Date:29/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/29/stories/2008032957091900.htm

Sport - Chess

Anand finishes tied sixth

NEW DELHI: Viswanathan Anand drew with Dutchman Loek van Wely to finish tied sixth in the Amber blindfold and rapid chess tournament at Nice, France, on Thursday.

In blindfold, Anand finished his engagements with six points and shared the fifth spot. Surprisingly, in rapid, Anand could manage only five points in 11 games to take the eighth spot.

Armenia’s Levon Aronian dominated this unique event and finished with 14.5 points from 22 games.

He also won the rapid crown and was part of a four-way tie for the blindfold title.

The results (12th round):

Blindfold: Viswanathan Anand drew with Loek van Wely (Ned); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) drew with Sergey Karjakin (Ukr); Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze) bt Boris Gelfand (Isr).

Veselin Topalov (Bul) bt Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr); Peter Leko (Hun) drew with Levon Aronian (Arm); Alexander Morozevich (Rus) drew with Magnus Carlsen (Nor).

Blindfold standings: 1-4. Aronian, Kramnik, Morozevich, Topalov (6.5 each); 5-7. Anand, Carlsen, Leko (6 each); 8-9. Karjakin, van Wely (5 each); 10-11. Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov (4.5 each), 12. Gelfand (3).

Rapid: Van Wely drew with Anand; Karjakin drew with Kramnik; Gelfand bt Mamedyarov; Ivanchuk bt Topalov; Aronian drew with Leko; Carlsen drew with Morozevich.

Rapid standings: 1. Aronian (8); 2. Ivanchuk (6.5); 3-5. Carlsen, Gelfand, Leko (6 each); 6-7. Kramnik, Topalov (5.5 each); 8. Anand (5); 9-11. Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Morozevich (4.5 each); 12. Wely (4).

Final combined standings: 1. Aronian (14.5) 2-5.Carlsen, Kramnik, Leko, Topalov (12 each).

6-8 Anand, Ivanchuk, Morozevich (11 each); 9. Karjakin (9.5); 10-12. Gelfand, Mamedyarov and van Wely (9 each).