Anand draws opening game

World rapid champion Viswanathan Anand was held to a draw by rising German star Arkadij Naiditsch in the first round of the preliminaries of the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting in Dortmund, Germany.

On what turned out to be a dull first day, all the games were drawn leaving all eight players on half a point each. The event is being played on a new format wherein all players have been divided into two groups of four and the top two from each group will advance to the semi-final stage while the rest will battle it out for 5-8 place.

Anand could not do much against Naiditsch. In the last year's event the Indian stalwart had played a spectacular game to win with black but this time even the white pieces failed to yield the desirable.

Playing his pet Ruy Lopez, an opening in which he is feared by the best, Anand went for the Anti Marshall set up and allowed 18-year old Naiditsch to get an easy game once the middle game surfaced.

Naiditsch was able to hold his position together almost effortlessly.

Quite interestingly, out of the first eighteen moves Anand made seven moves with his light square Bishop and Naiditsch already had a happy position on board by then. The game was abruptly drawn after 25 moves when there was still a lot of life left in the position.

Sergei Karjakin, the 14-year old Ukrainian, held Braingames champion and world number three Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to an easy draw to debut in style.

Playing with white, Kramnik went for the Ruy Lopez and was surprised by the youngest ever Grandmaster as early as on the seventh move in one of the lesser played variations.

Karjakin showcased his immense potential and went for the queenside breakthrough just at right time to thwart Kramnik's attack on the other flank and following exchanges of a few pawns the position opened up. The draw was agreed to in 30 moves when many thought that the teenager might have had a miniscule advantage.

Also ending in a draw with lots of play left was the game between Russians Peter Svidler and 2004 Aeroflot champion Sergei Rublevski. From the white side of a Sicilian Paulsen, Svidler failed to impress his opponent and agreed to the draw in a very complicated position after 25 moves.

The only game to go full distance in the first round was between Peter Leko of Hungary and defending champion Viktor Bologan of Moldova. The two fought on bravely till the last nail and agreed to sign peace when only a knight and two pawns remained for each of them.

Results round 1:

Group A: Viswanathan Anand (Ind) drew with Arkadij Naiditsch (Ger); Peter Svidler (Rus) drew with Sergei Rublevski (Rus);

Group B: Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) drew with Sergei Karjakin (Ukr); Peter Leko (hun) drew with Viktor Bologan  (Mda).

The moves: (Viswanathan Anand v/s Arkadij Naiditsch)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 b4 9. d4 d6 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nbd2 Nxf3+ 12. Nxf3 Bb7 13. e5 Nd7 14. e6 fxe6 15. Bxe6+ Kh8 16. Bd5 c6 17. Ba2 c5 18. Bd5 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Nb6 20. Qe6 Bf6 21. a5 Nd7 22. Qd5 Ne5 23. Nd2 Ng4 24. Nf3 Ne5 25. Nd2 Ng4 draw agreed