Kramnik remains King of Dortmund

By Arvind Aaron

DORTMUND, JULY 22. Braingames World chess champion, Vladimir Kramnik, won his sixth title on tie-break after all final round games ended in sweeping draws in the 29th Sparkassen Chess Meeting on Sunday.

Kramnik, 26, totalled 6.5 points from 10 games after his 19-move draw with the black pieces against Russian countryman Alexander Morozevich. It was his first classical chess victory since unseating Kasparov in London last November. He was second in Wijk aan Zee and Astana earlier this year.

Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria achieved a career milestone by sharing first place on 6.5 points after he could not defeat Michael Adams of England with the white pieces and get a clear first place. Topalov and Adams drew in 25 moves. Topalov's S.B.tie-break score was 28.25 to Kramnik's 30.75.

Kramnik won his sixth title in seven appearances here. He had won in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000 earlier. In 1992, he played in the open tournament and won it too. Kramnik's record in Dortmund is so special that he is called `King of Dortmund.'

Topalov, who shared the first place in Dos Hermanas 1996, has woken up again to improve his career-best showing to a joint first place. The same two players also jointly took the first spot in the Amber tournament at Monte Carlo this spring.

It was a routine morning session for a super category tournament. All three games ended in draws and lasted 13, 19 and 25 moves respectively. Strangely, all days except the final round produced at least one decisive game.

It was a nervous day for both Kramnik and Topalov as there was a lot at stake had one of them won. But both drew in short games. Adams played the Petroff's defence as black and got good play for his bishops and blocked white's progress. Topalov proposed a draw and soon Kramnik offered a draw on his board.

Morozevich played the Scotch game with the white pieces against Kramnik. After white recovered a sacrificed pawn, Kramnik offered a draw with his 19th move that was accepted. It was a poor final day with spectators having almost no value for money (entry fee Rs. 240).

Anand figured in a quiet 13-move draw with the white pieces against Leko from a Sicilian Paulsen opening. ``I am ashamed of myself for the way I played,'' Leko remarked as he came out of the hall.

It was easily a nightmare of a tourney for Anand. And thankfully for him, it was all over on Sunday as he finished minus four. Interestingly, Anand has never finished last before and had tied for first place last time here.

His next event is in Spain from August 18-19 and it is fortunately rapid chess where his main rival will be Alexei Shirov.

Anand's classical chess engagements for the year are the World chess championship of FIDE, venue for which is yet to be announced. Organisers from Wijk aan Zee were `hopeful' to sign him for their next edition in January 2002 and those from Linares confirmed his participation from February 23, 2002.

His scoring was 0.5-1.5 against Morozevich, 1-1 against Adams, 0- 2 against Topalov, 0.5-1.5 against Kramnik and 1-1 against Leko. Anand is bound to lose about 15 hard-earned Elo points in the January 2002 rating list or earlier lists if FIDE updates them.

Fritz6-Huebner game drawn

The computer match ended in a flat 3-3 draw with German Grandmaster Robert Huebner not trying to win with the white pieces on Sunday. Terminal illness of his mother is the reason for his nine-move draw offer. ``It was pre- agreed,'' said Fritz board operator and inventor Mr. Frans Morsch.

Naiditch beats Lautier

Dortmund talent Arkadi Naiditch beat Almira Lautier of Moldova 7- 3 in a one-sided match held on the same podium as the super category tournament.

The results (round 10): V. Anand (Ind) drew with P. Leko (Hun), A. Morozevich (Rus) drew with V. Kramnik (Rus), V. Topalov (Bul) drew with M. Adams (Eng).

Final placings: 1-2 V. Kramnik (Rus), V. Topalov (Bul) 6.5/10 each, 3 P. Leko (Hun) 5.5, 4 A. Morozevich (Rus) 5, 5 M. Adams (Eng) 3.5, 6 V. Anand (Ind) 3.

Sasikiran among leaders

DORTMUND, JULY 22. Second seed K. Sasikiran won his second round game, defeating Czech IM Petr Pisk with the white pieces to be among the 35 leaders in the Czech Open at Pardubice on Saturday. Grandmaster Sasikiran, 20, has two points from two rounds in this event which will conclude on July 29. A total of 303 players are in the fray.

Prasad ties for second spot

DORTMUND, JULY 22. IM D. V. Prasad of Indian Oil, Bangalore, tied for second place in the Grandmaster Open after making a final round draw here on Sunday.

Hungarian Grandmaster Zoltan Varga won the Open with a final round victory over Uzbek Grandmaster Mihail Saltaev. Varga got 2,000 marks for his victory. He scored 8.5 points from 11 rounds.

Prasad, 39, who completed his second Grandmaster norm, remained undefeated in the tournament and made it a memorable one. In a Ruy Lopez, Zaitsev variation, Prasad and IM Davit Lobzhanidze of Georgia drew in 25 moves to take their tally to eight points. ``I tried but it did not work,'' said Prasad, who took the draw playing white on the top board. ``With the new confidence I hope to play well in Biel from tomorrow,'' said Prasad. Prasad finished in a tie for the second to fifth places with eight points and is in the prize list.

The other two Indians finished the event on a winning note. While Abhijit Kunte prevailed in 36 moves with the black pieces against untitled Klaus Friedrichs, his roommate P. Konguvel won in just 26 moves with the black pieces against FM Heiko Kummerow from a Sicilian dragon variation. Both Kunte and Konguvel finished on 7.5 points from 11 games and are hoping to enter the prize list. They tied for the sixth to 13th places. - Our Chess Correspondent

- Our Chess Correspondent

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