Anand’s fate hangs in balance

NEW DELHI, December 15: Viswanathan Anand is still hanging by a slender thread and Alexander Khalifman held him again in the second game of...

NEW DELHI, December 15: Viswanathan Anand is still hanging by a slender thread and Alexander Khalifman held him again in the second game of the third round in a long 49-move affair sending their match into the rapid games, according to information reaching here.

Anand, who just survived in a difficult first game, must now win the rapid to keep his hopes alive. He is the highest rated player and No 2 and 3 seeds have already been eliminated. If the match remains undecided after that, the two will play blitz games to determine who goes into the third round of the FIDE World Championships at Groningen.

Boris Gelfand who came into the tournament in the third round was held to 1-1 tie after two games by Frenchman Joel Lautier.

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3rd round results: Lautier – Gelfand 1-1; Oll – Tkachiev 1-1; Zvjaginsev – Seirawan 1-1; Dreev bt Sadler 1.5-0.5; Khalifman – Anand 1-1; Yussupov lost to Almasi 0.5-1.5; Milos – Shirov 1-1; Vaganian – Akopian 1-1; Azmaiparashvili bt Alexandrov 1.5-0.5; Bareev lost to Krasenkow 0.5-1.5; Beliavsky – Rublevsky 1-1; Short bt Sokolov 2-0; Piket – Van Wely 1-1; Georgiev bt Milov 1.5-0.5; Adams bt Tiviakov 1.5-0.5; Svidler bt Epishin 1.5-0.5.

THE MOVES
Anand versus Khalifman (Game 2 of Round 3)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Be7 10. f3 Qc7 11. g4 b5 12. Qd2 Bb7 13. Bf4 b4 14. Ne2 Rc8 15. Ng3 Qa5 16. Kb1 d5 17. g5 Nd7 18. h4 d8 19. Bh3 dxe4 20. fxe4 Nc5 21. Qe2 O-O 22. b3 Qb5 23. Qxb5 axb5 24. Bg2 f5 25. gxf6 Bxf6 26. Be3 Rc8 27. Bh3 Rfe8 28. Rd6 Nxe4 29. Nxe4 Bxe4 30. Rh2 Bf5 31. Bd4 Bxh3 32. Bxf6 gxf6 33. Rxh3 Kf7 34. Rhd3 f5 35. R6d4 Rc5 36. Rxb4 e5 37. a4 e4 38. Rd7 Ke6 39. Rd1 bxa4 40. Rxa4 Ke5 41. Kc1 Rec8 42. c4 e3 43. Ra7 R8c7 44. Ra8 Ke4 45. Rad8 f4 46. R1d4 Ke5 47. Kd1 Rc8 48. R8d7 R8c7 49. Rd8 Rc8