Anand Takes Lead At 2-1 In Bonn

By Arvind Aaron

Games are getting very complicated and interesting. Game three was won by Anand after Kramnik went for some early fireworks as white in the Semi-Slav and won two pawns. Anand had the last laugh though as he had a big attack against the king and won the white queen and later netted the white king with a nippy attack with his queen and bishop battery in 41 moves.

Anand won in 41 moves with the black pieces to wrest a 2-1 lead in the best of twelve series. The prize fund is Euro 1.5 million with 50% guaranteed for each of the two players irrespective of the result. Nine games remain to be played. The first player to reach 6.5 points wins the match. The main sponsor is Evonik Industries A.G. The venue is the Art and Exhibitio Hall in Bonn.

Anand played fast and appeared to be at home in the opening and early middlegame. Kramnik is on the backfoot in the match and has lost with the white pieces. His problems are many. One, to arrest defeats in the Semi-Slav in his white games and also guess white's first move choice for game four as black.

Anand is a brand Ambassador for NIIT. He had taken a 2-1 lead and also plays white in the fourth game on Oct 18. Kramnik's defeat with white must be a shock to him and his camp.

The moves:

Vladimir Kramnik-Viswanathan Anand
Semi-Slav D49
World Championship Round 3
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. O-O Qb6 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. Bxb5 Bd6 16. Rd1 Rg8 17. g3 Rg4 18. Bf4 Bxf4 19. Nxd4 h5 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Rxd7 Kf8 22. Qd3 Rg7 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. gxf4 Rd8 25. Qe2 Kh6 26.Kf1 Rg8 27. a4 Bg2+ 28. Ke1 Bh3 29. Ra3 Rg1+ 30. Kd2 Qd4+ 31. Kc2 Bg4 32. f3 Bf5+ 33. Bd3 Bh3 34. a5 Rg2 35. a6 Rxe2+ 36. Bxe2 Bf5+ 37. Kb3 Qe3+ 38.Ka2 Qxe2 39. a7 Qc4+ 40. Ka1 Qf1+ 41. Ka2 Bb1+ 0-1

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