The eight-time British champion and oldest player at the tournament was close to defeat in round six before his opponent made a one-move blunder
With three rounds to go in the London Classic the race at the top looks to be between the eight-time British champion Michael Adams, 52, and the top-seeded Indian, Dommaraju Gukesh, 17.
Both leaders benefited in Thursday’s sixth round from blunders by their opponents. Adams received a full-point swing when Jules Moussard inexplicably left himself a bishop down at move 32. A simple pawn move would have kept a winning position for the Frenchman.