FIDE World champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan held India's Viswanathan Anand to a draw in the fourth round of the 22nd Linares Super Grandmasters Chess tournament in Linares.
In other matches, World championship finalist Michael Adams of England defeated local hope Francisco Pons Vallejo for his first victory and Bulgarian Veselin Topalov split points with Corus champion Peter Leko in a keenly contested game.
After four rounds, Anand and Russian Garry Kasparov are at the top of the table on 2.5 points from four games. They are followed by Kasimdzhanov, Topalov, Leko and Adams with 2 points each from as many games. Francisco Pons Vallejo has so far managed just half-a-point from three games.
Anand could not get any real advantage with white pieces against Kasimdzhanov, who is slowly gaining in reputation here.
When he won the World championship, Kasimdzhanov was not perceived as someone who will give the top players any real competition but so far here the Uzbek has shown more promise than many experts anticipated.
Playing against the Anti Marshall deployed by Anand, Kasimdzhanov made sure his opening ran right and it took little time thereafter for him to retain equality. Anand did
quite well amidst complexities to win a pawn but in the process his own light squared Bishop was imprisoned and Kasimdzhanov made most of it with correct placement of pieces resulting in a balanced endgame. The game lasted just 26 moves.
Adams was on the receiving end in the first round itself against Topalov but since then the Briton has shown enough character. After a couple of draws, Adams eventually gave the signal that he cannot be written off yet after a crushing victory against Vallejo who simply did not know what hit him.
It was an English attack against the Sicilian Nazdorf by Vallejo that did the trick for Adams. Playing the opening methodically and the middle game energetically, the Englishman got a firm control on the game and when the position commanded, a well executed plan resulted in a decisive advantage for him. Vallejo lost a couple of pawns and resigned on the 34th move.
Topalov was close to winning against Leko but the resistance of the latter proved superior in this last game to end in the day.
Playing white, the Bulgarian had advantage all over the board for quite some time in the Sicilian Sveshnikov but Leko neutralised the initiative with imaginative play. The truce was signed in 57 moves.