Fide Master Manon Reza Neer and Fide Master FM Sheikh Nasir  Ahmed shared the top slot jointly in the Walton International Rating Chess Tournament securing seven points each after the 8th and penultimate round matches at rhe Bangladesh Chess Federation Hall-Room on Thursday.

The 9th and final round matches will be held  pn Friday (Jan 5) morning from 10 am at the same venue. 

The prize distribution ceremony of the tournament will also be held on the same day (Friday  afternoon) at the Bangladesh Chess Federation Hall-Room here.

Senior Executive Director of the meet's sponsor Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC FM Iqbal Bin Anwar (Dawn)  will be chief guest at the closing function  and later he will distribute the prizes.

After the day's 8th round matches, three players-- GM Ziaur Rahman, IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin and CM Sakline Mostafa Sajid -- are in the 2nd slot jointly securing  6.5 points each. 

Seven players sharing the 3rd position with 6 points each. 

They are: FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia, FM Subrota Biswas, Anata Choudhury, FM Mehdi Hasan Parag, FM Md. Sharif Hossain, CM Md. Masum Hossain and Sujan. 

In the day's 8th round matches,  FM Manon Reja Neer beat FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia, FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed beat FM Subrota Biswas, GM Ziaur Rahman beat CM Md. Abzid Rahman, IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin beat FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman, CM Sakline Mostafa Sajid beat Swarnavo Choudhury, Anata Choudhury beat Sk. Rashedul Hasan, FM Mehdi Hasan Parag beat Md Moniruzzaman Masud, FM Md. Sharif Hossain beat CM Md. Sajidul Haque, CM Md. Masum Hossain beat Md. Anowar Hossain Dulal, Sujan beat Md. Sabujur Rahman, GM Reefat Bin Sattar beat Md. Monjur Alam, Feroz Ahmed beat Mohammed Salim, FM Md. Saif Uddin beat Tanvir Alam, Mohammad Shafiqul Islam beat Faizul Anam, Ahnaf Rasjhid Chowdhury beat Md Mutakabbir and WCM Ahmed Walijah beat Md Nsir Uddin.