Anand back to old ways

Reykjavik (Iceland), April 2: Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand of India showed flashes of brilliance as he topped his group to move into the ...

Reykjavik (Iceland), April 2: Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand of India showed flashes of brilliance as he topped his group to move into the knock-out semi-finals and raise hopes of an expected title showdown with Garry Kasparov in the Iceland rapid chess tournament at the Kopavogur Concert Hall here.

Russia’s Kasparov topped the other group to make it to the next round alongwith GMs Margier Petursson of Iceland and Alexander Wojtkeiwicz of Poland.

Anand, who looked slightly out of touch in recent times failing to do much in the Linares classical tournament and the Amber Rapid and Blindfold event, seemed to have got back his rhythm as he won three games quite comprehensively and drew two to gain four points out of a possible five and topped Group B.

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The Indian World No 2 had an easy outing in the first game against GM Johann Hjartarsson of Iceland, winning in a long drawn rook ending after 58 moves.

He then defeated Wojtkeiwicz in the second game with white pieces and settled for a draw with former World under-16 champion Henry Stefansson of Iceland.

Anand assured himself a berth in the next round with a win in the fourth game against Bosnian Ivan Sokolov. A draw in the in the last outing against Igor Arnasson of Iceland saw him finishing ahead of Wojtkeiwicz who garnered 3.5 points.

In Group `A’ that comprised `senior’ participants, Kasparov had no problems proving his superiority over the field.

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Kasparov – at 38, the youngest in his group – drew his first game against veteran Victor Korchnoi of Switzerland and then won the remaining four games to finish with 4.5 points, 1.5 ahead of Petursson, the other qualifier from Group `A’.

Anand will take on Petursson while Kasparov matches his wits against Wojtkeiwicz in the next round.

The winner of the two clashes will meet for the title. If that game ends in a draw, two five-minute games will be played.

If the stalemate continues, there will be another play-off in which white will have four minutes to five for black. The player with black pieces will be declared the winner in case of a draw.

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Results: Group A: Round I: H Olafsson lost to M Petursson; Jan Timman drew Friorik Olafsson; Garry Kasparov drew V Korchnoi. Round II: M Petursson bt V Korchnoi; F Olafsson lost to Garry Kasparov; H Olafsson drew Jan Timman. Round III: Jan Timman bt M Petursson; G Kasparov bt Holafsson; V Korchnoi lost to F Olafsson. Round IV: M Petursson bt F Olafsson; H Olafsson bt V Korchnoi; Jan Timman lost to G Kasparov. Round V: Kasparov bt Petursson; Korchnoi drew Timman; H Olafsson bt F Olafsson.

Group B: Round I: J Hjartarsson lost to Anand; H Stefansson lost to Ivan Sokolov; J Arnason lost to A Wojtkeiwicz; Round II: Anand bt Wojkeiwicz; Sokolov bt Arnason; J Hjartarsson drew H Stefansson. Round III: H Stefansson drew Anand; J Arnason lost to J Hjartarson; A Wojkeiwicz bt I Sokolov; Round IV: Anand bt I Sokolov; J Hjartarsson lost to A Wojtkeiwicz; Stefansson bt Arnason. Round V: J Arnason drew Anand; Wojtkeiwicz drew H Stefansson; I Sokolov bt Hjartarsson.

Standings: Group A: Kasparov (Russia) 4.5 points, Petursson (Iceland) 3, J Timman (Netherlands) 2.5, H Olafsson (Iceland) 2.5, F Olafsson (Iceland) 1.5; Korchnoi (Switzerland) 1

Group B: Anand (India) 4, A Wojtkeiwicz (Pol) 3.5, Sokolov (Bosnia) 3, H Stefansson (Iceland) 2.5, J Hjartarsson (Iceland) 1.5, J Arnason (Iceland) 0.5.