Bhubaneswar: Top seeded Aparajita Gochhikar of Puri emerged champion in the two-day-long Odisha State Women Chess Championship, which concluded at City High School in Brahmapur on Sunday, being organised by Ganjam District Chess Association under the aegis of All Odisha Chess Association.

Aparajita finished the five rounds meet with four win and one draw and scored 4.5 points to bag the top prize along with cash prize of Rs 1,250, Smaraki Mohanty with 4.5 points grabbed the runners-up trophy and cash prize of Rs 650. Altogether 22 players including three international rated players from Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Khordha and Puri districts were participated in the meet.

Top four finishers would represent the State in the forthcoming 39th National Challengers Chess Championship 2012, to be held at Naurang House, KC Marg in New Delhi from August 17 to 26. Chairman SMIT Bhagaban Gantayat distributed the prizes as the chief guest of the closing ceremony.