Anand beats Polgar to score first win

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January 20, 2008 18:39 IST

Viswanathan Anand won his first game handing Judit Polgar a defeat in the seventh round of Corus Granmasters
chess tournament in Wijk Aan Zee.

It was game similar to the one they played 10 years ago.

With this win Anand avenged that defeat winning in 53 moves of a game in Sicilian Najdorf. It was Anand's first win and first loss for Polgar in this year's event.

The win helped Anand find back his way in the tournament he has won five times. In seven rounds Anand now has 3.5 points and moves in a tie for fifth place with five others.

Overall it was a good day for Indians, as Koneru Humpy also got her first win B and Parimarjan Negi won his fourth game in Group C. Only Pentala Harikrishna drew his game.

In group B, Koneru Humpy also got her first win beating the strong Polish Grandmaster Michael Krasenkow in a Modern defence, where the game went as long as 94 moves before the Indian won.

In another long game in the same group Pentala Harikrishna drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi in Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz and the game went to a marathon 122 moves.

Harikrishna is tied third with four points while Sergei Movsesian and Etienne Bacrot of France lead with five points each. Hari is tied third with Jan Smeets, Nigel Short, Daniel Stellwagen.

India's Konru Humpy moved up to tied 10th with three points.

In group C, Parimarjan Negi won his fourth game beating American Irina Krush in just 39 moves following a Sicilian Rauzer opening.

Negi now has four points and is tied for sixth. The leader is Arik Braun of Germany with five points and he is tied with Fabiano Caruana of Italy.

Anand lost the Sicilian game in 1998, and was in trouble this time, too.

Both players were in agreement that white had many good ways to improve her position and get very close to a winning advantage.

But with Anand turning the flow, Polgar could not accept the change of events and try to got for a draw. So, she went downhill and lost to the Indian star in 53 moves.

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