Anand settles for draw with black

Anand settles for draw with black
Hari Hara Nandanan

New Delhi, November 30: Top seed Viswanthan Anand warmed up for his fierce battles ahead with a 27-move draw with Viktor Bologan of Moldova in the first game in the second round of World chess championship on Thursday. Anand employed the Sicilian Defence against which white (Bologan) unleashed the Rossolimo Attack. Anand had a sound defence and was not in any trouble though Bologan seemed better at one stage.

‘‘Probably, he was slightly better and he could have played on. But then it is not a bad idea to take a draw in the first game,’’ Anand said while analysing the position in the media room.

Anand had doubled pawns on the Queenside but he could have control the centre with the pawns.

GM Valeri Salov, looking at the final position, commented ‘‘This is a sort of a position in which one has to take extra effort to win the game. Anand does not want to take extra effort because he is black and if at all he has to take effort, he can do so on Friday. Maybe he can also go into tie-breakers.’’

GM Krishnan Sasikiran had a good start to his big battle against GM Loek Van Wely of The Netherlands.

Wely adopted the Grunfeld Defence in which he has good experience but at one stage the Indian rattled him with his aggressive play.

‘‘This is a line in which ex-World champion Gary Kasparov is an expert,’’ mocked Salov, using the chance to describe Kasparov’s present status.

Sasikiran won a pawn and got an advanced pawn in the Queen-file.

The position looked well in favour of Sasikiran when he pushed the King-bishop pawn only to allow Wely to bounce back with a strong tactical shot on the Queenside.

The Indian had to give two pieces for a rook and after that it was a losing battle for the Indian. Sasi lost two pawns and the game after 57 moves.

World champion Alexander Khalifman of Russia started his campaign with a draw from black against Christopher Lutz of Germany in Sicilian Defence.

In the women’s section, World champion Xie Jun started with a draw against Mateeva of Russia.

Results (Round II, Game I)

Men:Viktor Moldovan (Mol) drew Anand (Ind); A Morozevich (Rus) bt Gilberto Milos (Bra); Dao Thien (Viet) drew Michael Adams (Eng); A Shirov (Esp) drew A Onishchuk (Ukr); Sergei Volkov (Rus) drew Peter Leko (Hung); Ivanchuk (Ukr) drew Jaan Ehlvest (Est); Andrei Kharlov (Rus) drew Veselin Topalov (Bul); Bareev (Rus) bt Vaganian (Arm); Kasimdzanov (Uzk) bt Tregubov (Rus); Bacrot (Fra) drew Svidler (Rus); Gelfand (Isl) bt Dizdarevic (Bos); Nataf (Isl) drew Nigel Short (Eng); Malakhov (Rus) drew Dreev (Rus); Lputian (Arm) bt Rublevsky (Rus); Gurevich (Belg) drew Minasian (Arm); Lutz drew Khalifman (Rus); Movsesian (Cze) bt Iordachescu (Mol); Nisipeanu (Rom) drew Georgiev (Bulg); Galkin (Rus) drew Beliavsky (Slov); Tkachiev (Fra) bt Leiseige (Can); Benjamin (USA) drew Leitao (Bra); Ivanov (USA) lost to Serper (USA); Gulko (USA) drew Chernin (Hun).

Women: S Mateeva (Rus) drew Xie Jun (Chn); Maia Chiburdanidze (Geo) lost to Corina Peptan (Rom); Alisa Galliamova (Rus) bt Bojkoic (Yugo); Qin Kanying (Chn) bt Arakhamia (Geo); Peng Zhaoqin (Chn) drew Wang Lei (Chn); Cmiltye (Ltu) bt Khurt Silava (Geo); Nana Ioseliani (Geo) bt Koskela (Fin); Zelinska (Pol) drew Kovalavskeya (Rus); Dwarakowska (Pol) lost to Zhukova (Ukr); Kachiani (Ger) bt Manakova (Yug); Demina (Rus) drew Arribas (Cuba).

Game of the Day

Bologan-Anand (Sicilian Defence)
1.e4 c5, 2.Nf3 Nc6, 3.Bb5 g6, 4.Bc6 dc6, 5.d3 Bg7 ,6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nd7, 8.Be3 b6, 9.Qd2 e5, 10.Bh6 0-0, 11.0-0-0 Re8, 12.g4 Nf8, 13.Ne2 a5, 14.Rg1 Bf6, 15.Bg5 Ne6, 16.Bf6 Qf6, 17.Rg3 Rd8, 18.g5 Qg7, 19.Nh2 Nf8, 20.Qc3 Be6, 21.Ng4 Bg4, 22.Rg4 a4, 23.a3 Ne6, 24.h4 Nd4, 25.Nd4 Rd4, 26.h5 Ra7, 27.Rh4 0.5-0.5.