The Hindu : Anand in joint lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 19, 2004

Sport

Sport - Chess

Anand in joint lead

By Our Chess Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 18. Title holder Viswanathan Anand defeated Alexei Shirov of Spain to stay in the joint lead at the end of the sixth round in the 66th Corus chess tournament played at Wijk Aan Zee in the Netherlands on Saturday. The NIIT-sponsored Anand went on to win his second game of the tournament. Anand shares the lead with Adams, Kramnik and Topalov, all with four points.

Anand played the king pawn and used his queen and knight to generate an attack against Shirov who had responded with the Petroff's defence. Shirov managed to exchange queens but Anand won a pawn. In the second control, Anand's improved play only wiped out his poor memory of playing rook endings at Linares last year. Anand showed perfection and followed the fine line required to win such endings in 56 moves.

In other decisive games, Kramnik's deft endgame play baffled Zhong after 78 moves when the Chinese player failed in endgame technique after putting up a stiff defence. Adams was quick and crisp in spotting a rook sacrifice that netted him two pawns and Bareev's resignation in 25 moves. In the time scramble, Topalov harvested black's queenside pawns with his knight to beat Bologan in 52 moves with white.

Seven rounds remain to be played. In Sunday's game Anand faces Zhong for the first time in his career with the black pieces.

The results: Sixth round: Michael Adams (Eng) 4 bt Evgeny Bareev (Rus) 2.5, Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) 4 bt Zhang Zhong (Chn) 2, Viswanathan Anand (Ind) 4 bt Alexei Shirov (Esp) 2, Jan Timman (Ned) 2.5 drew with Peter Svidler (Ned) 3, Veselin Topalov (Bul) 4 bt Viktor Bologan (Mda) 2, Ivan Sokolov (Ned) 2.5 drew with Loek Van Wely (Ned) 3, Peter Leko (Hun) 3.5 drew with Vladimir Akopian (Arm) 2.5.

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