Kasparov Pips Anand At The Post
By Arvind Aaron
World No.1 ranked Garry Kasparov beat No.2 Vishy Anand in the two tie-break blitz games to win the Chess@Iceland Top Of The World Chess Challenge on April 1-2 at the Concert Hall of Kopavogur in Reykjavik, capital of Iceland.
Born April 13, 1963, Kasparov won the `senior by age' Group A with 4.5/5 and qualified for the semifinals on Sunday. He conceded a draw to veteran Viktor Korchnoi, 69 and beat the rest. His main challenger Anand won the stronger by Elo `Junior' age Group B with 4/5, ceding two draws to H.Stefansson and J.Arnason. It was a 12-player rapid (game 25 minutes) tournament. Players were split into two groups and two players advanced from each group.
In the semi-finals
Anand beat Petursson 1.5-0.5 while Kasparov had the same margin against
A.Wojtkiewicz of Poland
Kasparov appeared
thoroughly prepared for the rapid and blitz tie-break. Anand played well
to draw both these rapid games. In the tie-break, he reacted leisurely
until the last six seconds when he realised that it was not the Fischer
Clock rules! With an extra pawn he lost on time and in the reverse encounter
he went for a desperate knight sacrifice and lost 0-2.
The results:
Group A:
1
G.Kasparov (Rus) 4.5/5, 2 M.Petursson (Isd) 3, 3-4 J.Timman (Ned), H.Olafsson
(Isd) 2.5 each, 5 F.Olafsson (Isd) 1.5, 6 V.Korchnoi (Swz) 1.
Group
B: V.Anand (Ind) 4/5, 2 A.Wojtkiewicz (Pol) 3.5, 3 I.Sokolov (Bih)
3, 4 H.Stefansson (Isd) 2.5, 5 J.Hjartarsson (Isd) 1.5, 6 J.L.Arnason (Isd)
0.5.
Semi-Finals:
V.Anand
bt. M.Petursson 1.5-0.5, A.Wojtkiewicz lost to G.Kasparov 0.5-1.5.
Finals:
G.Kasparov
bt V.Anand 1-1, 2-0.