Local International Master (IM) Ziaur Rahman's hope of a GM norm became uncertain after his defeat against Llthunian GM V Malisauskas in the tenth round of the third United Insurance Grand Masters' chess tournament at the NSC conference room yesterday, reports UNB.

National champion Zia lost in 44 moves and now has uphill task of collecting two and a half points from the remaining three matches to earn his norm.

Indian IM Praveen Mahadev Thipsay and English Grand Master Jim Plaskett shared the lead securing seven and half points each.

Thipsay. playing with white pieces, settled for a draw with compatriot Devaki Prasad in only 16 moves to maintain his lead while Plaskett disposed of Saifuddin Lovlu in 27 moves. So far the Bangladesh player lost all his matches.

In other matches. Khan-daker Kayes Hasan of Bangladesh beat Vietnamese IM Nguyen Anh Dung in 47 moves, the lone local GM Niaz Murshed drew with Uzbek GM U Saidali in 54 moves, another local IM Reefat-bin-Sattar drew with Hungarian GM Peter Szekely in 20 moves. Russian GM Sergei Tiviakov beat Uzbek IM Dmitri Kaiumov in 58th move.

STANDINGS

After 10th round matches:

7.5 points — Thipsay and Plas-ketl; 6.5 — Zia and Prasad: 6 — Tiviakov: 5.5 — Malisauskas and Nguyen: 5 — Niaz. Reefat and Szekely: 4.5 — Saidali: 3 — Kayes, and 2.5 — Kaiumov.

Monday's 11th round matches: Tiviakov vs Saidali. Reefat vs Kaiumov. Lovlu vs Szekely. Prasad vs Plaskett. Zia vs Thipsay. Nguyen vs Malisauskas. Niaz vs Kayes.