Surya Shekhar Ganguly maintains lead with draw in National Chess Championship heading into final round

In a thrilling turn of events at the National Chess Championship, Surya Shekhar Ganguly finds himself in the sole lead position going into the final round after a series of impressive performances. Ganguly, who had secured seven straight wins followed by three draws, is on 8.5 points after drawing with Aronyak Ghosh in the 10th round.

The top-board clash between the two Kolkatans ended in a quiet draw after Aronyak adopted Slav Defence. This result meant that Aronyak moved to eight points, joining four others in the shared second position. Neelash Saha, who upset defending champion S.P. Sethuraman, former champions Karthik Venkataraman and M.R. Lalith Babu, and Himal Gusain are all in contention for the top spot.

If Ganguly manages to win his final-round encounter, he will be crowned the champion. However, if he falters, the door will be open for the others to seize the title. With such a close competition at hand, the final round promises to be an exciting finish to what has already been a captivating tournament.

In other important results from the 10th round, S.P. Sethuraman suffered a loss to Neelash Saha, while Karthik Venkataraman secured a crucial win against Ajay Karthikeyan. The tournament has seen some intense battles and unexpected outcomes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats throughout.