Anand and Kramnik play blindfold chess.
Anand Brilliant In Defence
Topalov Joins Kramnik In Lead
By Arvind Aaron
Anand and Kramnik play blindfold
chess.
Vladimir Kramnik missed a possible chance to defeat Viswanathan Anand. Anand's brilliant defence stood like a mountain in the way to Kramnik's win. The rook ending they played in round ten, rapid session is a must-see thriller. Later, in the blindfold game, Anand made a draw with white for a 1-1 result. Topalov who joined Kramnik in the lead beat Leko in an opposite colour bishop ending after the latter missed drawing chances while short of time. Ljubojevic shocked a confident Shirov to recover. Rest of the games were drawn without much interest.
Topalov (right) and Leko battling
it out on Wednesday.
Kramnik and Topalov have 14 points. Topalov plays Ljubojevic and Kramnik takes on Leko. It should favour Topalov for the first ever triumph in Monte Carlo.
The results (tenth round)
Rapid
Blindfold
Piket-Ivanchuk
Draw Ivanchuk-Piket
Draw
Van Wely-Karpov
Draw Karpov-Van Wely
Draw
Almasi-Gelfand
Draw Gelfand-Almasi
Draw
Topalov-Leko
Draw Leko-Topalov
0-1
Shirov-Ljubojevic
0-1 Ljubojevic-Shirov
Draw
Kramnik-Anand
Draw Anand-Kramnik
Draw
Standings: 1-2 Kramnik, Topalov 14/20, 3 Anand 12.5, 4 Shirov 10.5, 5 Leko 10, 6 Piket 9.5, 7 Gelfand 9, 8-9 Almasi, Ljubojevic 8.5 each, 10-11 Ivanchuk, Karpov 8 each, 12 Van Wely 7.5.