Harikrishna plays safe, keeps lead

World Junior champion Pendyala Harikrishna maintained a full point lead after drawing a tactical battle with Aeroflot Open winner Emil Sutovsky of Israel in the fourth round of the Essent chess tournament in Hoogeveen, the Netherlands.

With the draw, Harikrishna, competing in the Crown section, took his tally to three points out of a possible four.

There was no change in the overnight standings as women's World champion Antoaneta Stefanova earned a creditable draw with top seed and local star Ivan Sokolov for the second time in the tournament.

Both Sokolov and Sutovsky have two points each, with two rounds remaining in this category-16 double round-robin tournament.

Harikrishna's game against Sutovsky was a bloody fight right from the beginning. The Indian, having the cushion of a full point and white pieces, was in for a surprise when just before the start of the game Sutovsky asked him to check the wavering of his hands.

"It is irritating," said Sutovsky to Harikrishna, who looked palpably perturbed by such audacity just before the game.

"This is not done. We had a rest day, we had dinner together yesterday, he had so many chances to tell me that but to choose that moment? Very surprising," Harikrishna said after the game.

"Okay, this happens to me sometimes during a crucial moment; sometimes I am not sure whether to go for the move and that results in my hand coming over to the board a couple of times. I am trying to control it and for sure I never do it purposely," said Harikrishna.

Disturbed as he was, he did not let it show beyond the first few moves. Regaining his composure in quick time, he got an advantageous position amidst wild complexities arising out of a Queen pawn game.

utovsky won Harikrishna's queen but had to part with three pieces in the process.

"I think I should have played better in the middle game but somehow I could not find the best plan," Harikrishna said.

As it happened, Sutovsky was able to neutralise huge material deficit with his active queen and minor pieces. The Israeli eventually found perpetual checks to split the point in 32 moves.

Sokolov was surprised for the second time by Stefanova who is on just one point, thanks to her double-draws against the Dutchman.

It was a Slav Chelyabinsk variation that led to a level middle game and subsequent exchanges ensured Stefanova a balanced endgame. Sokolov tried for some complications but Stefanova's defenses were impregnable. Peace was signed in just 28 moves.

In the Open section, Parimarjan Negi suffered a defeat at the hands of Grandmaster Ian Rogers of Australia. Negi remained on four points after the loss in the event, which is jointly led by Vladimir Baklan, Michail Brodsky (both Ukraine), Friso Nijboer (the Netherlands) and Eduardas Rozentalis (Lithuania).

Results:

Crown Group: P Harirkrishna (Ind, 3) drew with Emil Sutovsky (Isr, 2); Ivan Sokolov (Ned, 2) drew with Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul,1).

Moves: P Harikrishna v/s Emil Sutovsky

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d5 6. cxd5 Bc5 7. d6 O-O 8. Nc7 Ne4 9. e3 Bxd6 10. Nxa8 Bb4+ 11. Nd2 Qh4 12. g3 Qf6 13. f3 Nxd2 14. Bxd2 Rd8 15. Bxb4 Rxd1+ 16. Rxd1 Nc6 17. Bc5 Qxf3 18. Rg1 Bg4 19. Rd2 Nd4 20. Bxd4 exd4 21. Rd3 Qc6 22. Rg2 Qc1+ 23. Kf2 dxe3+ 24. Rxe3 Qxb2+ 25. Be2 h5 26. Re8+ Kh7 27. Kg1 Qc1+ 28. Bf1 Bh3 29. Rf2 Bxf1 30. Rxf1 Qc5+ 31. Rf2 Qc1+ 32. Rf1 Qc5+ draw agreed.