World rapid champion Viswanathan Anand got off to a flier with a resounding victory over Latvian-born Spaniard Alexei Shirov in the blindfold game of the first round of 14th Amber Blindfold and Rapid chess tournament that got underway in Monaco on Saturday.
The first round of one of the most competitive events produced as many as five decisive games out of a possible six, bringing out as many as five leaders with the first round at the Monte Carlo Grand hotel.
The event that has many of the top players of the world, derives special interest from the chess fraternity owing to an unusually competitive environment with three events clubbed into a single one.
The event is being played on a round-robin basis with one blindfold and one rapid game in each round. The total prize fund is Euros 193250.
Even as Anand won an absorbing game against Shirov, former Russia champion Peter Svidler stole the day one honours with a crushing victory over Corus champion Peter Leko of Hungary, who is yet to score his first victory since his triumph on the Dutch soil a couple of months back.
Russian Vladimir Kramnik, looking forward to redeem pride also had a fine start with an easy victory over Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk.
Also winning in the first game was last year's joint winner with Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich, who had it easy against Dutchman Loek Van Wely in just 32 moves.
The other decisive game of the was between Spaniard Francisco Pons Vallejo and Bulgarian Veselin Topalov in which the former proved superior in a keenly contested battle.
Anand displayed his natural talent in getting past Shirov against whom he has an excellent score.
Playing the white side of a Petroff defence the Indian ace was in his element in securing a slightly better position in the ensuing middle game and routine technique helped by Shirov's rather lackluster play cast the dye decisively.
Soon after the game entered a queen and minor piece endgame, Shriov missed a technical finesse that resulted in Anand getting a decisive advantage with a passed pawn on the queen side and the game lasted just 35 moves.
Kramnik took a move less against Ivanchuk, who is the only player to have played all the 14 editions here.
Up against a Sicilian Paulsen, the Russian had things under control right from the word go and after Ivanchuk lost an exchange it just became a matter of routine technique wherein Kramnik seldom falters.
Svidler faced the English opening as black against Leko and had the Hungarian on the ropes with fine planning.
After the dust subsided Leko found himself an exchange and a handful of pawns less and there was no point continuing.
Russian Evgeny Bareev drew with Boris Gelfand of Israel in the lone drawn encounter of the first round of Blindfold.
Results round 1 (Blindfold):
Viswanathan Anand (Ind) beat Alexei Shirov (Esp); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) beat Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr); Alexander Morozevich (Rus) beat Loek Van Wely; Francisco Pons Vallejo (Esp) beat Veselin Topalov (Bul); Evgeny Bareev (Rus) drew with Boris Gelfand (Isr); Peter Leko (Hun) lost to Peter Svidler (Rus).
