JOIN USAnand held by gritty Carlsen
Viswanathan Anand missed out an opportunity to press for serious advantage and settled for a draw against defending champion Magnus Carlsen in the fifth game of the World Chess Championship here.
The third draw in five games means the score now stands at 2.5-2.5 with seven games still remaining.
Anand again looked for an advantage with white pieces and Carlsen was pushed to the wall once more.
Just when the world thought it could be advantage Anand, the Indian ace took a safer path, allowing Carlsen to reach a drawn rook and minor piece endgame.
Opening with the Queen pawn, Anand faced a different start from Carlsen – an indication that the Norwegian has not been able to make up his mind and remains tentative with black pieces.
Carlsen had chosen the Grunfeld defence in the first game and in the third, he had gone for the Queen’s Gambit declined.
Today the world champion opted for the Queen’s Indian defence.
It was not a normal Queen’s Indian as Carlsen went for a variation, giving Anand a small but lasting advantage.
In the post game press conference, Anand revealed he had seen “something like this before.”
On his 16th move, Anand livened things up a little by going for a thematic central breakthrough and a handful of pieces changed hands in quick time thereafter.
Carlsen took a practical decision on the 20th move by trading his bishop for a centralised white knight.
Carlsen definitely had seen deeper and believed in his position firmly as he went about collecting one of white’s pawns before exchanging the queens to reach a difficult endgame.
Anand got his best chance on move 26 when a correct move would have prolonged the agony for Carlsen but did not feel it was worth the try.
A pair of rooks flew off the board as a result and the players were soon staring at a deadlock with pawns on just one flank.
After further trading of pieces the peace was formally signed after 39 moves.
This draw puts Anand under pressure now as Carlsen will get to play two white games on the trot in games six and seven.
Game 5: (Anand-Carlsen): 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6; 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nc3 Bb7 7. Bg2 c6 8. e4 d5 9. exd5 cxd5 10. Ne5 0-0 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. cxd5 Nxe5 13. d6 Nc6 14. dxe7 Qxe7 15. Bg5 h6 16. d5 Na5 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. dxe6 Qxe6 19. Re1 Qf6 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 Rad8 22. Qf3 Qxb2 23. Rad1 Qf6 24. Qxf6 gxf6 25. Re7 Kg7 26. Rxa7 Nc6 27. Rb7 Nb4 28. Bb3 Rxd1+29. Bxd1 Nxa2 30. Rxb6 Nc3 31. Bf3 f5 32. Kg2 Rd8 33. Rc6 Ne4 34. Bxe4 fxe4 35. Rc4 f5 36. g4 Rd2 37. gxf5 e3 38. Re4 Rxf2+39. Kg3 Rxf5 ½-½.