The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Gata Kamsky in sole lead

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Friday, May 19, 2006

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Sport - Chess

Gata Kamsky in sole lead

NEW DELHI: Viswanathan Anand drew with Etienne Bacrot, while Peter Svidler toppled World champion Veselin Topalov and overnight joint leader Gata Kamsky jumped ahead of the pack by pulverising Ruslan Ponomariov in the sixth round of the Mtel Masters chess tournament in Sofia on Wednesday.

The results left Kamsky leading with 4.5 points, half a point ahead of Anand. Svidler moved to the sole third place at 3.5 points, one ahead of Topalov.

Anand was involved in a 50-move draw with Bacrot after offering a rook for bishop in the middle game of their battle in Ruy Lopez.

Anand now plays Topalov who crashed to his second loss with white pieces after Svidler's extra bishop played the decisive role in their Gruenfeld Botvinnik game lasting 61 moves.

Kamsky, the comeback man, returned to the top of the points-table with a crushing assault on Ponomariov, the 2001 World champion, in 41 moves of Ruy Lopez.

The results: sixth round: Viswanthan Anand (Ind, 4) drew with Etienne Bacrot (Fra, 2); Veselin Topalov (Bul, 2.5) lost to Peter Svidler (Rus, 3.5); Gata Kamsky (US, 4.5) bt Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr, 1.5).

Seventh round pairings: Anand-Topalov; Bacrot-Kamsky; Ponomariov-Svidler.

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