Sharma holds Harikrishna in Gibraltar Chess opener

International Master Hemant Sharma produced a sterling effort to hold higher-rated compatriot P Harikrishna to a creditable draw in the first round of the Masters section of Gibraltar Chess festival, here.
Playing the white side of an English opening, Sharma gave little away to Harikrishna and the resulting middle game was equal after exchange of queens.
Harikrishna got a minuscule advantage optically but frequent exchanges led to a level rook and opposite coloured Bishops endgame.
Not the one to give up easily, Harikrishna kept trying for a long time and it was only after 88 moves that truce was signed.

Teenager Prithu Gupta was the other Indian to hog the limelight as he held world number 23 Le Quang Leim of Vietnam to a draw.
The youngster, who has already bagged a couple of International Master norms, got off to a dream start with black pieces.

Leim went for the Italian opening and complexities ensued in the middle game where the world class player missed the thread.
To his credit, Prithu won a pawn through a sound tactical trick and switched to a rook and pawns endgame that proved equal in the end. The game was drawn in 51 moves.

The biggest upset of the day was caused by Anita Gara of Hungary who held top seed Levon Aronian to a draw.
The other top seeds like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, three-time winner Hikaru Nakamura of United States and David Navara of Czech Republic cruised to an opening round win in the 25000 pounds sterling first prize tournament.
Among other Indians in the fray, Grandmasters S P Sethuraman, Abhijeet Gupta, M R Lalith Babu scored regulation victories over lesser-known opponents but Sandipan Chanda was held to a draw by Polish Michal Lercel.
The super-talented duo of Nihal Sarin and R Praggnanandhaa also got off to a flier in their quest for a Grandmaster norm.

Praggnanandhaa has just around six weeks left to make two Grandmaster norms which will make him the youngest Grandmaster ever.
Important and Indian results after Round 1 (Indians unless specified): Anita Gara (HUN) drew with Levon Aronian (ARM); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) beat Felix Blohberger (AUT); Alan Tate (SCO) lost to Hikaru Nakamura (USA); David Navara (CZE) beat Thomas Paehtz (GER); Hemant Sharma drew with P Harikrishna; Le Quang Liem (VIE) drew with Prithu Gupta; Maxim Devereaux (NOR) lost to Nikita Vitiugov (RUS); David Anton Guijarro (ESP) beat Padmini Rout; Inigo Lopez Mulet (ESP) lost to SP Sethuraman; De Francesco Klaus (GER) lost to Abhijeet Gupta; Nisha Mohota drew with G N Gopal; Sandipan Chanda drew with Michal Lercel (POL); Oskar Oglaza (POL) lost to S L Narayanan; P V Nandhidhaa lost to Jules Moussard (FRA); Barraza Caracuel Ignacio (ESP) lost to M R Lalith Babu; Swapnil S Dhopade beat Ioulia Makka (GRE); Pascal Verneuil (FRA) lost to Nihal Sarin; R Praggnanandhaa beat Dick De Graaf (NED); Villar Reymundo Juan Antonio (PER) lost to Debashis Das; Shardul Gagare beat Ashley Stewart (ENG) ; Cholleti Sahajasri lost to Xu Yi (CHN); Tejaswini Sagardrew with Almagro Llamas Pablo (ESP); Hewson Brian (ENG) lost to Prasanna Raghuram Rao; Alek Safarian (AUS) lost to M R Venkatesh; Ralf Akesson (SWE) drew with Shalmali Gagare; Vilarnovo Caamano Jose (ESP) lost to Swayams Mishra; Dev Shah drew with Henderson De La Fuente Lance (ESP); Mayank Pal drew with David Martinez Martin (ESP); Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh beat Francois-Haugrin Said (FRA); Cherigui Mourad (MAR) drew with Harshit Raja.