Woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev was back in the reckoning after a thumping victory over Evgenia Meshcheriakova of Russia in the seventh round of the World Junior Girls' Chess championship in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The victory helped Tania jump to joint fifth spot in the standings with six rounds still to come in the strongest girls' event in the world.
It turned out to be a better day for Indian girls, with Woman Grandmaster D Harika also coasting to a fine positional victory over Karina Szczepkowska of Poland.
N Raghavi was the lone loser, bowing to Elitsa Raeva of Bulgaria while Eesha Karavade and Kruttika Nadig drew their games against Bela Khotenashvili of Georgia and Vera Nebolsina of Russia respectively.
As things stand at the halfway stage, Chinese Gu Xiaobing is in sole lead after agreeing to a draw with Beata Kadziolka of Poland and on six points out of a possible seven.
Three players Kadziolka, Turkan Mamedjarova of Azerbaijan and Natalija Pogonina of Russia have 5.5 points each while Tania is in the next group of five players on 5 points while Harika is next in line on 4.5 points.
Meanwhile, Indian boys had a mixed day, with G Rohit emerging the lone winner on lower boards against Can Emre of Turkey while Parimarjan Negi yet again missed out on accomplishing his International Master title after he drew with Russian Vasily Papin.
The 12-year-old Delhi boy is now five points shy of making the rating requirement.
Top seed Grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan stamped his authority on compatriot Vugar Gashimov to register his sixth victory in the event and lead the table.
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