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| August 10, 2003 | Sunday | Jumadi-us-Sani 11, 1424 |
Moldovan maintains thin lead
DORTMUND (Germany), Aug 9: Moldovan grandmaster Viorel Bologan held his narrow lead two days before the end of the international chess tournament here, following a draw against Hungary’s Peter Leko.
The match between Bologan and Leko lasted a mere 19 moves before ending in a draw.
Meanwhile, the match between Viswanathan Anand, known as the “Tiger of Madras”, number three in the world ratings and former FIDE world champion, and Russia’s independent world champion Vladimir Kramnik also ended in a draw, after only 22 moves.
As a result, the two chess superstars, 33-year-old Anand and 28-year-old Kramnik, remained just one point behind the up-and-coming Bologan, who is ranked a mere 42nd in the world and is putting in his first appearance at one of Europe’s big three tournaments.
Besides Dortmund, the other two tournaments are in Linares in Spain and Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands.
Kramnik, who has won the Dortmund competition for six of the last eight years, has yet to notch up a second match win this year after his opening victory against 16-year-old Azeri prodigy Teimur Radzhabov.
World number four Hungarian Peter Leko, who at age 14 was the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess, has yet to win a game.
The 23-year-old Leko is thus in last place with no chance of repeating the stunning victory he scored at last year’s Dortmund tournament.
Radzhabov was able to win against 18-year-old German grandmaster Arkadi Naiditsch after being beaten by him in the first round Sunday.
Thursday’s results:
Peter Leko (HUN) and Viorel Bologan (MOL) draw
Viswanathan Anand (IND) and Vladimir Kramnik (RUS) draw
Teimur Radzhabov (AZE) beat Arkadi Naiditsch (ALL) 1 - 0
1. Viorel Bologan 5.5 pts
2. Vladimir Kramnik 4.5
Viswanathan Anand 4.5
4. Teimur Radzhabov 4
5. Peter Leko 3
6. Arkadi Naiditsch 2.5.—AFP
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