Viswanathan Anand registered his third win on the trot to join the lead group at the end of the seventh round of the Corus Grandmasters chess tournament in Wijk Aan Zee.
Anand playing Cuba's Lazaro Bruzon for the first time won an interesting game which began in the Queen's Indian, but without the routine Nc3.
The win gave Anand 4.5 points from seven rounds, three of them coming in last three rounds. He is now tied with Michael Adams, Peter Leko and Veselin Topalov with Vladimir Kramnik half a point behind the leaders.
Alexander Morozevich got his first draw after five straight losses against Topalov. Leko and Adams drew in a 41-move Ruy Lopez.
Bruzon, who had surprisingly joined the lead group after six round, seemed to have been led into this opening by Anand, who then turned on the pressure.
Though Anand seemed to have had the advantage very early, he did not quickly finish the game. But his position became stronger as Bruzon was in severe time trouble. And then Bruzon blundered and after the 40th he had a lost knight ending. He resigned on the 41st.
Anand now runs into Kramnik with white pieces in the eighth round and this could well be one of the most awaited matched, though a quick draw would not be a surprise.
Anand felt Bruzon's first mistake was his 20th move where the Cuban gave away the c3 square to Anand. Bruzon then had three minutes for 12 moves and that in a none-too-good position.
The game between Ruslan Ponomariov against Kramnik was also interesting, and Ponomariov had prepared a pawn sacrifice against the solid Svesnikov and soon had a razor sharp attack. Kramnik spent a lot of time and with precise play and managed to keep the balance. Kramnik tried to try to play for a win, which almost cost him the game. But then in the end Ponomariov forced perpetual on himself and ended with a draw.
In another round 7 game, Peter Svidler finally found a win when something went horribly wrong for Loek Van Wely. Svidler surprised him with a new move in a Sicilian Rossolimo and the Dutchman lost in just 20 moves.
Judit Polgar came very close to winning today against Nigel Short. During the whole game she was pressing and in the end she went for a favorable rook ending where Short escaped with a draw.
The last game to finish saw Ivan Sokolov and Alexander Grischuk draw even though Grischuk as usual came late, this time by 15 minutes, but Sokolov himself took 10 minute for the first move with white.
In Group C, Parimarjan Negi of India beat Z. Mamedyarova in the seventh round for his second win and he now has three points from two wins and two draws. The leaders are at 5.5 points.
Moves - Bruzon (2652) vs Anand (2786):
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qc2 Bb7 8.d4 Nbd7 9.a4 c5 10.0-0 b4 11.Bg5 Rc8 12.Nbd2 Be7 13.Rfc1 13...0-0 14.Qd3 h6 15.Bxf6 15...Bxf6 16.e3 Rc7 17.Qe2 [17.Ne4!?] 17...Qc8 18.Qb5 a6 19.Qf1 19...a5 20.b3 Rd8 21.Qb5 Bc6 22.Qe2 Qb7 23.Nc4 Qa8 24.Ra2 cxd4 25.exd4 Bd5 26.Rac2 Rdc8 27.Qd1 Qa6 28.Nfe528...Bxe5 29.Bxd5 Bxg3 30.hxg3 exd5 31.Ne3 Rxc2 32.Rxc2 Nf6 33.Rc5 Rxc5 34.dxc5 Qc6 35.Qd4 g6 36.Qe5 Nd7 37.Qd6 Qxd6 38.cxd6 Kf8 39.Nxd5 Nc5 40.Kf1 Ke8 41.Nb6 Nxb3 42.Ke2 Nc5 43.f3 h5 44.Ke3 b3 0-1
Pairings for round 8: Adams v Svidler; Anand v Kramnik; Bruzon v Topalov; Grischuk v Leko; Morozevich v Polgar; Short v Sokolov; Van Wely v Ponomariov.
Results of round 7: Leko drew with Adams; Topalov drew with Morozevich; Bruzon lost to Anand; Polgar drew with Short; Ponomariov drew with Kramnik; Svidler, beat Van Wely; Sokolov drew with Grischuk.
Corus A Standings after Round 7: 1. Leko, Topalov, Adams and Anand 4.5 each; 5. Kramnik, Grischuk and Bruzon 4.0 each; 8. Polgar and Ponomariov 3.5; 10. Van Wely and Short 3.0; 12. Sokolov and Svidler 2.5; 14. Morozevich 1.0.
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