Anand, Khalifman begin with draws

By Rakesh Rao

NEW DELHI, NOV. 30. A sedate start for Viswanathan Anand, a setback for K. Sasikiran and a spate of draws featuring those expected to be the front- runners in days to come. In a nutshell, that was the story when the first game of the second round was played in the World chess championship here on Thursday.

Over the years, Anand's opponents have realised his prowess in Open Sicilian. So they avoid getting into a line where Anand is known to annihilate his rivals.Maldovian Victor Bolgan preferred the Nimzowitch Rossolimo Attack of the Sicilian, castled on the queenside with a plan to roll the pawns on the on Anand's castled king on the opposite side.

It was such a position where Anand wisely chose not to try anything forceful. If Bologan had looked like launching an offensive down the `h' file, with a with rooks, Anand too had good counter play on the `c' file. Perhaps, had they played on, some life could have been injected but then, Bologan offered a draw after 27 moves and Anand saw nothing wrong in accepting it.

``Perhaps, had we played on, there could have been something... but nothing wrong with the result,'' said Anand during his brief appearance in the media room.

Defending champion and 21st seed Alexander Khalifman was taken to a draw by Christopher Lutz, much in the same manner as Anand. Khalifman, too, found himself which saw the Nimzowitch Rossolimo Attack. Lutz sacrificed a pawn with an eye on some initiative but the game petered towards a tame draw once Khalifman returned the pawn.

After a long battle, Sasikiran lost against 31st seed Loek Van Wely. In Grunfeld, Wely sacrificed a pawn on the 21st move to complicate matters. Sasikiran looking in all sorts of trouble, had to give up two minor pieces for a rook by the 31st move. Thereafter, there appeared only one winner in this match.

In a format such as this one, where rapid games follow two rounds of the classical version, the miniature games are deemed to favour the higher ranked player. So not many eyebrows were raised when players like Anand, Michael Adams, Peter Leko, Veselin Topalov, Michael Krasenkov and Peter Svidler, the odd- numbered seeds in that order, drew with black pieces.

Second seeded Alexander Morozevich, known to finish his job at the first available opportunity, took a step closer to a place in the third round. He dumped Bralizian Cilberto Milos, the conqueror of our own Abhijit Kunte in an extended first-round battle. Watching the games continued to be a problem. However, at the end of the day, the All India Chess Federation secretary, Mr. P.T. Ummer Koya came out with a signed statement promising the installation 12 monitors before the start of the third round (on December 3) for the benefit of spectators and media.

Mercifully, there was some sign of AICF finally waking up and planning the execute the right plan.

The results (Round Two, Game One): Victor Bologan (Mda, 2641) drew with Viswanathan Anand (Ind, 2762); Smbat Lputian (Arm, 2598) bt Sergei Rublevsky (Rus, 2670); Michael Krasenkov (Pol, 2702) drew with Bartlomiej Macieja (Pol, 2536); Alexander Galkin (Rus, 2587) drew with Alexander Beliavsky (Slo, 2659); Sergey Volkov (Rus, 2554) drew with Peter Leko (Hun, 2743); Christopher Lutz (Ger, 2595) drew with Alexander Khalifman (Rus, 2667); Igor Nataf (Fra, 2526) drew with Nigel Short (Eng, 2677); Joel Benjamin (US, 2577) drew with Rafael Leitao (Bra, 2567); Thein Hai Dao (Vie, 2555) drew with Michael Adams (Eng, 2755); Alex Yermolinsky (US, 2596) bt Xu Jun (Chn, 2668); Etienne Barcot (Fra, 2613) drew with Peter Svidler (Rus, 2689); Utut Adianto (Ina, 2583) lost to Peng Xiaomin (Chn, 2657); Andrei Kharlov (Rus, 2627) drew with Veselin Topalov (Bul, 2707); Liviv-Dieter Nisipeanu (Rom, 2592) drew with Kiril Georgiev (Bul, 2661); Vladimir Malakhov (Rus, 2605) drew with Alexei Dreev (Rus, 2676); K. Sasikiran (Ind, 2573) lost to Loek van Wely (Ned, 2643); Alexander Morozevich (Rus, 2756) bt Gilberto Milos (Bra, 2633); Zoltan Almasi (Hun, 2668) drew with Evgeny Vladimirov (Kaz, 2598); Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzb, 2690) drew with Pavel V. Tregubov (Rus, 2620); Vladislav Tkachiev (Uzb, 2690) bt Alexandre Lesiege (Can, 2584); Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr, 2719) drew with Jaan Ehlvest (Est, 2627); Sergei Movesesian (Cze, 2666) bt Viorel Iordachescu (Mda, 2594); Ilya Smirin (Isr, 2677) drew with Alexander Grischuk (Rus, 2606); Alexander Ivanov (US, 2567) lost to Grigory Serper (US, 2574); Alexie Shirov (Esp, 2746) drew with Alexander Onischuk (Ukr, 2627); Mikhail Gurevich (Bel, 2667) drew with Artashes Minasian (Arm, 2667; Boris Gelfand (Isr, 2681) bt Emir Dizdarevic (Bih, 2527); Jeroen Piket (Ned, 2649) bt Vladislav Nevedaichy (Rom, 2582); Evgeny Bareev (Rus, 2702) bt Rafael Vaganian (Arm, 2623) O; Vladimir Akopian (Arm, 2660) drew with Aleksej Alexandrov (Blr, 2591); Zurab Azmaiparashvili (Geo, 2673) bt Vladimir Baklan (Ukr, 2599); Boris Gulko (US, 2643) drew with Alexander Chernin (Hun, 2572).

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