Anand, Humpy win easily

Defending champion Vishwanathan Anand won his board to catch up with Krishnan Sasikiran, who suffered a shock defeat, to share the lead after the penultimate league round in the prestigious World Cup chess tournament in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Sasikiran, who inflicted a defeat on Anand in the second round, lost to the second-best player in Asia, Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan, in 35 moves.

He has now 2.5 points, the same as Anand. The two Indian stars share the lead in Group C.

While Anand and Sasikiran are likely to qualify for the knock-out from Group C, Alexander Beliavsky of Slovenia leads Goup D with three points.

For the second spot in Group D, there will be a tussle between Nigel Short and Surya Sekhar Ganguly.

The other two groups are still very open and a leader is difficult to predict.

Anand asserted his superiority in 36 moves against Al Modiahki of Qatar to remain on course for a title triumph encore.

In a game which started in Sicilian Najdroff and converted into Sicilian dragon variation, Anand proved his class by displaying the power of his pieces. He placed his pieces with dexterity to register a comprehensive victory.

Sasikiran looked off-colour as he was outwitted by his opponent in a game where he employed the Kings Indian defence against the Queen pawn opening.

Ganguly drew with Pendyala Harikrishna, who looked relieved as he garnered the first point of the tournament from the four games he has played so far.

Grandmaster Koneru Humpy continued to dominate in the women's section, registering her fourth successive win to lead Group C with four points.

Humpy played the classical Dutch defence to outwit Bhagyashree Thipsay, who is yet to win a game, in 36 moves.

World champion Zhu Chen of China has 2.5 points in Group D alongwith defending champion and compatriot Xu Yuua, with one more game to go.

In other matches, Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich of Russia (ELO points 2707) virtually bowed out of the tournament when he lost to Jann Ehlvest of Estonia in a Group D match. Alexander Beliavsky and Jann Ehlvest of Estonia are likely to qualify from this group.

Stefenov Antoneta of Bulgaria defeated Nino Khurtsidze of Georgia to top Group B table with 3.5 points and is assured of a berth in the next pahse of the tournament.