Anand draws level with Ponomariov

Former world champion Vishwanathan Anand hit back immediately ater his defeat in the third game to win the fourth and draw level with defending world champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine in the eight-game Mainz Chess Classics 2002.

The two games that followed were drawn, and after six games, the two players are even with three points each.

After a rather disastrous start on the opening day, Anand was in his element on Saturday as he overpowered Ponomariov from the white pieces in the fourth game.

The Sicilian defence appears to be the favoured opening at Mainz, with as many as four of the six games between the two players featuring it.

Ponomariov was apparently happy with the way he worked out his counter-attack against Anand's English attack in the second game but was in for a surprise as the Indian ace deviated on the sixth move, not allowing his opponent to play his favourite move order.

Quick placement of pieces helped both players train their guns at the rival king and in the initial phase of the game it even looked as though Ponomariov was a shade quicker.

However, that turned out to be merely an optical illusion as Anand brilliantly unleashed his tactical strokes, starting out with a pawn roller on the kingside and then creating weaknesses in black's position with deft manoeuvres. Ponomariov was left defenceless and his counter play bid did not materialse.

In the fifth game Anand, playing with black pieces, repeated the Sicilian but decided against venturing into the Sveshnikov that cost him a valuable point in the third game.

Ponomariov decided to give Anand a taste of his own medicine and it was yet another English attack on the board. This time Anand played defensively and though he faced some technical problems in equalising, he never looked in any trouble after the queens got traded in the middlegame.

The Ukrainian tried hard to break through on both the flanks but a timely exchange sacrifice by Anand made his position impregnable. The peace treaty was signed on the 40th move. In the sixth game, Ponomariov opted for the open game for the first time in this match and faced Anand’s pet Ruy Lopez.

The opening choice played a crucial role as Anand could not press hard for a victory in the tchigorin variation despite maintaining a miniscule advantage for the major part of the game.

Ponomariov got his pieces moving on both flanks and equalised comfortably by exchanging pieces at regular intervals. The exchange of queens on the 31st move steered the game to a draw five moves later.

World No. 2 Woman Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia maintained her one point lead over German WGM Elizabeth Paehtz in the ‘duel of graces’ match being played simultaneously with the main event.

Paehtz did well to win the fourth game but lost the 6th and now trails by 2.5-3.5.

Earlier report
Anand loses third game against Ponomariov