Kolkata, Dec 12 (IANS): Georgian Grand Master Levan Pentsulaila snatched the pole position from overnight leader, International Master Jacek Stopa of Poland, after round eight of the SREI International Grandmaster Tournament here Thursday.

Pentsulaila is now the sole leader with 6.5 points, with two more rounds remaining in this meet.

SPentsulaila sacrificed both his rooks for two minor pieces which gave the Georgian a commanding position as he had three extra pawns for the exchange. Stopa's desperate attempts to salvage a draw came to a naught and he resigned on the62nd move.

The Indian GM norm aspirants disappointed during the day as IM Murali Karthikeyan went down to GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan of Armenia while IM Anurag Mhamal failed to make any headway in his game against GM Vladislav Borovikov of Ukraine.

Top seed Surya Sekhar Ganguly put his unexpected loss in the previous round behind to win comfortably against IM Prathamesh Mokal. GM Deep Sengupta of Bengal got the better of IM Vahe Baghdasaryan of Armenia.

TOP BOARD RESULTS

GM Levan Pantsulaia (6.5) btIM Jacek Stopa (6);

GM Merab Gagunashvilli (5.5) drew GM Ivan Popov (6);

GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (6) bt IM Murali Karthikeyan (5);

IM Anurag Mhamal (5) lost to GM Vladislav Borovikov (6);

GM Praveen Thipsay (5) lost to GM Tornike Sanikidze (6);

IM Mikhail Mozharov (6) bt IM Siddharth Ravichandran (5);

GM R R Laxman (5) lost to GM Valeriy Neverov (6);

IM Vahe Baghdasaryan (4.5) lost to GM Deep Sengupta (5.5);

GM Marat Dzhumaev (5.5) bt IM Swayams Mishra (4.5);

GM Azer Mirzoev (5.5) bt IM Bhuvanesh R Ramnath (4.5);

IM Bahruz Rzayev (5.5) bt M Kunal (4.5);

FM Tigran S Petrosyan (5.5) bt GM Hovik Hayrapetyan (4.50;

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (5) bt IM Prathamesh Mokal (4);

GM Levon Babujian (5) bt IM Ponnuswamy Konguvel (4);

IM V. Saravanan (4.5) drew GM Neelotpal Das (4.5).