Tata Steel Masters: Anand begins campaign with draw against Russian Vladislav Artemiev

Five-time winner Vishwanathan Anand begins season at Tata Steel Masters with a draw against Russia's Artemiev.

Viswanathan Anand at the 2019 Tata Steel Chess India Tour-Rapid and Blitz.(File Photo)

Viswanathan Anand started his campaign in the 82nd Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here with a 31-move draw against Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev.

World champion Magnus Carlsen and Anish Giri signed truce in 25 moves in the day’s shortest game.

In the 14-player field, debutant Iranian Alireza Firouzja, playing under the FIDE flag, defeated Belarus’ Vladislav Kovalev in 36 moves before being joined in the lead by local Jorden van Foreest, who ended the resistance of Yu Yangyi in 75 moves.

In Group ‘B’, Surya Shekhar Ganguly started with a 41-move win over Dutchman Max Warmerdam to lead with local Erwin L’Ami.

Nihal Sarin, the other Indian in the fray, drew with Nils Grandelius (Sweden) in a marathon game lasting 103 moves.