Anand draws with Kramnik to share third place

Anand draws with Kramnik to share third place
United News of India

LINARES, (Spain), March 1: Viswanathan Anand played out his second draw in as many rounds, the latest coming in just 20 minutes against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia on the second day of the elite Grandmaster Tournament here.

Alexander Khalifman held Garry Kasparov, who started out with a win in the first round against Alexi Shirov, to a draw. The match was being seen by many as a clash between Kasparov and the FIDE establishment. For Khalifman, despite being rather lowly ranked and rated, emerged as the champion in the FIDE World championship at Las Vegas last year. Kasparov and Anand had skipped the championships.

In the third match of the day, Alexi Shirov managed to find some equilibrium after the first day's horrendous mistake and drew with Peter Leko in a marathon 71 moves.

After two days in the 10-round tournament in which each player clashes with the others twice, once each with black and white, Kasparov and Kramnik hold the lead with 1.5 points. Anand and Leko have one each, while Khalifman and Shirov have half a point each.

Clearly Anand is not taking chances with black and is content with draws. The Kramnik-Anand game was a Slav Defence which lasted just 20 moves. Anand equalised easily and when Kramnik realised he would not achieve much, he offered a draw which Anand accepted.

Khalifman and Kasparov too were engaged in a short game that went to 29 moves before the draw was agreed to in the Grunfeld Indian. Khalifman did well to counter Kasparov, who began aggressively but did not achieve much. The game ended in a draw with repetition of moves.

In the opening round on Monday, Anand had begun with a draw against Hungarian Peter Leko. Anand was playing with back pieces. But the other two games produced results, as world no three Kramnik defeated Khalifman, with the back pieces. Kasparov made a good a huge blunder from Shirov to grab the full point.

In round three Anand will have white for the first time and he meets Shirov, while Kasparov clashes with Kramnik and in the third match Leko meets Khalifman.

Round 2 Standings: 1-2 Kramnik (Russia) and Kasparov (Russia) 1.5 each; 3-4 Anand (India)