Biel International Chess Festival: Pentala Harikrishna plays out a hard-fought draw in fifth round

Biel: Indian Grand Master Pentala Harikrishna played out a hard-fought draw against Peter Leko of Hungary in the fifth round of the 50th Biel chess festival here.

The World No.20 Indian, playing with black pieces, had to be at his defensive best as the Hungarian piled on the pressure from the initial moments of the game here late on Friday.

However, Harikrishna’s staunch defence paid dividends and helped him in salvaging half a point from the game that lasted 57 moves.

“It was a really tough game but at the end of it I accurately moved my pieces to reach a draw,” the 32-year-old from Guntur, said after the game.

As the fifth round drew to a close, Harikrishna has three points courtesy of a win and four draws, and is placed joint third in the standings.

He will take on the three-time Women’s World Champion of China, Hou Yifan, in his sixth-round encounter of the single round-robin tournament later on Saturday.