| SAN
LUIS, Argentina, Oct 12, 2005: Viswanathan Anand has a made
a late bid to give Veselin Topalov a run for his money as
he won his 12th round game against Hungary’s Peter Leko
and close the gap between the leader and him to just 1.5 points,
but with only two rounds to go, it is very difficult to see
Topalov lose score less than a half point in the remaining
two games of the FIDE World Chess Championships.
Topalov
after a tough draw with Peter Svidler is now at nine points,
while Anand and Svidler are tied for second at 7.5 points.
Playing
with Black, Anand replied with e5 to Leko’s opening
of e4 in the Ruy Lopez closed variation. Anand, the NIIT Brand
Ambassador, who beat Rustam Kasimjanov in the previous round,
played an excellent game and outplayed the Hungarian, who
has been out of sorts.
Leko
has been at the receiving end in the Ruy Lopez often as it
happened in his Brissago match with Kramnik. He offered his
g-pawn as a gambit and Anand snatched it; and then threatened
mate the following move and then trapped the White bishop
in exchange.
Leko
despite an uneasy kingside allowed the Black queen to go on
the rampage instead of exchanging them. Leko tried to stem
the rot by checking Anand’s King on two occasions but
it could not stop the Indian ace. Leko after Rb1 was unable
to salvage his position. But he continued hoping from an error
on the other side. That was not coming and Anand won as Leko
resigned on the 53rd move.
In
the next round Anand has the chance to avenge his defeat against
Alexander Morozevich.
Topalov
and Svidler drew their Petroff’s Defence game, as did
Morozevich and Judit Polgar and Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Michael
Adams also ended in draws.
Topalov
needs one point from his next two games to sew up the title
all by himself.
Pairings
for Round 13: Adams v Leko; Anand v Morozevich; Kasimjanov
v Topalov; Polgar v Svidler
Results
of Round 12: Topalov drew with Svidler; Leko lost to Anand;
Kasimjanov drew with Adams; Morozevich drew with Polgar
Standings after Round 12: 1. Topalov 9.0; 2. Svidler and Anand
7.5; 4. Morozevich 6.0; 5. Kasimjanov and Leko 5.0; 7. Adams
4.5; 8. Polgar 3.5;
The
Moves
Leko
v Anand
World
Ch Arg Round 12
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6
7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. a3 Nc6 11. cxd5 Qxd5 12.
Nc3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Bf5 14. Re1 Rfe8 15. Bf4 Rac8 16. h3 Be4
17. Nd2 Bxg2 18. Bg4 Bh1 19. f3 Bh4 20. Rf1 f5 21. Bh5 g6
22. Kxh1 gxh5 23. Rg1+ Kh8 24. Qf1 Bf6 25. Rb1 Ne7 26. Bg5
Bxg5 27. Rxg5 Rg8 28. Rxg8+ Rxg8 29. Qe2 Ng6 30. Rb5 Qc6 31.
Rxf5 Qxc3 32. Rd5 Qxa3 33. Kh2 Qf8 34. Qe6 Qf4+ 35. Kh1 Rf8
36. Qe2 h4 37. Rd7 Rf7 38. Rd8+ Kg7 39. Ne4 Qxf3+ 40. Qxf3
Rxf3 41. Nc5 b6 42. Ne6+ Kf6 43. Nxc7 Rxh3+ 44. Kg1 Rd3 45.
Nb5 Kg5 46. Nxa7 h3 47. Nc6 Kg4 48. Ra8 Kg3 49. Ra1 h2+ 50.
Kh1 Nf4 51. Ne5 Re3 52. Rd1 Kh3 53. Nf7 Rg3 0-1
|
