Harikrishna draws with Timman

Former World Junior champion P Harikrishna started his campaign with a draw against Jan Timman of Holland in the first round of the Ciudad de Pamplona International chess tournament in Pamplona, Spain.

Harikrishna, who arrived just hours before the commencement of the first round game here had to be content with half point in this eight-players category-16 round-robin event that will be played over seven rounds in an all-Grandmasters field.

Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria turned out to be the lone winner of the opening day after he outwitted Oscar De La Vira Aguado of Andorra.

In other games of the day, top seed and former world champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine was held to a draw by Laurent Fressinet of France while second seed and Russian turned Dutchman Sergei Tiviakov also got the same result against Georgian Izoria Zviad.

As things stand after the first round Cheparinov is the sole leader on one point while Harikrishna, Zviad, Timman, Ponomariov, Fressinet and Tiviakov are on half a point each. Aguado is yet to open his account.

Though he was definitely tired after long flights, it did not show in Harikrishna's attitude while playing against Timman. Playing white, the Indian started with the Italian game and initiated a king side attack that looked devastating for a brief while.

Timman, the oldest competitor in the tournament, was firmly backed by his immense experience in this engrossing battle and held on to his own -- finding correct solutions in difficult circumstances.

Harikrishna won the black queen on the 27th move but had to part with as many as three pieces for the same but his attack continued.

In the final stages, Timman gave up one of the minor pieces to find his passed pawn on the king side rolling and soon Harikrishna had no options but to take the draw vide repetitive checks. The draw was agreed to in 39 moves.

Results, Round 1: Laurent Fressinet (Fra) drew with Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr); P Harikrishna (Ind) drew with Jan H Timman; Izoria Zviad (Geo) drew with Sergei Tiviakov (Ned); Oscar De la Riva Aguado (And) lost to Ivan Cheparinov.

The moves: (P Harikrishna v/s Jan Timman)
 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. Bb3 a6 7. h3 Ba7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Nf1 d5 10. Qe2 h6 11. g4 dxe4 12. dxe4 Nd7 13. Ng3 Nc5 14. Bc2 Ne6 15. Nf5 Re8 16. Rg1 Nf4 17. Bxf4 exf4 18. Rd1 Qf6 19. g5 hxg5 20. Rxg5 g6 21. Nh6+ Kg7 22. Nxf7 Qxf7 23. e5 Ne7 24. Bxg6 Nxg6 25. Nh4 Bxh3 26. Nxg6 Qxg6 27. Rxg6+ Kxg6 28. Qe4+ Kg5 29. Rd5 Rad8 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. Qh7 Bxf2+ 32. Kxf2 Rd2+ 33. Ke1 Rh2 34. Qg7+ Kh4 35. e6 f3 36. Qh7+ Kg4 37. Qg7+ Kh4 38. Qh7+ Kg4 39. Qg7+ draw agreed.