NETHERLANDS, JAN 13,
Vidit Gujrathi drew with Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Vladmir Kramnik escaped defeat against Taimour Radjabov as the victorious duo of Viswanathan Anand and Ian Nepomniachtchi shared the opening day’s honours in the Tata Steel chess tournament here on Saturday.
However, in Group ‘B’, prodigious R. Praggnanandhaa failed to save the game against Canadian veteran Evgeny Bareev after 51 moves.
Vidit, down a pawn in the rook and minor piece endgame, defended well to force a draw in 78 moves.
Kramnik, staring at defeat against Radjabov found a sequence of perpetual checks to save half a point.
The results (first round):
Jorden van Foreest (Ned) lost to Viswanathan Anand; Vidit Gujrathi drew with Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Pol); Ding Liren (Chn) drew with Magnus Carlsen (Nor); Anish Giri (Ned) lost to Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus); Vladimir Fedoseev (Rus) drew with Richard Rapport (Hun); Teimour Radjabov (Aze) drew with Vladmir Kramnik (Rus); Samuel Shankland (USA) drew with Shakhiyar Mamedyarov (Aze).
