Searching for an elusive win, world champion Viswanathan Anand played his third draw on the trot while P Harikrishna and Parimarjan Negi scored victories in the fourth round of the Corus International Chess tournaments here on Thursday.

Anand signed peace with English Grandmaster Michael Adams in a premier Group A clash while Harikrishna coasted to a win over Wouter Spoelman of Holland to join the Group B leaders.

GM Negi excelled for the second day running and defeated Chinese GM Li Shilong in a one-sided affair in the Group C.

Adams was seen pressing for a victory in the end. It was a queen pawn opening by Anand as white, which lasted 56 moves before the peace was signed.

Ahead of the first rest day of the category-16 round robin event, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Levon Aronian of Armenia remained in joint lead following a draw between themselves in a game of fluctuating fortunes.

With Carlsen and Aronian on 3 points apiece, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia jumped to joint third spot on 2.5 points in the company of Temour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, Loek van Wely of Holland and Judit Polgar of Hungary. Anand continues to share the 10th spot on 1.5 points.

Hari regains lead

Harikrishna regained joint lead along side Jan Smeets of Holland and Etienne Bacrot of France on 3 points. The other Indian in the fray, Koneru Humpy inched herself up to one point after drawing with English Nigel Short.

Playing the black side of a Queen pawn opening Negi won a pawn with a tactical shot and romped home in quick time and moved to two points out of a possible four.

Arik braun of Germany, who maintained a clean slate with his fourth victory. It was only in the rook and pawns endgame that Harikrishna got a chance and he pounced on it immediately to score his second victory.

Results (round four): Group A: Loek van Wely (Ned, 2.5) bt Veselin Topalov (Bul, 1); Boris Gelfand (Isr, 1) lt to Judit Polgar (Hun, 2.5); Peter Leko (Hun, 2) drew with Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr, 2); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 3) drew with Levon Aronian (Arm, 3); Viswanathan Anand (Ind, 1.5) drew with Michael Adams (Eng, 2); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 2.5) bt Pavel Eljanov (Ukr, 1); Teimour Radjabov (Aze, 2.5) drew with Shakriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 1.5).
Group B: Nigel Short (Eng, 2) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind, 1); Gabriel Sargissian (Arm, 1.5) drew with Erwin L’Ami (Ned, 2); Ivan Cheparinov  (Bul, 2.5) bt Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus, 2); Michal Krasenkow (Pol, 1.5) drew with Jan Smeets (Ned, 3); Etienne Bacrot (Fra, 3) drew with Sergei Movsesian (Svk, 2.5); P Harikrishna (Ind, 3) bt Wouter Spoelman (Ned, 0); Yifan Hou (Chn, 1.5) drew with Daniel Stellwagen (Ned, 2.5).