Date:28/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/28/stories/2008032855441900.htm

Sport - Chess

Aronian wins title

NEW DELHI: Viswanathan Anand won in blindfold but lost the rapid game to Israel’s Boris Gelfand even as Armenia’s Levon Aronian won the Amber blindfold and rapid chess title with a round to spare in Nice, France, on Wednesday.

Aronian, who drew his 10th-round games with Vladimir Kramnik, opened up an unsurpassable 2.5 point lead at the top.

The results: 10th round: Blindfold: Boris Gelfand (Isr, 3) lost to Viswanathan Anand (5.5); Leok van Wely (Ned, 4.5) drew with Veselin Topalov (Bul, 5.5); Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr, 4.5) lost to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 3.5); Sergey Karjakin (Ukr, 4.5) drew with Alexander Morozevich (Rus, 6); Levon Aronian (Arm, 6) drew with Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 6); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 5.5) drew with Peter Leko (Hun, 5.5).

Rapid: Anand (4.5) lost to Gelfand (5); Topalov (5.5) bt Wely (3.5); Mamedyarov (4.5) drew with Ivanchuk (5.5); Morozevich (4) bt Karjakin (4); Kramnik (5) drew with Aronian (7.5); Leko (5.5) drew with Carlsen (5.5).

Combined standings: 1. Aronian (13.5), 2-5. Carlsen, Kramnik, Leko, Topalov (11 each), 6-8. Anand, Ivanchuk, Morozevich (10 each), 9. Karjakin (8.5), 10-12. Gelfand, Mamedyarov and Wely (8 each).