Rude defeats for World champion Viswanthan Anand and fellow Grandmaster Koneru Humpy summed up a pathetic day for the Indians in the first round of Corus Chess tournament in the Netherlands.
Hot favourite for the crown with his enviable record on the Dutch soil, Anand was in for a surprise against in-form Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan as the latter showcased his deep preparation and technical acumen to romp home in the 'A' group.
Radjabov, along with Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Levon Aronian of Armenia, emerged as the early leaders in this category-20 tournament with victories in the opener.
While Carlsen put up a fine show to beat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, former World champion Veselin Topalov was comprehensively beaten by Aronian. The remaining games of the 14-players' round-robin event ended in draws.
In group 'B' Grandmaster Humpy did not get many chances against Jan Smeets of Holland.
Playing black, Humpy slowly put on the defence of her queen side and faced an uphill task when Smeets gave two pieces for a rook. The ensuing endgame was clearly inferior and the Indian did not survive for long.
Playing in group 'C' for the third time, Parimarjan Negi was subjected to a vigorous king side attack by Pontus Carlsson of Sweden in a Sicilian Dragon defense game where the latter played black.
Parimarjan decided to decline an exchange sacrifice early in the middle game and did not get a second chance as Carlsson threw his pieces at white king in tandem.
The lone Indian survivor was P Harikrishna in group 'B' and he too was on the verge of defeat against Nigel Short of England in a game of fluctuating fortunes.
Playing with white, Harikrishna opened with the king pawn and faced the French defense, got a better middle game that he nurtured well to get a good advantage but miscalculated his chances in the later part to reach a seemingly lost position.
However, a determined Harikrishna fought on and salvaged a half point in the end.
Anand embarked on his pet Semi Slav as black but Radjabov was quite well prepared in the opening. The Azerbaijani, who recently won the ACP world rapid championship, got a decent position in the middle game and knocked down Anand's rook for a Bishop to simplify matters.
Even though Anand fought very hard thereafter and even appeared to be close to a draw at one point, the nature of the position remained difficult. Radjabov won after 85 moves.
Results of round 1, Group 'A': Levon Aronian (Arm) beat Veselin Topalov (Bul); Teimour Radjabov (Aze) beat Viswanathan Anand (Ind); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) drew with Loek Van Wely (Ned); Michael Adams (Eng) drew with Boris Gelfand (Isr); Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr) drew with Judit Polgar (Hun); Pavel Eljanov (Ukr) drew with Peter Lk (Hun); Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze) lost to Magnus Carlsen (Nor).
Group 'B': Daniel Stellwagen (Ned) beat Michal Krasenkow (Pol); Jan Smeets (Ned) beat Koneru Humpy (Ind); Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus) drew with Erwin L'Ami (Ned); Sergei Movsesian (Svk) drew with Gabriel Sargissian (Arm); P Harikrishna (Ind) drew with Nigel Short (Eng); Hou Yifan (Chn) lost to Etienne Bacrot (Fra); Wouter Spoelman (Ned) lost to Ivan Cheparinov (Bul).
Group 'C': Li Shilong (Chn) beat Irina Krush (Usa); Mark Van der Werf (Ned) beat Efstratios Grivas (Gre); Peng Zhaoqin (Ned) lost to Caruana Fabiano (Ita); Friso Nijboer (Ned) lost to Arik Braun (Ger); Parimarjan Negi (Ind) lost to Pontus Carlsson (Swe); Anna Ushenina (Ukr) lost to John Van der Wiel (Ned); Dennis Ruijgrok (Ned) lost to Dimitri Reinderman (Ned).
The moves: Teimour Radjabov v/s V Anand
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd6 a6 14. Re1 Bf8 15. Bg3 Bg7 16. Bd6 Bf8 17. Bxf8 Rxf8 18. b3 b4 19. Na4 c3 20. a3 a5 21. d5 Qe7 22. d6 Qf6 23. e5 Qf4 24. Bd3 bxa3 25. Qe2 Qd2 26. Rxa3 Qxe2 27. Rxe2 g4 28. Nxc3 Rg8 29. Ne4 Kd8 30. Nd2 c5 31. Bb5 Bd5 32. Nc4 Rg5 33. Rea2 Nxe5 34. Nb6 Rb8 35. Rxa5 Be4 36. Ra7 f6 37. R2a6 Rg8 38. Rc7 Rf8 39. Rxc5 Rf7 40. d7 Nxd7 41. Nxd7 Rxd7 42. Bxd7 Kxd7 43. Rc3 f5 44. Ra7+ Kd6 45. Rh7 Bd5 46. Rxh6 Bxb3 47. h3 gxh3 48. Rhxh3 Bd5 49. Rc2 Ke5 50. f3 Kf6 51. Kf2 Rb4 52. Re2 Kg6 53. Kg3 Ra4 54. Rh4 Ra7 55. Rb2 Kf6 56. Rhb4 Ke5 57. Re2+ Kf6 58. Rd2 Ke5 59. Re2+ Kf6 60. Kf4 Ra3 61. Rd2 Ra5 62. Re2 Ra3 63. Kg3 Ra8 64. Rc2 Ke5 65. Rh4 Rg8+ 66. Kh2 Ra8 67. Re2+ Kf6 68. f4 Ke7 69. Rh7+ Kd6 70. Kg3 Rg8+ 71. Kh3 Rg4 72. g3 Rg8 73. Rd2 Rc8 74. Kh4 Rc3 75. Rg7 Ra3 76. Rc2 Bc6 77. Rc1 Rb3 78. Rg1 Bd5 79. Kg5 Kc5 80. Kf6 Kd4 81. Re1 Rb6 82. Rd7 Rc6 83. Ke7 Ra6 84. Rd6 Ra7+ 85. Kf6.
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