Viswanathan Anand held an advantage but could not convert it into a win as he played a draw with Peter Leko in the fifth round of the World Chess Championships.
The NIIT Brand Ambassador, Anand, is now lying tied second with three points with Peter Svidler, while the leader Veselin Topalov surged ahead with his fourth win in five rounds. Topalov, who beat Svidler, has 4.5 points in five rounds.
Anand played very well against Leko and had what looked like a strategically won position. But an unconvincing rook manoeuvre (to c6, where the knight would have been better placed) gave his opponent enough counterplay to draw.
Anand, white, opened with e4 and Leko replied with the familiar c5 and the game followed the set pattern of Sicilian Sveshnikov, which is what they have played the last five times they have clashed. Leko won once in Wijk with the same opening.
Anand, trying to rebound from his loss in the fourth round to defending champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, played cautiously. Only well into the middle game did the duo begin using the queens.
Leko forced Anand to think for a long time with 29. Qd4. The Queens were exchanged thereafter and white seemed to have an advantage. But that was not enough to grind out a win, and Leko was precise. The point was split after 60 moves.
Topalov kept his winning streak by defeating Svidler in a Sicilian Najdorf Variation game. Topalov had black and replied with c5 to Svidler's e4 opening. The game lasted just 44 moves.
Michael Adams and Rustam Kasimdzhanov were also engaged in a Sicilian Najdorf but settled for a quick draw after 29 moves. The fourth game was in Philidor's Defence pattern between Judit Polgar and Russia's Alexander Morozevich. Polgar looked strong against Morozevich but did not get more than the split point.
The Bulgarian now has 4.5 out of five games, which translates to an Elo performance of 3124, which is phenomenal.
Pairings for Round 6: Adams v Morozevich; Anand v Svidler; Kasimdzhanov v Leko, Polgar v Topalov
Results of Round 5: Adams drew with Kasimdzhanov; Polgar drew with Morozevich; Svidler lost to Topalov; Anand drew with Leko
Standings after Round 5: 1. Topalov 4.5; 2. Anand and Svidler 3.0; 4. Kasimdzhanov 2.5; 5. Leko and Polgar 2.0; 7. Adams and Morozevich 1.5.
Anand v Leko
W Ch Arg Round 5
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. a4 bxa4 14. Rxa4 a5 15. Bc4 Rb8 16. Ra2 g6 17. O-O Kh8 18. b4 axb4 19. cxb4 Be6 20. b5 Bxd5 21. exd5 Na5 22. Be2 Ra8 23. Nb4 Nb7 24. Ra6 Nc5 25. Rc6 Ra4 26. Qb1 Qa5 27. Na6 Ne4 28. b6 Qxd5 29. Qb5 Qd4 30. Rc4 Rxc4 31. Qxc4 Nc3 32. Bd3 Qxc4 33. Bxc4 d5 34. Bxd5 Nxd5 35. b7 e4 36. b8=Q Rxb8 37. Nxb8 e3 38. fxe3 Bxe3+ 39. Kh1 Kg7 40. Nc6 h5 41. Rd1 Nf6 42. Rb1 Ng4 43. g3 Bg5 44. Kg2 Bf6 45. Re1 Nh6 46. Kf3 Nf5 47. Rd1 Nh6 48. h3 Nf5 49. Rd7 Kf8 50. Na5 Nd4+ 51. Kg2 Nf5 52. Nc4 Kg7 53. g4 hxg4 54. hxg4 Ne7 55. Nd6 Be5 56. Ne4 Ng8 57. g5 Kf8 58. Rb7 f6 59. Nc5 Ke8 60. Nd3 Bd6 1/2-1/2
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