Lputian holds Anand

By Rakesh Rao

NEW DELHI, DEC. 3. Sunday was not exactly an off-day for Viswanathan Anand. Yet, quite understandably, he was happy to spend very little time at work. After all, he knows the futility of an early sprint in what promises to be a marathon in days to come.

A quick 19-move draw with black pieces against Armenian Smbat Lputian was a just result for Anand in the first game of the third round in the World chess championship here on Sunday. No heroics but respect for the position on the board.

Nine of other 15 results proved decisive with only Boris Gulko and Peng Xiamon upstaging higher rated opponents.

Lputian is one of the accomplished players from Armenia. Several times National champion, this 42-year-old born on Valentine's Day appeared looked well prepared in the Slav game today.

The game followed theory for most part of the match with Anand coming up with a novelty on the 16th move. Anand's isolated pawn on the `c' file was of no real concern though Lputian had managed to plant his rook on the seventh rank.

Soon, Lputian's draw-offer was accepted. About playing white on Monday, Anand quipped, ``Well, tomorrow is another day.''

It took a while for the decisive results to come. But when they started, they came in a heap. Evgeny Bareev and Boris Gulko took a step closer to their possible likely clash in the pre- quarterfinals. Similarly, Bulgarian Veselin Topalov and Russian Alexey Dreev, too, found themselves a draw away from meeting in the round of 16.

Holder Alexander Khalifman drew in 49 moves of Queen's Indian Defence against Peter Leko. Looking positionally better, Leko could not find a way to breach Khalifman's defences.

Peace treaty was signed following a rook-and-minor-piece ending.

Playing on the white side of Catalan, Bareev gained some initiative following sustained queen-side play.

Aleksej Alexandrov ended up with pawn weaknesses as Bareev slowly outplayed him positionally. On the 25th move, Bareev won a knight and expediated the end. Alexandrov resigned on the 31st move.

Gulko, surprised Georgian Zurab Azmaiparashvili in the middle- game. In Queen's Indian Defence, Gulko thwarted Azmaiparashvili's plans on the queen's side. After some simplification, it was Gulko who gained space and also had a passed pawn on the sixth rank of `b' file. Though materially equal, Gulko was positionally far superior.

But he gained absolute control when he managed to `fork' Azmaiarashvili's queen and two rooks. After losing his queen for a rook and two pawns, the Georgian tried to coordinate his rooks to support the advanced pawn on the `c' file but of no avail. Soon, to prevent a mating-attack, Azmaiarshvili had to give up his rook for bishop and resigned on the 43rd move.

Igor Nataf, the man who advanced at the expense of Nigel Short last evening, went down to Rafael Leitao, the conqueror of Frenchman Joel Lautier.

Around the same time, Peng Xiaomin, the lone Chinese in the fray, overcame Russian Peter Svidler In Scotch game lasting 55 moves, Peng enjoyed positional advantage throughout. After reaching a rook-and-minor-piece ending, Peng's knight made the decisive difference.

Easy win for Gelfand

Boris Gelfand emerged an easy winner with Jeroen Piket resigning after losing a knight as a result of overlooking a `fork.' Second seeded Alexander Morozevich, too, was a comfortable winner over Evgeny Vladimirov.

The results: (Round three: game one): Smbat Lputian (Arm, 2598) drew with Viswanathan Anand (Ind, 2762); Alexander Beliavsky (Slo, 2659) drew with Bartlomiej Macieja (Pol, 2536); Alexander Khalifman (Rus, 2667) drew with Peter Leko (Hun, 2743); Rafael Leitao (Bra, 2567) bt Nataf Igor (Fra, 2526); Alex Yermolinsky (USA, 2596) drew with Michael Adams (Eng, 2755); Peng Xiaomin (Chn, 2657) bt Peter Svidler (Rus, 2689); Kiril Georgiev (Bul, 2661) lost to Veselin Topalov (Bul, 2707); Loek van Wely (Ned, 2643) lost to Alexey Dreev (Rus, 2676); Alexander Morozevich (Rus, 2756) bt Evgeny Vladimirov (Kaz, 2598); Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzb, 2690) drew with Vladislav Tkachiev (Fra, 2657); Jaan Ehlvest (Est, 2627) drew with Sergei Movesesian (Cze, 2666); Alexander Grischuk (Rus, 2606) bt Grigory Serper (USA, 2574); Alexei Shirov (Esp, 2746) drew with Mikhail Gurevich (Bel, 2667); Boris Gelfand (Isr, 2681) bt Jeroen Piket (Ned, 2649); Evgeny Bareev (Rus, 2702) bt Aleksej Aleksandrov (Blr, 2591); Zurab Azmaiparashvili (Geo, 2673) lost to Boris Gulko (USA, 2643).

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