Mumbai, Mar 16 (IANS): Six players share the lead with 4.5 out of five at the end of five rounds of the Rs 2.5 lakh prize money Grand Prix Chess Series, organised by Indian Chess School, here on Saturday. Despite their best efforts, the leaders have been unable to break the deadlock, setting the stage for a nail-biting conclusion.

The highly-anticipated match between overnight leaders Arnav Koli and Guru Prakash unfolded as a gripping encounter in the Kan variation of the Sicilian Defense. Despite Guru Prakash's early blunder on move 16, Arnav's decision not to seize the g7 pawn kept the game in balance, allowing Guru to regain momentum and stay competitive.

Arnav missed a crucial opportunity when Guru made a significant blunder on move 42. Despite the chance to capitalise, Arnav instead opted for a perpetual check, ultimately resulting in a draw for the game.

In the meantime, IM Vikramaditya Kulkarni, Arvind Iyer, Mihir Shah, and Sanjeev Mishra secured victories against Milind Parle, Ishan Roy, Yohan Boricha, and Yash Kapadi, respectively. Their wins propelled them to join Guru and Arnav, resulting in a thrilling six-way tie at the top.

Key Results (Round 5):

Arnav Koli (4½) drew Guru Prakash (4½); Milind Parle (3½) lost to IM Kulkarni (4½); Arvind Iyer (4½) beat Ishan Roy (3½); Shah Mihir (4½) beat Boricha Yohan (3½); Mishra Sanjeev (4½) beat Kapadi Yash (3½); Reyaansh Venkat (3) lost to Ram Parab (4); Soni Atharv (4) beat Agraval Shravana (3); Muthe Dhruv (4) beat Soni Deepak (3); Butala Krish (3) lost to Pasbola Samvid (4); Nirvaan Shah (3) lost to Vihaan Rao (4); Shravan Balram (3) lost to Arjun Singh (4); Shraddha P (3) lost to Pranamya P (4); Sriharsh Nair (3) lost to Vivek Jadhav (4).