The young Hyderabadi had to fall back on the defensive as the game got complicated and agreed for a draw after 31 moves.
Harika slipped to the third position with the draw after five games with 3.5 points.
"My opponent surprised me in the opening. I was faced with a variation that I hadn't played before. I could not get much out of the situation and had to settle for a draw," Harika said.
Harika will be playing against World No. 5 Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine tomorrow.