Anand adds another title to his resume

Anand adds Botwinnik to his collection

Hari Hara NandananHari Hara Nandanan

TNN | Sep 3, 2011, 10.02PM IST

CHENNAI: World champions Viswanathan Anand and Mikhail Botwinnik are not exactly similar in style but the Indian showed enough commitment to add the rapid tournament held in memory of the former world champion in Moscow with a commanding performance on Saturday.

The late Botwinnik was credited for research and innovation and also influencing the great Gary Kasparov; Anand in contrast is more of the intuitive type but then all these are insignificant in rapid games.

Anand won handsomely beating his recent nemesis Levon Aronian of Armenia twice and then in a crucial last-round game, needing a draw to win the title, he destroyed world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway to log 4.5 points, 1.5 points above Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and Levon Aronian. Anand had dawn both his games with Kramnik, the second of which came in the first game of Saturday. Carlsen had a poor tournament scoring just 1.5 points.

Aronian had done the damage beating Carlsen in the fourth round (first game on Saturday). But the Armenian’s shock had little effect as Anand put him aside in Round 5 in 38 moves of Ruy Lopez. Aronian had lost a couple of pawns in the middle game but then had good attack on the kingside but in a moment of carelessness he forgot to retreat his bishop and lost the piece.

Around the same time, Kramnik pulverised Carlsen and damaged the Norwegian’s confidence. A third defeat for Carlsen on the second day was unbearable but Anand was destined to win the tournament in style. Sacrificing an exchange, Carlsen landed in trouble and finally threw in the towel after 66 moves.

Cmilyte champion: Viktorija Cmilyte of Lithuania won the Botwinnik memorial women’s tournament held along the same lines. Koneru Humpy of India, who started as the top seed, lost both her games to the eventual winner and that proved fatal for her.

Cmilyte, who had lost her first game against Danielian, recovered quickly and beat Humpy twice, Tatiana Kosintseva of Russia and Danielian in the reverse game to reach four points by the time she finished her fifth game to win the title with a round to spare as Danielian had only 2.5 from five and Humpy two. The last round game was only to decide the second place and Humpy could not get past Danielian and ended on a losing note. Danielian came second with 3.5 points.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com