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LUIS, Argentina, Oct 6, 2005: VISWANATHAN Anand’s bid
for the FIDE World Chess title received a big setback, when
he was stunned by Russian Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich
in the seventh round of the World Chess Championship here.
It was NIIT Brand Ambassador, Anand's second loss in the tournament
and it led to Anand sliding to the third position.
Meanwhile,
Veselin Topalov’s onslaught continued with a sixth win
in seven games. His latest victim was defending champion Rustam
Kasimdhzanov, who beat him in Triploli last year. Topalov,
won a 73-move game in the Ruy Lopez Closed and now has 6.5
points in seven games and is two points clear of Peter Svidler,
the second placed player, who beat Judit Polgar. Anand is
at 3.5 points sharing third place with Peter Leko who beat
Michael Adams.
All four
games ended in victories for white in the seventh round. In
the eighth round, Anand plays Judit Polgar. In their first
clash in the first round, Anand had scored a win over Polgar.
Morozevich
gave up a rook for black bishop on g2 and later exploited
his chances when Anand opened things up. Morozevich won after
51 moves. This was Morozevich´s first win of the tournament.
The Morozevich-Anand
game was in the Short Attack of the Caro-Kann. Morozevich
sacrificed the exchange for a pawn. And despite that he was
well placed in an interesting game from the Russian.
Anand
realized he was becoming weaker and tried some tactical play
to turn the momentum. But Morozevich was alive to it and did
not allow it. Moro’s bishop and pawns look far superior
to Anand’s rook. Also, the Black king was is awkwardly
placed on f8 making it vulnerable to a mating net. Anand then
tried to escape to a rook and bishop versus rook ending a
piece down. But Morozevich managed to convert his advantage
into his first win.
The way
Topalov is going, he is going to be difficult to stop. However,
Topalov has taken ample time to register his wins. He grinded
out Kasimdzhanov in a rook endgame in seven hours. Unless
there is a dramatic collapse in second half, it is difficult
to see anyone stopping Topalov in this form.
Svidler
handed Polgar her second consecutive loss and third in four
rounds. The four-time Russian champion was engaged in a Sicilian-Najdorf
and he absorbed the typical black exchange sacrifice on c3
and ground out the endgame. Svidler is in clear second place
but still two points behind Topalov.
Leko got
back to an even score after his terrible start by beating
Adams in a Petroff by converting the endgame. Adams is now
minus three.
Topalov
has now won four out of four with black and has 2.5 out of
three with white.
Results
of Round 7: Leko beat Adams; Morozevich beat Anand; Svidler
beat Polgar;
Topalov
beat Kasimdzhanov
Standings
after Round 7: 1. Topalov (6.5); 2. Svidler (4.5); 3. Anand
and Leko (3.5); 4; Morozevich and Kasimdzhanov (3); 5. Polgar
and Adams (2).
Round
8 Pairing: Topalov Vs Leko; Kasimdzhanov vs Morozevich; Adams
Vs Svidler; Anand Vs Polgar.
Morozevich
v Anand
World
Ch Arg Round 7
1. e4
c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. Nbd2 h6 7. O-O
Nd7 8. c3 a6 9. Nb3 Rc8 10. Nh4 Bh7 11. f4 c5 12. Bh5 Nf5
13. Nxf5 Bxf5 14. Be3 g6 15. Be2 h5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Nd4
Be4 18. a4 h4 19. a5 h3 20. g3 Bg2 21. Rf2 Ne4 22. Rxg2 hxg2
23. Kxg2 Bc5 24. Bd3 Qd7 25. Qf3 Bxd4 26. Bxd4 f5 27. exf6
e5 28. Bxe4 Qh3+ 29. Kf2 Qxh2+ 30. Qg2 exd4 31. Bxg6+ Kf8
32. Re1 d3 33. Bxd3 Rc6 34. Re5 Rd6 35. Kf3 Qxg2+ 36. Kxg2
Rh6 37. g4 Rhxf6 38. f5 Rf7 39. Kg3 b5 40. axb6 Rxb6 41. g5
Rd7 42. f6 d4 43. Bg6 Rb8 44. cxd4 Rxd4 45. Re7 Rdb4 46. Rf7+
Kg8 47. Rg7+ Kh8 48. Bf7 Rd4 49. Rg6 Rd3+ 50. Kg4 1-0
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