Mumbai: Jharkhand’s Umakant Sharma upset overnight leader International Master R. R. Laxman in the eighth round of the Thakur International Rating Chess here on Wednesday.

Umakant, with seven points, played like a champion and pulled down Laxman (6.5) in semi-Slav defence.

IM Neeraj Kumar Mishra (7), another Jharkhand player, joined Umakant at the top with a smooth win over GM norm holder G. B. Prakash (6) in Dutch defence.

Three more rounds are left in the tournament.

In other games, 12-year-old Ankit Rajpara held International Woman Master Bhagyashri Thipsay to a surprise draw. (PTI)