The Hindu : Title race hots up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 02, 2004

Sport

Sport - Chess

Title race hots up

NEW DELHI, APRIL 1. With just one set of rapid matches to go, the title-race of the Amber chess tournament was headed for a thrilling climax with Viswanathan Anand coming within half point of the leaders Vladimir Kramnik and Alexander Morozevich at the Hotel Grand in Monte Carlo on Thursday.

Anand defeated Boris Gelfand in their 11th-round blindfold game in 55 moves following Petroff Defence while Kramnik and Morozevich were held by Veselin Topalov and Peter Svidler, respectively.

A similar sequence of results in the rapid games, to be played later in the day will ensure a tied top spot for Anand, apart from earning him the rapid title.

On Wednesday, Anand added a second victory over Vassily Ivanchuk by winning their rapid encounter. Meanwhile, Kramnik lost to Svidler and Morozevich went down to Evgeny Bareev. These results helped Anand come within striking distance of the Russians.

The results: 11th round (blindfold): Viswanathan Anand bt Boris Gelfand; Peter Svidler drew with Alexander Morozevich; Veselin Topalov drew with Vladimir Kramnik; Evgeny Bareev drew with Peter Leko; Francisco Vallejo lost to Vassily Ivanchuk; Loek van Wely lost to Alexei Shirov.

10th round (rapid): Wely lost to Gelfand; Anand bt Ivanchuk; Vallejo lost to Leko; Topalov bt Leko; Bareev bt Morozevich; Svidler bt Kramnik.

Combined standing (after 10 rounds): 1-2. Kramnik and Morozevich (13 points), 3. Anand (12), 4-5. Bareev and Leko (11.5). 6-7. Ivanchuk and Svidler (11), 8-9. Shirov and Topalov (9.5), 10. Gelfand (8), 11. Wely (6.5), 12. Vallejo (3.5).

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