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Anand leads topalov at halfway mark
A third Catalan in as many white games for defending champion Viswanathan Anand saw a 56-move game draw that saw the Indian maintain his one-point lead over challenger Veselin Topalov in Sofia on Saturday.
A third Catalan in as many white games for defending champion Viswanathan Anand saw a 56-move game draw that saw the Indian maintain his one-point lead over challenger Veselin Topalov in Sofia on Saturday.
At the halfway stage, Anand, who started with a loss is now one game up and leads the match 3.5-2.5. Topalov won the first game and then lost the second and fourth games.
Following their previous even-numbered gamed, the rivals went through the Catalan opening once again. It was a brave attempt by Topalov, considering Anand had won the previous two Catalan games in this match.
Then Topalov came into the very variation that had cost him the point in the second game, but this time he had a slight advantage.
White (Anand) did play provocatively and then tried to steer the board towards an early endgame, but Topalov resisted.
Anand tried to disturb Black's a-pawn and went looking for the opportunity to bring the Rook down the c-file, but Topalov was once again upto it.
The two reached a very equal position by the 58th move and a draw was declared.
