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Stiff tests await Anand

Grischuk, Carlsen and Aronian have the potential to slow down Anand

NEW DELHI: World champion and joint leader Viswanathan Anand, after an encouraging start to the Tata Steel chess tournament, faces a series of stiff tests in the remainder of the week when the action commences on Thursday after a day of rest at Wijk aan Zee, in Holland, on Wednesday.

Joint leader with USA's Hikaru Nakamura at three points from four rounds, the second-seeded Indian is due to play Dutchman Jan Smeets, Russian Alexander Grischuk, top-seeded Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and third-seeded Armenian Levon Aronian, in that order, alternatively with black and white pieces before the next rest day.

Anand can expect Smeets to play for a draw but the rest have the potential to slow him down.

Grischuk and Carlsen, the only two players at 1.5 points at this stage, cannot be gauged by their indifferent form.

After his shock defeat to Anish Giri, Carlsen is expected to hit back.

On Sunday, Aronian might well be another serious threat to Anand.

In the lower groups, Surya Shekhar Ganguly (1.5 points) faces Wesley So and Tania Sachdev (2) meets Dutchman Rob van Kampen.

Gaining respect

Tania has clearly managed to gain the respect of the elite players by scoring over Grandmasters Ivan Ivanisevic (Serbia) and Dariusz Swiercz (Poland), seeded two and four, with black pieces.

The pairings (fifth round): Jan Smeets (Ned, 2) v Viswanathan Anand (3); Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 3) v Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr, 2); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 2.5) v Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 1.5) v Erwin L'Ami (Ned, 2); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 2) v Levon Aronian (Arm, 2.5); Wang Hao (Chn, 1) v Alexander Grischuk (Rus,1.5); Ian Nepomniachtichi (Rus, 2) v Alexei Shirov (Esp, 0.5) .

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