Viswanathan Anand failed to convert an advantageous position and settled for a draw against World champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine in the eighth round of the Linares Super Grandmasters chess tournament on Sunday.
Peter Leko of Hungary crushed Azerbaijani wonder kid Teimour Radjabov for the second time in the seven-player double round-robin tournament and jumped into joint lead with Braingames champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, who drew with top rated compatriot Garry Kasparov.
Both Kramnik and Leko have 4.5 points each while Anand and Kasparov follow the duo half a point behind.
Radjabov and Ponomariov share the fifth spot on 2.5 points apiece and local lad Francisco Vallejo Pons brings up the tail on 2 points with an extra game in hand.
Anand failed to come out of the demoralising defeat against Kasparov in the previous round and missed out on a winning attempt though he nevertheless did well to thwart the champ.
It was yet another Rossolimo attack game where the Ukrainian, white, played wildly in the vain hope of catching Anand off guard in the ensuing tactical complexities.
But Anand thwarted all threats posed by Ponomariov and got a firm control with right deployment of forces. The Ukaranian, meanwhile, worked on the queen side and got two connected passed pawns for some counter play.
Just when it looked like Anand was cruising through, a simple oversight cost him dearly. On the 39th move he missed out on a retreat that would have probably given him the full point. Ponomariov quickly capitalised on the inaccuracy and steered the game to a draw five moves later.
Kasparov tried hard to catch up with Kramnik in their first classical Ruy Lopez clash where the former played white. Getting a semblance of advantage after the opening, Kasparov went for routine manoeuvres, while Kramnik struck in the centre to equalise comfortably. The game ended in a draw through perpetual checks after 33 moves.
Leko again made mincemeat of 15-year-old Radjabov and clearly the young-beast will have to work on a makeshift opening from his French defence in the remaining games with black.
Leko got a superior position right from the opening and lingered on with his attack against the king even after Radjabov castled queenside in a McCutcheon variation.
The Hungarian was rewarded handsomely for his efforts as Radjabov allowed a queen sacrifice and resigned on the 32nd move.
Results (round 8): Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr, 2.5/7) drew Viswanathan Anand (4/7); Garry Kasparov (Rus, 4/7) drew Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 4.5/7); Peter Leko (Hun, 4.5/7) beat Teimour Radjabov (Aze, 2.5/7); Francisco Vallejo Pons (Esp, 2/6) had a bye.
The moves:
Ruslan Ponomariov v/s V Anand:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 Ne7 6. Qe2 Qc 7 7. Ng5 h6 8. Nh3 g6 9. f4 Bg7 10. c4 e5 11. Nc3 d5 12. o-o o-o 13. g4 ex f4 14. Bxf4 Qd7 15. exd5 cxd5 16. Rae1 Nc6 17. Nxd5 Nd4 18. Qg2 Qxg4 19. Ne7+ Kh7 20. Nxc8 Qxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Raxc8 22. Bd2 g5 23. Re7 Kg6 24. Rxa7 Ne6 25. b4 Rfd8 26. b5 Rxd3 27. Bc1 Rcd8 28. Raxf7 Rc3 29. Re7 Rd6 30. Nf2 Bf6 31. Re8 Rc2 32. Kh1 Rxc4 33. Re1 Nc7 34. Rg8+ Kh7 35. Rb8 Re6 36. Rf1 Nd5 37. Rc8 Bd4 38. Ng4 h5 39. Rd8 Nf4 40. Bxf4 gxf4 41. Nf2 Rc3 42. Rf8 Rc2 43. Rxf4 Ree2 44. b6 Bxf2 draw agreed.
Garry Kasparov v/s Vladimir Kramnik:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. a3 Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ba2 c6 14. Ng3 Bf8 15. Nf5 d5 16. d4 c5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. exd5 e4 19. N3d4 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. Bg5 Nfd7 22. Qg4 Ne5 23. Qg3 Ne6 24. Rad1 Nxg5 25. Qxg5 Qb7 26. Ng3 Nc4 27. Ndf5 Re6 28. b3 Nxa3 29. Rxe4 Rxe4 30. Nxe4 Qxe4 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Nxf7+ Kg8 33. Nh6+ Kh8 draw agreed.
Peter Leko v/s Teimour Radjabov
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 g6 9. Bd3 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 c5 11. h4 Bd7 12. h5 g5 13. f4 Nc6 14. fxg5 Qa5 15. dxc5 d4 16. Nf3 O-O-O 17. Rab1 dxc3+ 18. Ke2 Rhg8 19. Qe4 Qc7 20. g4 Ne7 21. Bb5 hxg5 22. Rb3 Nd5 23. Rhb1 Bc6 24. Bxc6 Qxc6 25. Nd4 Qa6+ 26. Ke1 Rd7 27. c6 Rc7 28. Rxb7 Rxb7 29. Rxb7 Nb6 30. Qh7 Rf8 31. Qg7 Qa3 32. Qxf8+. black resigned.
