Patna: The Diamant Cup FIDE Rating Chess Tournament, held at Hotel Diamant Inn on Gola Road in Patna, has reached a thrilling midpoint, with five players jointly leading after six rounds, each with five and a half points.
In the sixth round, second-seeded Sujeet Kumar Sinha, playing with white pieces on board one, was forced to share the points with Piyush Kumar of Patna in a hard-fought draw.
Exciting matchups unfolded on the other boards. On board two, former state champions Saurav Roop and Sudhir Kumar Sinha battled it out, with Sudhir ultimately claiming victory while playing with black pieces. On board three, Kishan Kumar from Begusarai, a multiple winner of open rating tournaments, triumphed over Patna’s Shivam Verma, taking the lead. Vijay Kumar of Patna defeated Dhiman Mitra of Bengal on board four, while Sudhakar Prem Dutt of Jharkhand overcame Ram Charan of Motihari, Bihar, securing his place at the top.
By the end of the sixth round, Sudhir Kumar Sinha, Vijay Kumar, Kishan Kumar, Sudhakar Prem Dutt, and Vivek Sharma were all tied with five and a half points, leading the tournament.
A total of 12 players, including notable names like Sujeet Kumar Sinha and PK Singh, are closely following with five points each.
As the seventh round began, key matchups took place: Sudhir Kumar Sinha faced Vijay Kumar on board one, Vivek Sharma competed against Kishan Kumar on board two, and Sudhakar Prem Dutt met Sujeet Kumar Sinha on board three.
The tournament continues to deliver intense competition and excitement as the top players vie for the lead.