GRONINGEN, December 10: Grand Master Dibyendu Barua of India failed to break the solid defensive set-up by GM Zbynek Hracek of the Czech Republic as he drew the first game of the first round of the World Chess Championship here today.

Playing white pieces, Barua opened the game with his favourite King pawn opening. Hracek replied with the classical Sicilian Defence but then transposed the game in an unusual variation of the Sicilian Dragon. Barua was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events and was unable to gain any advantage.

Hracek exchanged the Queens and forced a drawish ending on the 21st move. Barua created complications with a brilliant pawn sacrificed on the 25th move but Hracek returned the pawn and forced a draw.

Results (1st round-game 1): Alexandrov (Blr) drew with B Gulko (US), J Benjamin (US) drew V Zviaginstev (Rus), S Rublevsky (Rus) bt K Spraggett (Can), S Kindermann (Ger) bt A Yermolinsky (US), E Rozentalis (US) drew with G Lerner (Ukr), M Petursson (Isl) lost to L Oll (Est), M Krasenkov (Pol) bt Van der Sterren (Ned), L Christiansen (US) drew with Andersson (Swe), A Chernin (Hun) drew with A Istratescu (Rom), R Slobodan (Ger) bt P Leko (Hun), Y Seirawan (US) drew with A Anastasian (Arm), B Kurajica (BIH) bt Granda Zuniga (Per), G Giorgadze (Geo) drew with E Bacrot (Fra), A Fominyh (Rus) lost to V Tkachiev (Kaz), V Malaniuk (Ukr) bt G Hamdouchi (Mar), X Peng (Chn) drew with Z Almasi (Hun), Alterman (Isl) bt P Wells (Eng), Van der Wiel (Ned) drew with J Ehlvest (Est), V Korchnoi (Swz) bt G Hernandez (Mex), T Luther (Ger) drew with L Portisch (Hun), U Adianto (Indo) bt Z Wang (Chn), D Barua (Ind) drew with Z Hracek (Cze), J Hjartarson (Isl) drew with S Sulskis (Lit), J Glek (Rus) bt F Nijboer (Ned), C Hansen (Den) bt I Miladinovic (Ger), Shaked (US) drew with I Morovic (Chi), G Milos (Bra) bt N Murshed (Ban), V Symslov (Rus) lost to A Morozevich (Rus), E Sutovsky (Isl) lost to G Garcia (Col), Gretarsson ( Isl) drew wit M Illescas (Esp), V Kotronias (Grec) lost to Milov (Swz), Hoeksema (Ned) drew with A Nenashev (Uzb), A Sokolov (BIH) bt W Kobese (Rus), A Umgaev (Rus) lost to V Bologan (Mda)

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