Teenaged Indian Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani was in the ninth spot in the Open event with 8.5 points after 12 rounds in the FIDE World Blitz Championship in Almaty on Thursday. (More Sports News)
In the women's section, GM D Harika was the best-placed Indian - in sixth spot - with 6.5 points after nine rounds.
Fifteen-year-old Indian WIM B Savitha Shri, who on Wednesday won a bronze medal in the World Rapid Championship, was languishing in 69th place after the ninth round.
Meanwhile, Sadhwani posted seven wins and secured three draws in the Open section. He suffered two defeats, to lower-rated players - Evgeniy Najer and Denik Lazavik.
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Nihal Sarin, another teenage GM, was the next best Indian, in 19th spot with 8 points while Arjun Erigaisi (7.5 points) was in 35th place.
In the women's event, Indian ace Koneru Humpy (5 points) was a distant 44th while Tania Sachdev shrugged off a below-par performance in the Rapid tournament to score 6 points and be placed 10th. Padmini Rout, also with six points, was occupying the 19th spot.
American Hikaru Nakamura is in the lead in the Open event, having scored 10 points while world No.1 Magnus Carlsen is bunched with four others on 9 points. Nakamura is unbeaten so far in 12 rounds while Carlsen too has not lost any game. Carlsen has been forced to draw his last five matches.
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In the women's event, Russian players Valentina Gunina and Polina Shuvalova are in the lead with 7.5 points after nine rounds.
Nine more rounds remain to be played in the Open section on Friday while eight rounds remain in the women's event.
