World champion Viswanathan Anand jumped to the sole lead after playing a couple of draws with former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the third round of the Amber blindfold and rapid chess tournament.

Anand took his combined tally to four points and is now half a point ahead of nearest rivals Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, Levon Aronian of Armenia, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Topalov, who all have 3.5 points apiece.
Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan are next in line, a half point behind. The latter was a show-stealer on the third day with a sensational victory over Kramnik from the black side of a rarely played Budapest Gambit in the rapid game.

Anand also leads the rapid section solely on 2.5 points, a half point clear of Aronian and Topalov, while the blindfold section is headed by Ivanchuk, Calrsen and Russian Alexander Morozevich, who all have 2 points in their kitty.

Topalov and Anand had a theoretical discussion in one of the main lines of the Catalan Opening where the Indian played black.

Topalov had a miniscule advantage in the middlegame but that was all to it till the game lasted. Anand defended well and after 59 moves the draw was a just result.

In the rapid game, Topalov employed the Caro Kann defense as black that came good. Anand did not get much out the opening as the Bulgarian seemed aptly prepared.

Topalov confided that at some point he thought he could have fought for more but yet again with the clock ticking away decided against it.

Results (round three): Blindfold: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze) drew with Vladimir Kramnik (Rus), Veselin Topalov (Bul) drew with V Anand (Ind), Peter Leko (Hun) drew with Alexander Morozevich (Rus), Levon Aronian (Arm) drew Boris Gelfand (Isr), Magnus Carlsen (Nor) bt Sergey Karjakin (Ukr), Loek van Wely (Ned) drew with Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr).

Rapid: Kramnik lt to Mamedyarov, Anand drew with Topalov, Morozevich lt to Leko, Gelfand bt Aronian, Karjakin bt Carlsen, Ivanchuk lt to Van Wely.