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WIJK AAN
ZEE, JANUARY 26: Viswanathan Anand was held to a draw by world
junior champion, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who looked like he
was essentially playing to ensure a half point in the tenth
round of the Corus Grandmasters chess tournament at the de
Moriaan Hall in Wijk Aan Zee.
Anand’s draw and Veselin Topalov’s fine win over
Lev Aronian to edge ahead of the Indian and into sole lead.
The tenth round is followed by the tournament’s last
rest day and then Topalov has white against Anand in 11th
round.
Topalov now has 7.5 points from ten rounds and Anand has seven.
Michael Adams and Boris Gelfand followed at 6.5 each.
World junior champ Mamedyarov played very cautiously against
Anand in a Queen’s Indian. He was coming back from two
consecutive losses and therefore wanted to take no chances
with the Indian looking for fifth Corus title. So, Mamedyarov
decided not to risk anything. Anand himself deviated from
his previous round game in the same line, just in case Mamedyarov
had prepared some surprise in it.
Once the second pair of rooks was traded, it went towards
a boring draw and Anand proposed it himself, which Mamedyarov
accepted after 26 moves. Anand commenting on his opponent’s
play said that that he chose a "Very solid line, not
much you can do"
Topalov
found a new idea in a variation of the Queen's Indian seen
in Kramnik - Leko 2004. Black held in that game, here he uncorked
an exchange sacrifice on move 18 which put black in a lot
of trouble. Aronian didn't find the way our and Topalov's
passed pawns became a huge factor allowing him to part with
a second exchange. He then wrapped things up efficiently after
first time control.
Pairings for Round 11: Karjakin v Sokolov; Aronian v Gelfand;
Ivanchuk v Topalov; Anand v Tiviakov; Leko v Mamedyarov; Kamsky
v van Wely; Adams v Bacrot
Results
of Round 10: Gelfand drew with Karjakin; Tiviakov drew with
Ivanchuk; Mamedyarov drew with Anand; Topalov beat Aronian;
Sokolov drew with Adams; Van Wely beat Leko; Bacrot beat Kamsky
Standings
after Round 10: 1. Topalov 7.5; 2. Anand 7.0; 3. Adams and
Gelfand 6.0; 5. Karjakin and Ivanchuk 5.5; 7. Van Wely 5.0;
8. Tiviakov, Leko and Aronian 4.5; 11. Mamedyarov and Bacrot
4.0; 13. Sokolov 3.5; 14. Kamsky 2.5
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