Tata Steel Masters Chess: Anand draws with Kovalev

Viswanathan Anand (six points) drew with Vladislav Kovalev to share the sixth spot after the 12th and penultimate round of Tata Steel Masters chess tournament.

File photo: Viswanathan Anand drew with Vladislav Kovalev to share the sixth spot after the 12th and penultimate round of Tata Steel Masters chess tournament.

Viswanathan Anand (six points) drew with Vladislav Kovalev to share the sixth spot after the 12th and penultimate round of Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here on Saturday.

USA’s second seed Fabiano Caruana took an unsurpassable 1.5-point lead over Magnus Carlsen and ensured the title with a round to spare.

Caruana (9) defeated Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda to reach nine points. Carlsen (7.5) drew with Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev.

In the Challengers category, Surya Shekhar Ganguly (6.5) lost to Pavel Eljanov (7.5) and Nihal Sarin (6) drew with Vincent Keymer. Spain’s David Anton Guijarro (8) continued to lead despite losing to Max Warmerdam.