Sinquefield Cup: Viswanathan Anand held to a draw

Anand enjoyed a superior position against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov but couldn’t gain more than a 47-move draw. Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi lead after nine rounds.

File Photo: Viswanathan Anand was involved in his eighth successive draw.

Viswanathan Anand enjoyed a superior position against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov but couldn’t gain more than a 47-move draw in the ninth round of the Sinquefield Cup chess tournament here on Monday.

Expectations rose once Anand gained a pawn-advantage early in this Giuoco Piano game. But he could not press home the advantage. The Azerbaijani managed to launch a counter attack with queen and planted two rooks close to Anand’s king on the seventh rank. Anand defended well and soon chose to force a draw through perpetual checks.

EIGHTH ROUND REPORT

While Anand was involved in his eighth successive draw, two other overnight leaders — Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi — won to emerge as leaders.

In the battle involving two joint leaders Ding Liren and Fabiano Caruana, the Chinese proved stronger in 57 moves. Later, in the tournament’s longest game, lasting 132 moves, Nepomniachtchi played black and beat Wesley So.

Sergey Karjakin, the fifth overnight leader, drew with Anish Giri in 44 moves. Top seed Magnus Carlsen played out his ninth straight draw after facing last-man Levon Aronian.

• Ninth round: Viswanathan Anand (5) drew with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 4.5); Ding Liren (Chn, 5.5) bt Fabiano Caruana (USA, 4.5); Wesley So (USA, 4) lost to Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus, 5.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 4) drew with Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 5); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 4) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 4); Levon Aronian (Arm, 3.5) drew with Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 4.5).
• 10th-round pairings: Karjakin-Anand; Aronian-Liren; Nepomniachtchi-Vachier; Carlsen-So; Mamedyarov-Caruana; Nakamura-Giri.