Harika draws with Zhao Xue

Grandmaster D Harika started her quarterfinal campaign with an easy draw with fourth seed Zhao Xue of China in the first game of the two-game mini-match that concluded here in the World Women's Chess Champion.

After drawing with black, Harika holds a little edge going in to the second game in the USD 450000 prize money championship as she will play with white pieces in the return game. The Indian has succeeded in the championship thus far without losing a single game.

French Marie Sebag drew the first blood in the first game against former champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria and took an early lead. The Bulgarian will now have to score a victory in the next game to stay in the match.

The other two matches of the quarters were drawn.

The championship that started with 64 players, is now down to eight. There are two games under normal time control till the final and in the event of a tied score, games of shorter duration are played to determine the winner.

Harika went for the Queen's gambit, declined as black and found out soon that the Chinese was not expecting this opening. After an early trade of minor pieces, Harika went for the thematic central break through and succeeded in reaching a level endgame.

Zhao Xue wanted to push for victory and in her effort she gave Harika a small chance that the Indian failed to notice with her clock ticking away. It was on move 30 that Harika missed what might have been a nagging advantage. The game was drawn five moves later.

Results Quarterfinal game 1: Marie Sebag (Fra) beat Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul); Ju Wenjun (Chn) drew with Huang Qian (Chn); Nadezhda Kosintseva (Rus) drew with Anna Ushenina (Ukr); Zhao Xue (Chn) drew with D Harika (Ind).