Victory for Anand’s team

Leko’s fifth-round win over Anand was not enough

Calcutta Telegraph, India
June 16 2004

Moscow: Former world champion Viswanathan Anand drew his final round
game with world No. 1 Garri Kasparov to ensure victory for the Rest
of the World team against Armenia on Tuesday.

Despite a defeat in the sixth and final round, Rest of the World held
on to their lead, winning the match 18.5-17.5.

Rest of the World began the last round with the cushion of a
two-point lead at 16-14, while Armenia looked for two extra wins,
without defeats.

Playing Kasparov with white pieces, Anand snatched the precious half
point with a comfortable draw. The Sicilian Pelican game between
Anand and Kasparov saw neither player willing to take the risk.

Anand completed the event with two wins, a lone defeat to Peter Leko
and three draws.

Leko’s fine win over the Indian in the fifth and penultimate round
on Monday, however, was not enough for his team.

Anand’s game plan did not succeed in the later stages even as pieces
got exchanged at regular intervals and the players arrived at rook
and pawns end game with equal strength.

The only decisive game of the day came from the Vaganian-Adams game,
wherein the veteran Armenian brought in all his experience in the
Queens Indian game to down the English Grandmaster.

Giving it all, Vaganian went all out on a king-side attack, marshalling
his pieces in quick time. Adams’ decision to hold on to the bishop
against knight backfired as the white knight occupied vital squares.

Holding a vice like grip, Vaganian forced Adams to resign after
38 moves.

Short draws occurred in the Valleo Pons-Leko and Akopian-Svidler games,
where peace was signed in 18 and 16 moves, respectively.