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Leko shocks Anand as Armenia fights back
Sify, India
June 15 2004
Moscow: Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand suffered a shock defeat
at the hands of Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko in the fifth and
penultimate round of Armenia versus Rest of the World chess contest at
Hotel Hyatt Ararat on Monday. Smbat Lputian also struck back firmly
to help Armenia stage a remarkable recovery in the closing stages of
this match being organised to celebrate the 75th Birth Anniversary
of late Armenian World Champion Tigran Petrosian.
Team Armenia eventually coasted home to a 4-2 victory, their first so
far in the six-game match, and narrowed Worlds lead down to two points.
With just one more round of six games remaining in the Scheveningen
event, the World team is still the favourite to win. The scores now
stand at 16-14 in favour of the World.
After five straight black victories, it was the turn of the first
player to do the damage and coming out triumphs was Leko who played
an energy-filled end game to put it across Anand.
Playing the white side of a Sicilian Tiamanov, Leko opted for the
structure akin to the English attack and ensured himself a better
end game after the queens got traded very early in the middle game.
Anand's game plan did not succeed in the later stages even as pieces
got exchanged at regular intervals and the players arrived at rook
and pawns end game with equal strength.
However, the pawn structure of the Indian was earlier dismantled by
the Hungarian star and Anand found hard to cope.
Knocking down one pawn by force, Leko displayed excellent technique
to romp home in 68 moves.
Lputian had a dubious record thus far in the event with three losses
and a draw but the lowest rated Armenian player in the match held on
to his own to succeed over young Spaniard Francisco Vallejo Pons who
had to pay heavy dividends for his over ambitious play.
It was a position akin to the Queens gambit accepted after the opening
and Vallejo had a comfortable position on board after he won a pawn.
The just result should have been a draw as white had more active
pieces but trying harder, Vallejo went for an exchange and got two
menacing passed pawns on the queen side.
However, just as it appeared Vallejo was cruising, Lputian came up
with some dour defence, denying further liberty to his opponent.
As it turned out in the end, the better decision might have been a draw
by repetition that Vallejo refused vide repetition after the exchange.
Lputian handled the end game pretty well to score his first victory
at a crucial moment for his team. The game lasted 76 moves.
All the remaining four matches were drawn and the quickest of the
day was between Adams and Gelfand who signed truce in just 20 moves
of a Sicilian Nazdorf.
Sify, India
June 15 2004
Moscow: Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand suffered a shock defeat
at the hands of Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko in the fifth and
penultimate round of Armenia versus Rest of the World chess contest at
Hotel Hyatt Ararat on Monday. Smbat Lputian also struck back firmly
to help Armenia stage a remarkable recovery in the closing stages of
this match being organised to celebrate the 75th Birth Anniversary
of late Armenian World Champion Tigran Petrosian.
Team Armenia eventually coasted home to a 4-2 victory, their first so
far in the six-game match, and narrowed Worlds lead down to two points.
With just one more round of six games remaining in the Scheveningen
event, the World team is still the favourite to win. The scores now
stand at 16-14 in favour of the World.
After five straight black victories, it was the turn of the first
player to do the damage and coming out triumphs was Leko who played
an energy-filled end game to put it across Anand.
Playing the white side of a Sicilian Tiamanov, Leko opted for the
structure akin to the English attack and ensured himself a better
end game after the queens got traded very early in the middle game.
Anand's game plan did not succeed in the later stages even as pieces
got exchanged at regular intervals and the players arrived at rook
and pawns end game with equal strength.
However, the pawn structure of the Indian was earlier dismantled by
the Hungarian star and Anand found hard to cope.
Knocking down one pawn by force, Leko displayed excellent technique
to romp home in 68 moves.
Lputian had a dubious record thus far in the event with three losses
and a draw but the lowest rated Armenian player in the match held on
to his own to succeed over young Spaniard Francisco Vallejo Pons who
had to pay heavy dividends for his over ambitious play.
It was a position akin to the Queens gambit accepted after the opening
and Vallejo had a comfortable position on board after he won a pawn.
The just result should have been a draw as white had more active
pieces but trying harder, Vallejo went for an exchange and got two
menacing passed pawns on the queen side.
However, just as it appeared Vallejo was cruising, Lputian came up
with some dour defence, denying further liberty to his opponent.
As it turned out in the end, the better decision might have been a draw
by repetition that Vallejo refused vide repetition after the exchange.
Lputian handled the end game pretty well to score his first victory
at a crucial moment for his team. The game lasted 76 moves.
All the remaining four matches were drawn and the quickest of the
day was between Adams and Gelfand who signed truce in just 20 moves
of a Sicilian Nazdorf.