The lead at the top narrowed down to eight players after three rounds, even as unrated Mukul Rane continued his impressive run in the 360 One Wealth Grand Prix Chess Series, organised by Indian Chess School, at the Russian Centre for Science & Culture.
Mukul Rane got the better of Vihaan Rao, joining top-seeded players Guru Prakash, Darsh Shetty, and Atharv Soni.
In a game marked by shifting fortunes, Mukul secured victory from the black side of the Ruy Lopez opening against Vihaan, making decisive moves over the course of 72 moves and extending his winning streak.
In the high-stakes match on the top board, Khanak Paharia, the sole female participant, gave her all but couldn't withstand the challenge posed by the 3rd-seeded Atharv Soni. She ultimately conceded defeat in 53 moves while playing from the black side in the Italian game.
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The frontrunners are trailed by a contingent of six players, each half a point behind, boasting a score of 2.5 out of 3 rounds.
Key Results of Round 3
Guru Prakash (3) beat Parv Hakani (2)
Param Jalan (2) lost to Darsh Shetty (3)
Soni Atharv (3) beat Khanak Paharia (2)
Palaash Mapara (2½) drew Prathamesh G (2½)
Ishaan Tendolkar(3) beat Gogri Vedaant (2)
Kadam Ganesh (2) lost to Kush Agarwal (3)
Arjun Singh (3) beat Ekam Chatterjee (2)
Arnav Thatte (3) beat Maitreyi Bera (2)
Vihaan Rao (2) lost to Mukul Rane (3)
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