Nino Batsiashvili of Georgia forced reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen to a draw in the opening round of the Qatar Masters Chess tournament which kicked off on December 20th, the peninsula qatar reports.

Carlsen heads a list of over 148 players, including five former world champions, who are vying for the top prize of $27,000 in the ten-day tournament which ends on December 29.

Besides Carlsen, GM Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands are the top three players in the list while reigning champion GM Yu Yangyi of China is also back to defend his crown, won last year.

Carlsen said participating in an open ‘is something special’.

“I think this tournament is something special. It’s a very strongly contested one. It’s not only me here from the top. Giri and Kramnik, the world No 2 and 3 are also here. I think it’s very difficult to win in an open tournament like this… it’s a different kind of challenge for me,” the Norwegian star said.