Viswanathan Anand

Bonn: Viswanathan Anand came up with an impressive performance to hold Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to a draw in the second round of the World Chess Championship on Wednesday.

With 10 more rounds to go, Anand and Kramnik have one point apiece.

Anand went in for an opening other than expected with a Nimzo-Indian against Kramnik, but still came with the same result as in the first. They drew after 32 moves.

With this, both games have ended in draws and in the third game, Kramnik will have white pieces.

Anand, instead of 1. e4, went in for a 1. d4. It was a sharp game from Anand’s side and both players once again sized each other well. At no stage did either seem to have any definite advantage.

Though there was no overt aggression, it was clear that there was greater probing in the second game than the first. Ultimately, the duo decided to split the point and move on.

The first player to reach 6.5 points in the 12-game final will be declared the world champion. In case of a 6-6 draw, they will play a tie-breaker.

The 12-game match carries a purse of Euro 1.5 million to be equally divided between the two, regardless of who wins.

The third game of the match will be played on Thursday.

Earlier, the opening game of the much-awaited championship opened with an expected draw as Anand and Kramnik decided to split points after 32 moves.

Playing in the Queen’s Gambit Slav, Exchange variation, there was little by way of aggression from either side, as they preferred to wait and watch in the first game.

Anand played out an easy draw with black against Kramnik in the first game.

Playing with white, it was a rather insipid approach by Kramnik that led to the draw. The Russian, well-known for his safety first approach, in fact did not trouble Anand at all.

However, this could also be termed as checking the scales. In the past in many world championships, such approaches have been common to gauge what the opponent has prepared and in all likelyhood, Kramnik will show his prepared ammunition against the Slav defence, the preferred choice by the Indian ace in the first game of the 12-game match.

It was a well-rehearsed opening theory in the Exchange variation. Something that gives the white player a surely level position with some chances in case black makes a mistake.

For the record, Kramnik’s 14th move was the only surprise and a pleasant one at that for Anand. It was a move played six years ago by an unheralded 2100 Elo rated player and for obvious reasons, it failed to impress the Indian in any way.

Anand quietly sacrifised a pawn, went for the routine queen exchanges and the resulting position had simply too much counterplay in the rook and opposite-coloured Bishops endgame, which was just drawn unless black went for unwarranted complications.

Anand certainly proved a point to those who believed that the Indian will have some preparation problems.

(Agencies)