' said the youngster.

UNI AY YA GC1316