Grandmaster and World Cup silver medallist R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by compatriot Aryan Chopra, while D Gukesh signed peace out of a theoretical opening against Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in the first round of the FIDE Grand Swiss that got underway in Isle of Man.
Chopra is another young Grandmaster who hails from Delhi and is trying to make a mark in international circuit. Playing the black side of a Slav defense against someone who is, by consent, one of the best talents in the world, Chopra fought valiantly and held on to his own in a finely-paced game.
Praggnanandhaa traded queens early in the opening and dented the black's pawn structure a bit and even stood slightly better for quite some time.
However, the position was always closer to a draw and a flurry of exchanges led to an equal opposite coloured Bishops endgame.