Chennai Open 2020: Stanislav Bogdanovich moves into sole lead

The Ukrainian GM beats India's N. R. Visakh; M. R. Venkatesh, Jimmy Jubin post win.

Indians M. R. Venkatesh and Jimmy Jubin are half a point behind in joint second place. - GETTY IMAGES (REPRESENTATIVE)

Ukraine’s Stanislav Bogdanovich defeated India’s N. R. Visakh in the seventh round to move into the sole lead, with seven points, at the 12th Chennai Open International Grand Master Chess tournament here on Thursday.

Chennai-based Grand Master M. R. Venkatesh (6.5 points) is hot on the heels of the Ukranian GM along with eight others, including the top-seed Pavel Ponkratov of Russia.

The others with 6.5 points are: Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, Sergei Yudin, Ivan Rozum, Aleksey Goganov, Aleksej Aleksandrov, Kirill Stupak and Jimmy Jubin.

The race for securing International Master norms picked up pace as Chennai schoolboy G. B. Harshavardhan and Jubin improved their chances with just two rounds to go. Harshavardhan held Indonesian IM Taher to a draw while Jubin defeated Chilean GM Vasquez Schroeder Rodrigo in a marathon game.

The two, along with V. Pranav and S. Rohit Krishna, require a draw in the ninth and penultimate round on Friday to achieve the IM norm.

The 10-round competition concludes on January 25.

Important results - Round 8 (Indians unless specified) 1. Sergei Yudin (Russia) 6.5 drew with Pavel Ponkratov (Russia) 6.5, 2. Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (Peru) 6.5 drew with Aleksey Goganov (Russia) 6.5, 3. Stanislav Bogdanovich (Ukraine) 7 beat N. R. Visakh 6, 4. Aleksej Aleksandrov (Belarus) 6.5 beat Vishnu Prasanna 6, 5. Mikheil Mchedlishvili (Georgia) 6 drew with Mitrabha Guha (6), 6. Neelotpal Das (5.5) lost to Ivan Rozum (Russia) 6.5, 7. P. D. S. Girinath (5.5) lost to Kirill Stupak (Belarus) 6.5, 8. M. R. Venkatesh (6.5) bt Denis Eraschenkov (Russia) 5.5, 9. Jimmy Jubin 6.5 beat Vasquez Schroeder Rodrigo (Chile) 5.5, 10. Taher Yoseph Theolifus (Indonesia) 6 drew with G. B. Harshavardhan (6).