Karaikudi (T.N.), Oct 7 (IANS): Top-seed Velpula Sarayu of Telangana defeated G. Mallar Arya with black pieces and joined overnight joint-leaders IM Padmini Rout, WIM Priyanka at the top with 4.5 points as six players shared the lead at the end of the 5th round of the 50th National Women's Chess Championship here on Monday.

Also sharing the top spot with them are former National Champion and Women's Grandmaster (WGM) Mary Ann Gomes, WGM Pv. Nandhidhaa, WIM Isha Sharma, who also moved to 4.5 points.

Padmini Rout and Priyanka had to settle for a draw in 35 moves on the top board. In the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation encounter, the endgame offered fewer chances for a win and the two players agreed to share the point.

That opened up a chance for Velpula Sarayu, who was back in contention when her opponent Arya Mallar lost an exchange in 21 moves, and the game ended in 41 moves in Sarayu’s favour.

In the fourth board game between experienced Mary Ann Gomes of the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) and veteran Swathi Ghate of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), the former won the game in 39 moves, when Swathi conceded an exchange with no compensation.

Isha Sharma of Karnataka defeated Mrittika Mallick of West Bengal to grab a share of the lead.

Trailing them at four points are WIM Mrudul Dehankar of Maharashtra, WIM Sakshi Chitlange, WGM Rakshitta Ravi of Tamil Nadu, Priyanka

Nutakki of Andhra Pradesh, WFM Ganta Kheerthi, V. C. Nivedita, and V. Varshini of Tamil Nadu.