IM Max Illingworth's charge to first place in the 2015 Oceania Zonal has slowed a little, after drawing with IM Anton Smirnov in round 8. The 26 move draw still leaves Illingworth a full point ahead of the field, but does give a couple of opponents a chance to catch up in the final round. Illingworth is paired against Brodie McClymont, and a win for McClymont would leave both players on 7.5 points. If that does happen, then Smirnov can possibly join them with a win over Pengyu Chen. In the case of two players tieing for first the tournament regulations stipulate a playoff to take place straight after the completion of the round, but in the case of a 3 way tie, the title goes straight to tie-breaks.
The Women's Zonal has a closer finish in store, with WIM Emma Guo holding a half point lead over WIM Nancy Jones. With WIM Biljana Dekic and Kristine Quek only a point behind Guo, there is at least one set of results that could lead to a multiple tie for first. However none of the leaders play each other, so Guo should still be the favourite to win this event.
Last round action starts at 10:30 am tomorrow. Live coverage of the top 5 boards from the open, plus the top board from the Women's Zonal can be found at the tournament web site.
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