SEVEN PLAYERS, including six Chinese, share the lead with 5.5 points apiece after seven rounds in the Malaysian Open chess championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Half-a-point behind the leaders were International Masters Barlo Nadera, Oliver Dimakiling and Richard Bitoon and National Master Emmanuel Senador.
IM Ronald Bancod and NM Rolando Nolte were among those with 4.5 points.
The top two boards ended in uneventful draws, allowing five players to get a piece of the lead.
Top seed GM Zhang Zhong of China drew with compatriot Zhou Weiqi while WGM Li Ruofan and Li Chao, also from China, halved the point.
Scoring the full point to forge a nine-man logjam on top were GM Zizar Rahman of Bangladesh, IM Wang Roi and Wan Yunguo of China.
Rahman defeated IM Irwanto Sadikim of Indonesia, Wang clobbered IM Gary Lane of Australia and Wan dealt Hamed Nouri his second straight setback.
Nadera and Dimakiling settled for a friendly draw to improve to 5 points, the same score of Senador, who whipped Aman Khairul of Indonesia; and Bitoon who drew with GM Dao Thien Hai.
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