Anand gives rousing start to World team

The Hindu, India
June 11 2004

Moscow, June 11. (PTI): Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand led
the World team to a scintillating 3.5-2.5 victory in the first match
of Armenia v/s Rest of the World contest that kicked off here at
Hotel Park Ararat yesterday.

It turned out to be a very close encounter in the first round of
the six-players Scheveningen tournament wherein all the six members
of the World team will play one game each against the member of the
rival team.

In all, 36 games will be played in this unique event being organised
to celebrate the 75th birth anniversary of late Armenian World Champion
Tigran Petrosian.

The World team comprises Viswanathan Anand, Peter Svidler of Russia,
Etinne Bacrot of France who was once the youngest Grandmaster of
the World, Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain, Loek Van Wely of The
Netherlands and Michael Adams of England.

Russian Garry Kasparov leads the Armenian challenge that comprises
Peter Leko of Hungary, Boris Gelfand of Israel and Armenians Vladimir
Akopian, Smbat Lputian and Rafael Vaganian.

The first match ended with two victories for the World team, one for
Armenia while the remaining three games were drawn.

If Anand missed being away from classical chess for long, it did not
show in his duel against seasoned Smbat Lputian.

The Indian stalwart last played in a classical chess event in January
when he won the Corus Chess tournament comprehensively and some
experts had expected that it might take some time for him to adjust
to the conditions.