Kolkata, Sep 6 - Overnight leader Sandipan Chanda was joined by two others in the pole position after the sixth round of the 4th Kolkata Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament here Sunday. Chanda, Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic and Le Quang Liem of Vietnam have five points each.

Chanda and GM Nigel Short (4.5) of England drew a hard fought battle on the top board at the Gorky Sadan.

The British Super Grandmaster played the offbeat Nimzowitsch defence and managed to get equal very quickly in the opening, but Sandipan attacked relentlessly and Short after playing some defensive maneuvers got in some counterplay.

Chanda agreed to a draw when he seemed in a slightly better position.

Laznicka played an attacking game with the black pieces against GM Ziaur Rahman, took some risks and was rewarded for his persistence with a victory after 54 moves.

Liem got the better of GM Enamul Hossain of Bangladesh in 42 moves. The Bangladeshi played the Kings Indian defence and lost a pawn on the queenside. Hossain's game deteriorated after a few more moves and he gave up the fight in a hopeless position.

As many as eight players are in the second spot half a point adrift of the leaders. They include Indian Grandmasters Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Parimarjan Negi, Magesh Chandran and IM B. Adhiban.

Ganguly, who is a strong finisher, won his game against GM Abhijit Kunte to come back into the reckoning for the top spot.