Indian Grand Master Vidit Gujrathi opened up a one-point lead after posting an impressive win over world's top junior Alireza Firouzja in the fifth round of the Prague Chess Festival's Masters Category here.
The 25-year old notched up his third win by outclassing his Iranian opponent in a 24-move Slav exchange late on Sunday.
Firouzja, playing with black pieces, underestimated the power of the exchanged variants and went down without much of a fight.
"I am happy with the way the games are going," Gujrathi said after moving to four points from five games.
P Harikrishna, the other Indian in the 10-player field, held higher-rated Russian Nikita Vitiugov in 59 moves, to take his tally to two points.
Vitiugov and top seed Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland are in second spot with three points.
Duda (Elo rating 2755) could not force a win over Swedish GM Nils Grandelius, the lowest-rated player in the Masters event at 2659.
In the sixth round to be played on Tuesday after a day's rest, Harikrishna will meet David Anton Guijarro and Gujrathi will take on Vitiugov.
Results of Round 5:
P Harikrishna (India) 2 drew with Nikita Vitiugov (RUS) 2; Vidit Gujrathi (India) 4 beat Alirez Firouzja (Iran) 2.5; Sam Shankland (USA) 2 drew with David Anton Guijarro (SPA) 2.5; Markus Ragger (Austria) 2 drew with Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) 3; David Navara (Italy) beat Nils Grandelius (Sweden) 2.
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