Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi beat Negi Parimarjan to grab solo lead in the Asian Championship while Batkhuyag Munguntuul of Mongolia beat Irine Sukandar of Indonesia to lead the Women's division after three rounds in Mashad, Iran.

See results and standings in chess-results.com for the Open and Women's. Download games and see photo gallery in Asian Chess Federation site.

Bu (above left vs Negi), rated 2662, scored against compatriot Lu Shanglei in the first round and GM Elshan Moradiabadi of Iran in the second round. He faces Pentala Harikrishna of India (photo below) in Thursday's 4th round.

GM Krishnan Sasikiran of India

Six players follow with 2.5 points each, namely, GMs Yu Tangyi and Wen Yang of China, Indian GMs Harikrishna and Krishnan Sasikiran, Iran's FM Amirreza Purramezanali and GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan.



Batkhuyag Munguntuul of Mongolia

In the women's division, IM Harika Dronavali of India and Huang Qian of China are half a point behind the leader with 2.5 points each. Harika beat WIM Mitra Hejazipour of Iran while Huang beat Ghazal Hakimifard Ghazal of Iran.

Eight players are within striking distance at 2 points each, namely Irine Sukandar, Nafisa Muyminova and Olgar Sabirova of Uzbekistan, Phanm Le Thao Nguyen and Nguyen Thi NMa Hung of Vietnam, Eesha Karavade and Mary Ann Gomes of India.