Anand’s 1-1 result against keeps him in second place
March 23rd, 2008 - 10:45 am ICT by admin
Nice (France), March 23 (IANS) Viswanathan Anand lost his first-ever game to young Magnus Carlsen in his own rapid territory as the two drew their mini-match 1-1 in the seventh round of the 17th Blindfold and rapid Chess tournament Saturday. The mixed 1-1 result kept Anand in sole second position. However Lev Aronian beat Vesslin Topalov 1.5-0.5 and increased his lead to a full point with four more rounds to go.
In the overall standings Aronian from Armenia has a total of nine points from 14 games, while world champion Anand is in second place with eight points. Half a point behind are Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko.
Morozevich leads the standings in blindfold with five points from seven games, while Kramnik, Anand, Topalov and Carlsen have four each. Aronian leads the rapid standings with 5.5 points with Leko and Anand second at four each.
Anand won the blindfold game against Carlsen with remarkable ease. The Norwegian tried another Alekhine Defence but ended in a pretty position. The position they reached looked more like a Caro-Kann or a Slav, but not as a favourable version of one of those either.
White had the bishop pair and all Black could do was wait till Anand pushed d5. And once the tactics started they worked for White, who won a piece in return for a couple of feeble pawns. Carlsen was also in time pressure with Anand having 17 minutes to Carlsen’s four. Carlsen (black) finally resigned on the 47th.
The rapid game brought a surprise as Carlsen scored his first ever win over Anand. That win came despite Anand having 16 minutes and Carlsen just one. Carlsen admitted that he had been on unfamiliar ground in the opening and that Anand’s pawn sacrifice gave the Indian reasonable compensation. Anand’s mistake was missing a bishop move that gave White an extra pawn. From there Carlsen played steadily and converted his advantage despite shortage of time.
Alexander Morozevich defended his leading position in the blindfold standings with a win over Vasily Ivanchuk. They then drew the rapid game.
Results: Round 7:
Blind: Morozevich beat Ivanchuk; Kramnik drew with Van Wely; Leko drew with Gelfand; Mamedyarov drew with Karjakin; Topalov drew with Aronian; Anand beat Carlsen
Rapid: Ivanchuk drew with Morozevich; Van Wely drew with Kramnik; Gelfand drew with Leko; Karjakin drew with Mamedyarov; Aronian beat Topalov; Carlsen beat Anand
After Round 7
1. Aronian 9
2. Anand 8
3. Leko, Kramnik and Carlsen 7.5
6. Topalov, Ivanchuk and Morozevich 7
9. Karjakin 6.5
10. Mamedyarov 6
11. Gelfand and Van Wely 5.5
- Anand draws with Carlsen in sixth round; drops to second - Nov 12, 2009
- Anand held by Morozevic, placed joint second in Moscow meet - Nov 13, 2009
- Anand loses last round, falls to fourth - Nov 15, 2009
- Anand finishes sixth, Aronian wins Melody Amber title - Mar 28, 2008
- Anand beats Leko, joins Kramnik in lead at Tal Memorial chess - Nov 11, 2009
- Anand loses to Aronian, falls to fourth place - Mar 24, 2008
- Anand loses to Ivanchuk, slips to seventh spot - Mar 26, 2008
- Chance for Anand to move up in Amber Chess - Mar 25, 2008
- Anand wins one, loses one to Gelfand in Amber chess - Mar 27, 2008
- Anand wins one, loses one, lies second at Amber chess - Mar 21, 2008
- Anand loses rapid game, drops out of lead - Mar 19, 2008
- Anand wins rapid game again, stays in joint lead - Mar 17, 2008
- Anand starts with a win over Kramnik in Amber chess - Mar 16, 2008
- Anand cashes in on luck and class, lies sole second - Mar 22, 2008
- Anand faces Moro in fifth round at Amber chess - Mar 20, 2008
Tags: alexander morozevich, bishop move, blindfold, chess, five points, france march, magnus carlsen, nice france, pawn, pawns, peter leko, rapid chess tournament, rapid game, remarkable ease, seven games, slav, time pressure, viswanathan anand, vladimir kramnik, world champion