KOCHI, February 23: Viswanathan Anand of India played a spectacular endgame replete with sacrifices to outwit Alexie Shirov of Spain in the first round of the category 21 Ciudad de Linares Chess Tournament last night, according to reports reaching here. With this Anand emerged sole leader after round one with one point as the other two games were drawn.Anand, seeded third behind Garry Kasparov and Vladmir Kramnik, both Russia, employed the Caro-Kann Defence and faced the advanced variation from white. Early exchanges paved the way for a diluted endgame position in which both had Queen, rooks and five pawns each. After 26 moves, the game looked like heading for a draw.
But in a good tactical sequence from move 31, Anand sacrificed his Queen for two rooks and slowly used his experience to grab two of Shirov's pawns. Finally, on move 54, the Indian sacrificed another pawn to combine his rooks for sweeping white's pawns. Realising that he had no chances against Anand's connected pawn on the Kingside, Shirovgave up after 55 moves.
In another game, Garry Kasparov employed the Sicilian Defence against the young Peter Svidler of Russia, who did well to keep the highest rated player in check throughout. Svidler earned a draw after 52 moves.
In the third game, Vladimir Kramnik seemed to have come out of the opening with a slight advantage against Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine. The game which got transposed to a Queens Gambit Declined reached an interesting ending by move 18 with Kramnik, white, keeping rooks and bishop and Ivanchuk having rooks and knight. The pawn structure was in favour of white. But Kramnik could not avoid a rook and pawn versus a rook ending and it ended in draw.
MOVES
Kramnik-Ivanchuk: 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Bf4 Bg4 4. e3 e6 5. c4 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Rc1 O - O 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Qe7 10. Bg5 Bxc3+ 11. Rxc3 Qb4 12. Bxf6 Qxb2 13. Rb3 Qc1+ 14. Qd1 Qxd1+ 15. Kxd1 dxc4 16. Rxb7 gxf6 17. Kd2 Rab8 18. Rxc7 Na5 19. Kc2 Rb4 20. Rxa7 Ra4 21. Rxa5 Rxa5 22. Bxc4 h5 23. h4 Rc8 24. Kd3 Rxc425. Kxc4 Rxa2 26. Rf1 f5 27. d5 Kf8 28. dxe6 fxe6 29. Kd4 Ke7 30. Ke5 Ra4 31. f3 Ra5+ 32. Kf4 Ra2 33. Rb1 Kf6 34. Kg3 Re2 35. Rb3 e5 36. Rb6+ Kg7 37. Rb3 Kf6 38. Ra3 Kg6 39. Kh3 Kf6 40. g4 hxg4+ 41. fxg4 fxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Kg6 43. h5+ Kh6 44. Ra6+ Kh7 45. Ra3 Kh6 46. Kf5 e4 47. Kxe4 Kxh5 48. Kf5 Rf2+ 49. Ke6 Re2 50. Kf5 Rf2+ 51. Ke5 Kg6 52. e4 Rb2 53. Ra7 Rb5+ 54. Ke6 Rb6+ 55. Ke7 Rb5 56. Ra6+ Kg5 57. Re6 Kf4 58. Kf6 Rh5 0.5-0.5
Shirov-Anand: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Ne7 8. c4 Nbc6 9. Nc3 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nc6 12. Bb5 Be7 13. O-O O-O 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Ne2 c5 16. Bc3 Qb6 17. Ng3 Bg6 18. Qg4 Rad8 19. h4 h6 20. h5 Bh7 21. f4 c4+ 22. Kh2 Bb4 23. f5 exf5 24. Nxf5 Bxf5 25. Rxf5 Bxc3 26. bxc3 Qe6 27. Raf1 Rfe8 28. R1f4 Rd5 29. Re4 Re7 30. Qf4 Rc7 31. Rxc4 Qxf5 32. Qxf5 Rxc4 33. Qb1 Rd8 34. Qb7 Rxc3 35. Qxa7 Rcc8 36. a4 Ra8 37. Qc7 Rdc8 38. Qb7 Re8 39. Qc6 Rac8 40. Qd7 Rcd8 41. Qc7 Rd5 42. a5 Rdxe5 43. a6 R5e7 44. Qc6 Rf8 45. Kh3 Ra7 46. g4 Rfa8 47. Kh4 Rxa648. Qb7 Ra5 49. Qc6 Rf8 50. Qb6 Rg5 51. Qb3 Kh8 52. Qb4 Re8 53. Qa4 Rd8 54. Qe4 f5 55. gxf5 Rf8 0-1
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
