Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman maintained his solo lead in the Berger Paints National Chess with 6.5 points. He beat Fide Master Rezaul Haque in the seventh round at the media centre of the Bangladesh Olympic Association yesterday.
Zia played with black pieces and won the game in 59 moves.
Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Raziv trailed Zia in the second position with 5.5 points while defending champion Abdullah al Rakib, who beat Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, and Grandmaster Niaz Murshed shared the third position with five points each. In the duel of the grandmasters Raziv drew with Niaz after 11 moves.
Meanwhiile, Masum Hossain, who earlier stunned Niaz Murshed, failed to build on the success as he lost to Uten.
Fide Master Sheikh Nasir Ahmed beat Candidate Master Mahtahuddin Ahmed and Internnational Master Misnhazuddin Ahmed Sagar beat Candidate Master Sohel Chowdhury in the other matches of the day.
