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Kramnik takes title, no joy for Anand

By our correspondent

Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik of Russia scored a hat trick, winning the 26th Sparkassen chess meeting, which concluded in Dortmund on Sunday.

This is the 3rd straight win, and his fourth overall, at the venue for the 23 year old Russian ace.

Kramnik agreed to a quick draw against Hungarian teen prodigy Zoltan Almasi in the final round. Though Michael Adams of England and Peter Svidler of Russia tied with Kramnik at the top of the table, the latter was declared sole winner on the tie break.

Meanwhile, there was no joy for Indian ace and world number two Vishwanathan Anand, who was held to a draw by Kasparov's latest challenger Alexy Shirov, of Spain. Ironically, Shirov finished last in the Category 18 event.

For Anand, this was his first tournament in a long, long time where he went without a single win.

Anand will, as a result of this performance, lose 15 rating points.

This signals a dramatic loss of form for the Indian, who was fresh from the Frankfurt Chess Classic where he beat both Garri Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik on his way to the unofficial world rapid championship title. He had followed that performance up with an easy 1.5-0.5 victory over computer world champion Fritz 5, just two days before the Dortmund chess meet -- and according to experts here, the strain of those games visibly effected his performance here.

Anand's next outing is a series of matches against the chess programme REBEL, between July 21-23, at Ishia near Naples, Italy. His next regular chess tournament is the Fontis tournament, at Tilburg in the Netherlands, from October 22 followed by a rapid chess tournament at Haifa, Israel, immediately thereafter. Anand will not, however, take part in the 33rd Chess Olympiad, to be held in Elista, Spain, from September 26.

In his final game, against Shirov, Anand adopted the Caro Kann. Following an obscure 5th move by Shirov -- the long forgotten move played by David Brondstein -- the game entered a new path, leading to regular exchanges.

The Indian, despite his phenomenal memory for quirky games, couldn't recall the correct antidote for the Brondstein variation. The players moved into a queen and pawn endgame, and following perpetual checks to Anand's king, the Indian accepted the draw offer from Shirov on move 45.

"It's been a bad tournament for me, I am glad it's over," Anand said later.

Meanwhile, a brilliant win from the black side of the Marshall Attack in Spanish Opening gave Svidler a win against Leko. Svidler's 29th move jolted the spectators out of their seats, as the Russian kept his piece hanging to be taken without any apparent support. The brilliant concept underlying the sacrifice broke through Leko's defences, and led to checkmate in 35 moves.

Final standings: Kramnik, Adams, Svidler (6 points each); Leko (5); Ivanchuk (4.5); Anand, Yusupov, Almasi (4 apiece); Belyavsky (3); Shirov (2.5).

Later, Anand was presented with the first copy of Chess Base 7, from the head of Chess Base, Hamburg. The programme is supposedly state of the art chess software, aimed at producing decisive games at the highest level.

For the connoisseurs, meanwhile, we reproduce the game that led to Anand's sole defeat at the Dortmund meet:

White: Michael Adams 

Black: Viswanathan Anand 

Sicilian Defence 

 1	e4	c5
 2	Nc3	Nc6
 3	g3	g6
 4	Bg2	Bg7
 5	d3	d6
 6	Be3	Rb8
 7	Qd2	b5
 8	Nge2	Nd4
 9	0-0	b4
10	Nd1	Nxe2+
11	Qxe2	Nf6
12	a3	a5
13	axb4	cxb4
14	Bd2	Nd7
15	Ra2	0-0
16	Ne3	Nc5
17	b3	Ba6
18	Nc4	a4
19	bxa4	b3
20	Ra3	Bxc4
21	dxc4	Bb2
22	Rxb3	Nxb3
23	cxb3	Rxb3
24	Rb1	Qc7
25	Bc1	Bxc1
26	Rxb3	Rb8
27	Rxb8+	Qxb8
28	c5	dxc5
29	a5	Bb2
30	a6	Bd4
31	Bf1	c4
32	Qxc4	Qb2
33	Qe2	Qc3
34	Kg2	Bb6
35	Qa2	Qd4
36	Qc2	e6
37	Bb5	h6
38	Qe2	Qc5
39	Qb2	g5
40	Bd3	g4
41	Qf6	h5
42	Qf4	Kf8
43	e5	Qd5+
44	Be4	Qd4
45	Qh6+	Ke7
46	Qf6+	Kf8
47	Bc6	Kg8
48	h4	gxh3+
49	Kxh3	Qa1
50	Kg2	Qc1
51	Bf3	h4
52	gxh4	Qc5
53	Bh5	Qc6+
54	Qf3	Qc7
55	Qb7	Qxb7+
56	axb7	Bc7
57	f4	Black resigns