Chess (August): Wang Hao sqeeks by Magnus to win Biel

[Jack Rabbit]

35. Update (Wedneday, August 22): Vachier Lagrave, Skripchenko lead French Championships

[font size="1"] Photo of M. Vachier Lagrave by Brittle Heaven (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Brittle_heaven) in Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maxime_Vachier-Lagrave) (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
Photo of Mlle. Skripchenko by Velho in Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Almira_Skripchenko)
(Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
[/font]
Maxime Vachier Lagrave leads the general group of the French Championship after nine rounds and four-time French women's champion Almira Skripchenko leads the women's group after eight rounds after play was completed today in the Pyrenees city of Pau.

M. Vachier Lagrave drew his game today against dark horse Christian Bauer, who shares second place with Romain Edouard and Etienne Bacrot. M. Vachier Lagrave has 6½ points, a half point ahead of the second-place trio.

M. Edouard climbed into second today by taking down Vlad Tkachiev, who had shared first place at the half way point in the tournamet. M. Tkachiev is currently tied for fifth place with Laurent Fressinet, who was also sharing first place at the half way point.

Mlle. Skripchenko widened her lead in the women's group today when she defeated Andreea Bollengier in 39 moves while second place Sophie Millet dropped her game to Sylvia Collas in 53 moves. Mlle. Skripchenko had 6 points and now leads Mlle. Millet by a point and a half with only two rounds left to play. Mlle. Skripchenko has a even chance of wrapping up her fifth French women's title tomorrow when she plays White agaisnt Georgia native Nino Maisuradze.

The tournament ends Friday.