Former World champion Vishwanathan Anand lost yet again, paving the way for the world's top woman player, Judit Polgar, to take lead for the third time in the Chess Classic now in progress at Mainz.
The eight-game match now stands at 3-2 in favour of Judit, whose attacking style again left Anand wanting.
However, going by the pattern of this event, with Judit starting with a victory in the first game of the day and Anand equalizing in the second, the Indian is expected to bounce back with his white pieces in the sixth game.
The king meets the queen contest, that is also labelled as the battle of sexes, has just three games remaining and Anand might just be happy to stretch the match to a tiebreak stage which will happen in case of a 4-4 score after the normal games played under Rapid Chess rules.
It was another saga of Judit ruling the roost with her nonchalant, uncompromising and yet thematic and brilliant attacking chess. Anand failed to repeat his performance with the last black when he had come back after being on the ropes and scored a fine victory.
Once more the Nazdorf was the opening choice and this time Judit was in mood to go for the Classical variation.
Anand employed a tested variation against the English attack but Judit got the initiative with her better board control and did not let the cup slip.
Anand was forced to mingle with unfavourable tactical complications as his queen took an unwanted ride in to opposition territory and could not come back. Judit on her part did well to keep Anand's counter play in check and won the queen just in exchange for a rook and knight. Anand called it a day on the 27th move.
