Date:24/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/24/stories/2008032460232100.htm

Sport - Chess

Mixed luck for Anand

NEW DELHI: Viswanathan Anand split points with young Norwegian Magnus Carlsen after winning the blindfold game in their seventh round encounter of the Amber blindfold and rapid chess tournament at Nice, France, on Saturday.

Anand, playing white, won the blindfold game easily in 47 moves of Alekhine Defence. However, in the rapid game that followed, Anand did not anticipate Carlsen’s bishop move on the 17th turn that caused irreparable damage. Thereafter, Carlsen called the shots and won the Sicilian game in 48 moves. This is Anand’s second loss in rapid games in this edition.

Anand with eight points is second to Levon Aronian in the overall standings. He shares the second spot in both blindfold and rapid point-positions.

The results (seventh round): Blindfold: Viswanathan Anand (4) bt Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 4); Veselin Topalov (Bul, 4) drew with Levon Aronian (Arm, 3.5); Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 2.5) drew with Sergey Karjakin (Ukr, 3); Peter Leko (Hun, 3.5) drew with Boris Gelfand (Isr, 2); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 4) drew with Loek van Wely (Ned, 3); Alexander Morozevich (Rus, 5) bt Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr, 3.5).

Rapid: Carlsen (3.5) bt Anand (4); Aronian (5.5) bt Topalov (3); Karjakin (3.5) drew with Mamedyarov (3.5); Gelfand (3.5) drew with Leko (4); Wely (2.5) drew with Kramnik (3.5); Ivanchuk (3.5) drew with Morozevich (2).

Combined standings: 1. Aronian (9), 2. Anand (8), 3-5. Leko, Kramnik, Carlsen (7.5 each); 6-8. Topalov, Ivanchuk, Morozevich (7 each), 9. Karjakin (6.5), 10. Mamedyarov (6), 11-12. Gelfand and Wely (5.5 each).