SSHH! Amber Tournament in progress. Round two, rapid games on March 18.
Leko, Topalov Share Lead
By Arvind Aaron
SSHH! Amber Tournament in progress.
Round two, rapid games on March 18.
This round saw the biggest upset. Ljubomir Ljubojevic, not even ranked in the world top 100 today shocked World champion Viswanathan Anand in 25 moves with the black pieces. Ljubo made 1-1 for a creditable second round score which also places him in lead in the blindfold section with 2/2. The Anand-Ljubo and Almasi-Piket matches featured only decisive games and with black winning all of them! Anand's defeat was his first since losing to Kramnik last July in Dortmund 2000.
Leko was close to winning twice again and so was Topalov. They both are playing very well. Kramnik had an easy game making 1.5-0.5 with ease against Van Wely. Gelfand saved himself brilliantly with a draw against Ivanchuk when the Ukrainian was left with a bishop and wrong colour rook pawn. Ivanchuk however won the second game pocket the match 1.5-0.5.
Ljubojevic upset Anand in this
blindfold encounter.
The Results
Rapid
Blindfold
Piket-Almasi
0-1
Almasi-Piket 0-1
Van Wely-Kramnik Draw
Kramnik-Van Wely 1-0
Topalov-Shirov 1-0
Shirov-Topalov Draw
Ljubojevic-Anand 0-1
Anand-Ljubojevic 0-1
Leko-Karpov
1-0
Karpov-Leko Draw
Gelfand-Ivanchuk Draw
Ivanchuk-Gelfand 1-0
Standings (after round 2): 1-2 Leko, Topalov 3.5/4, 3 Kramnik 3, 4-5 Anand, Shirov 2.5, 6 Ljubojevic 2, 7-9 Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Piket 1.5 each, 10-11 Almasi, Karpov 1, 12 Van Wely 0.5.