Chennai: Former world champion Viswanathan Anand's struggles continued in the USD 150,000 Legends of Chess online tournament as he suffered his sixth consecutive defeat with a 2-3 loss to Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.
Anand started the sixth round match with a draw as he came up with good defensive moves to keep the Russian at bay in a 53-move draw.
However, Nepomniachtchi went ahead by pulling off a 34-move win in the second game. The third saw the players sign peace after 48 moves.
The five-time world champion then fought back well to claim the fourth game in 42 moves to push the contest into the Armageddon (a tie-breaker).
Nepomniachtchi won the decisive tie-break in 41 moves to shatter the hopes of the 50-year old Indian superstar and left him winless after six rounds.
World champion Magnus Carlen continued his winning run and tops the standings with 17 match points. Nepomniachtchi is second on 16 followed by compatriot Vladimir Karmnik (12).
Anand, who is making his debut on the Magnus Carlsen Tour, lies ninth with three points.
Legends of Chess is a unique event where Carlsen, Ding Liren, Nepomniachtchi and Anish 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 winner of this event will qualify for the USD 300,000 Grand Final, scheduled from August 9 to 20.
Results - Round 6: Ian Nepomniachtchi beat Viswanathan Anand 3-2; Magnus Carlsen beat Ding Liren 2.5-1.5: Anish Giri beat Peter Leko 2.5-1.5; Vladmir Kramnik beat Boris Gelfand 3-2; Peter Svidler beat Vasyl Ivanchuk 3-2.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
