Anand and Kasparov play out a draw

By Arvind Aaron

WIJK AAN ZEE, JAN. 24. Round seven failed to live up to expectations with most of the crucial games including the one between Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand ending in a draw here at De Moriaan on Sunday.

In the game, Anand missed a good defensive plan on move 21 and had to undergo the five-hour grill before forcing Kasparov into a 56-move draw.

Lead positions remained unchanged in the Corus Chess Tournament with Kasparov and Kramnik on top with five points from seven games. Anand and Leko are in pursuit half a point behind with 4.5 points.

Kasparov opened with the queen pawn as white and Anand opted for the Nimzo-Indian defence. They followed a game until white went 19.Rd2. It was certainly a game that could have come up in the world championship had they played last year. Anand missed a clear equalising 21st move but was checking so many possibilities that he opted for another line which led to a loss of a pawn on the 22nd move.

Once queens were exchanged, draw was expected but Kasparov decided to try all his tricks before deciding to surrender the half-point. However, Anand survived the major- pieces ending to draw in 56 moves. This was the first white that Kasparov missed scoring.

``Well defended,'' said Albert Toby, friend of Anand from Amsterdam. Anand's second who appeared to have had a long night the previous day was doubtful if black would draw the ending and had a worried look while Yuri Dokhoian, second of Kasparov sat comfortably happy. The spectator number did not rise to last year's level when organisers had to prevent them from entering after the numbers crossed 2,000.

Arbiters in the Corus chess tournament fear none. When the arbiter asked Kasparov to stop analysis at the board after a draw was signed, he also told him that the press is waiting for him. ``I am not waiting for the press,'' Kasparov responded and left. In his press conference, Anand said he had seen the Shaked- Georgiev game that they followed. ``I was sure of getting back the pawn,'' Anand said about the pawn he sacrificed. He said he ``messed up'' and could have got a better version had he realised that he would not have the pawn back. Asked if he was jealous of Nigel Short, Anand answered in the affirmative, saying, ``Yeah, when he walked out of the room.'' About the ending he said, ``It appeared dangerous than it was and unless white has his rook behind the extra pawn I knew it was a draw.''

A shadow of this centrestage game fell on the extreme left corner of the stage. Here, tailender Van Wely chose to be piggyback on Kasparov and Short as black followed what Anand did until move 20. Improving on the 21st move, Short drew without sweat three moves later. Van Wely is yet to win a game and moved to 1.5 points with his third draw.

``I am better than this Indian boy,'' Short proudly exclaimed comparing himself with Anand. ``I am not blundering that c-pawn, no way!'' Short said. It was certainly against the laws of copying. There is no rule in chess against copying another game, but practically the arbiters should have had the discretion of moving one of the games into a remote vicinity.

To make 19 moves Anand has taken 55 minutes and Short a little longer to copy it. The safe distance paid off as Short kept everyone guessing whether he was `thinking' or `waiting'. Off form Van Wely reached Kasparov's position by taking fewer time then the champion.

Kramnik held by Nikolic

Joint-leader Vladimir Kramnik who has had the best tournament was held to a 21-move draw by Predrag Nikolic from a queen's gambit declined. After losing the advantage of making the first move in a queenless middlegame, Kramnik wasted no time at the board. Kramnik faces nemesis Leko on Monday with the black pieces and it would be an opportunity for Anand to bridge the half-point lead that he and Kasparov enjoy.

lThe results (seventh round): L. van Wely (Ned) drew with N. Short (Eng), M. Adams (Eng) drew with A. Morozevich (Rus), V. Kramnik (Rus) drew with P. Nikolic (Bih), G. Kasparov (Rus) drew with V. Anand (Ind), P. Leko (Hun) drew with J. Piket (Ned), Judit Polgar (Hun) drew with J. Timman (Ned) and V. Korchnoi (Sui) lost to S. Lputian (Arm).

Standings after round seven: 1-2 G. Kasparov, V. Kramnik 5/7 each, 3-4 V. Anand, P. Leko 4.5 each, 5- 6 A. Morozevich, J. Piket 4 each, 7-9 M. Adams, N. Short, J. Timman 3.5 each, 10 P. Nikolic 3, 11-12 V. Korchnoi, S. Lputian 2.5 each, 13 Judit Polgar 2 and 14 van Wely 1.5.

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