The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Topalov retains title; Anand third

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 22, 2006

Sport

Sport - Chess

Topalov retains title; Anand third

Sofia: Playing truly like a world champion, Veselin Topalov recorded his fourth straight victory by brushing aside Frenchman Etienne Bacrot and retained the title in the Mtel Masters chess tournament here on Sunday.

In a repeat of his last year's dramatic scoring in the second half of the event, Topalov scored 4.5 points from five rounds and finished at the top with 6.5 points. Kamsky took the second spot with six points, half a point ahead of Anand. Playing white against Bacrot, Topalov dominated the 42-move encounter and posted an expected victory. Anand, in spite of two extra pawns in the endgame reached a theoretical drawn position with opposite coloured bishops on the board.

Kamsky and Svidler decided to share the point with a 33-move draw.

The results (10th and final round): Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr) drew with Viswanathan Anand (Ind); Peter Svidler (Rus) drew with Gata Kamsky (US); Veselin Topalov (Bul) bt Etienne Bacrot (Fra).

Ninth round: Gata Kamsky (U.S., 5.5) lost to Veselin Topalov (Bul, 5.5); Viswanathan Anand (Ind, 5) drew with Peter Svidler (Rus, 4.5); Etienne Bacrot (Fra, 3.5) drew with Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr, 3). Eighth round: Kamsky (5.5) drew with Anand (4.5); Topalov (4.5) bt Ponomariov (2.5); Svidler (4) drew with Bacrot (3).

Final standing: 1. Topalov (6.5 points), 2. Kamsky (6), 3. Anand (5.5), 4. Svidler (5), 5-6. Ponomariov and Bacrot (3.5 each).

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