Grandmaster Pendalya Harikrishna is just two points away from winning the second Sanjin Hotel Cup chess tournament in Taiyuan, China, following a superb performance in the first seven rounds.
A hard-hitting loss against former Russian champion Alexander Motylev in the eighth round might have dampened the World Junior champion's spirits a bit, but the Indian, who is leading with 6.5 points, is still the firm favourite to clinch the title.
Two points from the last three rounds should be enough for Harikrishna, though he has some tough rivals in China's Ni Hua and Bu Xiangzhi, and Sergey Karjakin.
But he has the advantage of two white games compared to second-placed Alexander Motylev's one.
As things stand, in the category-15 Grandmasters' event, Harikrishna is followed solely by Motylev, who inched to six points after drawing his game against China's Ni Hua.
Bu Xiangzhi of China is half a point adrift of Motylev while Wang Yue is next in line on five points. Karjakin, the world's youngest-ever Grandmaster, has a tough task on hand to improve his tournament with just 4.5 points.
The rest of the participants do not really have much of a chance in the event, played on a round-robin basis between 12 players.
Harikrishna's victories have thus far come against China's Zhnag Pengxiang, Zhao Xue, Wang Hao, Zhang Zhong, Luke McShane of England and Petrosian while his lone draw was against Wang Yue, also of China.
Motylev has thus far been most consistent though he would have liked to be on par with Harikrishna at this stage. The Russian won four games and drew four in his eight outings and will definitely be under pressure to match the Indian in the rounds to come.
Bu Xinagzhi is the other consistent player who has done quite well. The Chinese was once the youngest GM of the World and had an excellent record in the World Youth Championships over the years. Here too he is proving to be the best player from the host country.
England has high hopes on McShane but he disappointed here. To be on just 2.5 points after eight rounds is simply something that McShane could not have thought of. But that is where he stands at the moment. The Englishman will be losing some important ranking points from the event.
Zhao Xue, looking for her GM norm, started with seven losses and only an inexplicable blunder by Ni Hua helped her open the account in the last round.
Standings after round 8:
1. P Harikrishna (Ind, 6.5); 2. Alexander Motylev (Rus, 6); 3. Bu Xiangzhi (Chn, 5.5); 4. Wang Yue (Chn, 5); 5. Sergey Karjakin (Ukr, 4.5); 6-7. Ni Hua (Chn), Tigran Petrosian (Arm) 4 each; 8. Wang Hao (Chn, 3.5); 9. Zhang Zhong (Chn, 3); 10. Zhang Pengxiang (Chn, 2.5); 11. Luke McShane (Eng, 2.5); 12. Zhao Xue (Chn, 1).
Next round: P Harikrishna v/s Bu Xinagzhi; Zhong v/s Karjakin ; Xue v/s Yue Petrosian v/s Motylev; Mcshane v/s Pengxiang; Wang Hao v/s Ni Hua.
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