Ivan is currently on eight points and will need just half-a-point in the 10th and final round on Thursday to win the title.
Following Ivan with seven points are International Master (IM) N.R.Visakh, Fide Master (FM) Erigaisi Arjun, FM Karthik Venkataraman -- all from India -- GM Llaneza Vega Marcos (Spain), GM Gareyev Timur (US), Laxman and GM Dzhumaev Marat (Uzbekistan).
City school girl C.Lakshmi secured her first Women International Master (WIM) norm after securing a draw with experienced G.B. Joshi of Delhi.
Daughter of grocery shop owner C.Chidambaram, ninth standard student Lakshmi has scored 5.5 points in nine rounds and hopes to figure in the prize winner list after the final round.
"I am happy at getting the Norm. I am happy with my performance in this tournament. I drew with a Vietnamese GM," Lakshmi told IANS.
Similarly Under-12 World Cadet Chess Champion Divya Deshmukh said she is having a good tournament here.
Deshmukh, with a rating of 2,118 and hoping to play in the Women's Senior National's this year, said she had defeated Vietnamese GM Nguyen Duc Hoa with a rating of 2,490 points.
"It was my first victory against a GM," 12-year-old Maharashtra girl Divya said.
The prize distribution function will be held on Thursday evening with All India Chess Federation (AICF) Honorary Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan as the chief guest and India's first IM Manuel Aaron being the guest of honour.
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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