Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli started off her campaign in style as she comfortably beat compatriot Mithil Ajgaonkar at the Master’s Tournament of the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The world No 9, playing with white pieces, started off on an aggressive note as she found an opening in the initial phases of the game. It was an uphill task for Ajgaonkar from there on. Ajgaonkar eventually succumbed to the pressure after toiling for a long three and a half hours.
“I got a clear advantage in the opening stages itself and could easily convert it after just 34 moves,” Harika said after the game.
Harika will next face third seed Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in her second-round encounter.