<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">India's women's GM Harika Dronavall has joined three players who are sharing the lead after five rounds at the Women's Grand Prix in Nicosia, Cyprus.&nbsp; Haroika beat an out-of-form Oliwia Kiolbasa in Saturday's fifth round.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Kateryna Lagno and Tan Zhongyi became the early leaders after winning in the first two rounds.&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Indian GM will face Lagno with black in the last round.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Three players make up the chasing pack a half point behind: Aleksandra Goryachkina, Polina Shuvalova and Dinara Wagner.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The crucial encounter between Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina was played in round 5.&nbsp; Lagno is one of the three co-leaders in Cyprus, while Goryachkina stands a half point behind after bouncing back from her first-round loss with wins over Nana Dzagnidze and Oliwia Kiolbasa, both with the white pieces.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Standing on 2 out of 5, a full point behind Goryachkina, is Alexandra Kosteniuk, the third player who entered the event with good chances to finish among the top two in the series' overall ranking.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Harika, on her part, went on to join the leaders by winning her round-5 game against Kiolbasa, who has been struggling in Nicosia. Harika, playing black, grabbed the initiative in the middlegame and was ruthless in conversion.&nbsp;</span></p>
News On AIR | May 22, 2023 6:40 PM
Women's Grand Prix: GM Harika Dronavall joins the leading group