Top-seeded Grandmaster Nigel Short of England was held to a draw by Indian GM Sundararajan Kidambi in the opening round of the sixth Kolkata Open International GMs chess organised by Alekhine Chess Club, here on Tuesday.
Playing the Caro-Kann opening Short broke open Kidambi’s castled king side on the 19th move.
Short managed to get two pawns, leading to a rook versus rook and two isolated pawns ending.
Short managed to cut his opponent’s king approaching his marching pawn, but Kidambi defended accurately to ensure half a point.
Maharashtra youngster Kathmale Sameer made a bright start, holding second-seeded Sergey Fedorchuk of Russia in a well-fought 63-move game.
Former under-16 world champion GM B. Adhiban of India posted a comfortable win in just 25 moves over compatriot Akshat Khamparia.
Former age-group category world champions S.P. Sethuraman and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi began their campaigns with fluent victories.
Top-10 results:
Nigel Short (Eng) drew with S. Kidambi; Kathmale Sameer drew with Sergey Fedorchuk (Ukr); Konstantin Landa (Rus) bt K. Rathnakaran.
S. Satyapragyan drew with Mikheil Mchedlishvili (Geo); B. Adhiban bt Akshat Khamparia; Visakh Nr lost to Vidit Santosh Gujrathi.
M.R. Lalith Babu bt S. Ravi Teja; Sheikh Nasir Ahmed lost to Avetik Grigoryan (Arm); S.P. Sethuraman bt V. Saravanan; Padmini Rout lost to Levan Pantsulaia (Geo).
