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01-31-2010, 08:42 AM
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Anand crushes Kramnik
 Viswanathan Anand World champion Viswanathan Anand produced his best game of the 72nd Corus chess tournament when he nailed joint leader and inform arch-rival Vladimir Kramnik in 45 moves in the most awaited clash of the 12th and penultimate round at Wijk aan Zee, near Amsterdam, on Saturday. Much against the anticipation of a quick draw between the only two previously unbeaten contenders in the 14-man field, both players produced a tactical battle. Anand, facing Kramnik’s favourite Petroff Defence, held a slight edge in the complex middle game. He traded his rook for a knight to commence a kingside offensive, avoided a draw by repetition of moves and later went on to trade the second rook for another minor piece. With Anand’s two advanced central passed pawns looking ominous, Kramnik gave up. The victory ensured a fourth place for Anand (7 points) behind new leader Magnus Carlsen (8 points), Alexie Shirov and Kramnik (7.5 each). Anand, the only unbeaten player in the field, faces DutchmanLoek van Wely in the final round on Sunday. In Group ‘B’, P. Hari Krishna drew and caught up with compatriot Parimarjan Negi who lost. In Group ‘C’, Abhijeet Gupta expectedly defeated Soumya Swaminathan to share the second spot. The results (12th round, Indians unless stated): Group ‘A’: Viswanathan Anand (7) bt Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 7.5); Peter Leko (Hun, 5.5) drew with Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 8); Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 6.5) drew with Alexei Shirov (Esp, 7.5); Sergei Tiviakov (Ned, 4.5) drew with Nigel Short (Eng, 4.5); Jan Smeets (Ned, 4) bt Leok van Wely (Ned, 4.5); Lienier Dominguez (Cub, 6) drew with Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr, 6.5); Fabiano Caruana (Ita, 5) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 6.5). Group ‘B’: Emil Sutovsky (Isr, 5.5) drew with P. Hari Krishna (6); Tomi Nyback (Fin, 4.5) bt Parimarjan Negi (6); Erwin L’Ami (Ned, 7.5) drew with Dimitri Reinderman (Ned, 4.5); Ni Hua (Chn, 7.5) drew with Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Rom, 5); David Howell (Eng, 6) drew with Wesley So (Phi, 7); Anna Muzychuk (Slo, 5) lost to Arkadij Naiditsch (Ger,7.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 8) v Varuzhan Akobian (USA, 3). Group ‘C’: Soumya Swaminathan (3) lost to Abhijeet Gupta (7.5); Ray Robson (USA, 7.5) drew with Nils Grandelius (Swe, 6); Robin Swinkels (Ned, 6.5) drew with Kjetils Lie (Nor, 5.5); Stefan Kuipers (Ned, 6)drew with Li Chao (Chn, 9); Benjamin Bok (Ned, 6.5) bt Daniele Vocaturo (Ita, 7). 
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