The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Viswanathan Anand is sole leader

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Saturday, Sep 22, 2007
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Sport - Chess

Viswanathan Anand is sole leader

NEW DELHI: Viswanathan Anand emerged as the day’s lone winner by overpowering young Russian Alexander Grischuk and regained a half-point lead after the seventh round of the World chess championship in Mexico City on Thursday.

With seven rounds to go in the eight-player field, Anand leads with five points, half-a-point ahead of joint overnight leader Boris Gelfand.

At the halfway stage of this double round-robin event, defending champion Vladimir Kramnik finds himself in the third spot with four points.

Once again, Anand was involved in a Ruy Lopez game where he took a firm grip after the exchange of queens on the 29th move. Grischuk erred with a kingside pawn-move on the 30th turn.

Anand opened up the kingside and, with the help of a rook, pushed a central pawn menacingly.

Grischuk’s counter on the queenside was rendered ineffective once Anand’s knight joined his rook to deliver the final blow in 50 moves.

Drawn games

The Kramnik-Gelfand battle ended in 40 moves of Anti-Meran Gambit before Anand emerged as the leader. Alexander Morozevich and Peter Leko tested each other for 60 moves in Ruy Lopez Exchange variation.

The results (seventh round): Viswanathan Anand (5) bt Alexander Grischuk (Rus, 3.5); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 4) drew with Boris Gelfand (Isr, 4.5); Peter Svidler (Rus, 2.5) drew with Levon Aronian (Arm, 3); Alexander Morozevich (Rus, 2.5) drew with Peter Leko (Hun, 3).

Eighth round pairings: Gelfand-Anand; Svidler-Kramnik; Aronian-Morozevich; Leko-Grischuk.

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