Harikrishna settles for draw with Inarkeiv

Grand Master Pentala Harikrishna put up a spirited show to share the spoils with Russian GM Ernesto Inarkeiv in the fourth round of the Moscow FIDE Grand Prix played on Tuesday.

Harikrisha could not capitalise and Ernesto dug deep and clung on to draw the game that lasted for 47 moves

Grand Master Pentala Harikrishna put up a spirited show to share the spoils with Russian GM Ernesto Inarkeiv in the fourth round of the Moscow FIDE Grand Prix played on Tuesday.

The World No. 16 Indian, playing with black pieces, started off on a strong note to dominate the initial stages of the game. “I surprised him with Benoni, a Fianchetto variation and after that move he was just trying to save the game,” Harikrishna said after the match.

However, Harikrisha could not capitalize and Ernesto dug deep and clung on to draw the game that lasted for 47 moves. “I constantly put pressure on him, but he found the right moves in the crucial stages of the game to lead it towards a draw,” he further added.

At the end of the day’s action, Harikrishna has one and a half points so far in this campaign after drawing three and losing just one and is placed 16th on the leaderboard.