Nitin Belurkar Takes Lead at Maharashtra International Chess Tournament

Nitin Belurkar of Goa leads the 3rd Maharashtra International Open Grandmaster chess tournament after the sixth round. Playing black, Belurkar drew against Madhya Pradesh's Ayush Sharma, ending his five-win streak. Sharma holds second place, with several players tied closely behind.

Goa's Nitin Belurkar has emerged as the sole leader with 5.5 points following the sixth round of the 3rd Maharashtra International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament concluded on Thursday.

Belurkar, playing with the black pieces, chose the Sicilian Defence and settled for a draw against Madhya Pradesh's Ayush Sharma after 32 moves. This result marks Belurkar's first draw after a sequence of five consecutive wins.

Currently, Ayush Sharma holds the second position with five points. Elsewhere, several participants, including Petrosyan Manuel and Deepan Chakkravarthy J, also remain strong contenders with 4.5 points each.

(With inputs from agencies.)