Viswanathan Anand loses to Ivanchuk, ends disastrous Legends campaign after 8 defeats
Chennai: Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand's signed off second from bottom after his disappointing campaign at the Legends of Chess online tournament ended with a loss to long-time rival Vasyl Ivanchuk in the ninth and final round.
It was Anand's eighth loss in the USD 150,000 tournament. The 50-year-old ended in ninth position behind GM Peter Leko who finished last.
After all the four games ended in draws, the Anand-Ivanchuk contest went into the Armageddon (a tie-breaker), which also ended in a stalemate.
The Ukrainian emerged victorious as he played black in the decider late on Wednesday.
Anand started the match with a 57-move draw and the tie progressed in a similar vein with the players opting for quiet draws.
The Armageddon game was a 59-move affair before the former world champion signed peace with Ivanchuk.
The 50-year old Indian finished ninth in the standings with 7 match points and a solitary win (over Boris Gelfand) on his debut in the Magnus Carlsen Tour.
In other matches, world No.1 Magnus Carlsen beat Vladimir Kramnik 3-1 to finish with an all-win record after nine matches in the preliminary stage.
The Norwegian will now play Russia's Peter Svidler in the semi-finals, while Anish Giri (Hungary) takes on Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) in a repeat of their Chessable Masters semi-final.
Legends of Chess is an event in which Carlsen, Liren, Nepomniachtchi and Giri, semifinalists at the Chessable Masters (part of the Magnus Carlsen Tour), received an automatic invite and are up against six legends aged 40-52, who have been at the top of world chess at various points in their career.
The tournament is part of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. The winner of this event qualifies for the USD 300,000 Grand Final scheduled from August 9 to 20.
Results of Round 9:
Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine) beat Viswanathan Anand (India) 2.5-2.5 (Ivanchuk wins by playing black after Armageddon is drawn); Magnus Carlsen (Norway) beat Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 3-1; Boris Gelfand (Israel) beat Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 3-2; Anish Giri (The Netherlands) beat Peter Svidler (Russia) 2.5-1.5; Ding Liren (China) beat Peter Leko (Hungary) 2.5-1.5.
Final standings: 1. Carlsen 25 match points, 2. Nepomniachtchi 20, 3. Giri 18, 4. Svidler 14, 5. Ivanchuk 13, 6. Kramnik 12, 7. Gelfand 11, 8. Liren 7, 9. Anand 7, 10. Leko 6.
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People are voting fearlessly in West Bengal this time: PM Modi
Hardoi (UP) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said voters
are casting their vote in West Bengal this time in a "fearless atmosphere", which was unimaginable in the past six or seven decades.
He also asserted that the assembly poll results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India.
Voting is underway in 142 constituencies of West Bengal in the second and final phase of polling.
Addressing a gathering after the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway here, Modi said today marks an important day in the festival of democracy.
"Voting for the second phase is underway in Bengal, and reports indicate a massive turnout, with people stepping out in large numbers just like in the first phase. Images of long queues at polling stations are flooding social media, reflecting the enthusiasm of the people to exercise their democratic right," he said.
"What we are witnessing in Bengal today is unprecedented which was difficult to imagine in the past six to seven decades, a fearless environment where people are voting without fear," he said.
The prime minister said this is a powerful symbol of the country's Constitution and the strengthening of democracy.
"I express my gratitude to the great people of Bengal for being so aware of their rights and participating in large numbers," he said.
With several hours of voting still left, the prime minister urged the people of Bengal to continue participating in this democratic festival with the same enthusiasm.
Modi said in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP and NDA achieved a historic and decisive victory.
"Just yesterday, results of local body elections in Gujarat showed that the BJP secured victories in nearly 80 to 85 percent of municipalities and panchayats.
"The results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India and will infuse new energy into the pace of development of the country."
The first phase of polling for 152 seats -- out of the 294-member West Bengal assembly -- was held on April 23.
The counting of votes for assembly polls in Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, Assam and Tamil Nadu will take place on May 4.
