Anand outplays Kramnik yet again, takes 3-point lead

Bonn, Germany, Oct 22 (UNI) Viswanathan Anand has almost shut Vladimir Kramnik out of the match with a third win in the sixth game of the World Chess Championships as he continued his complete domination over his rival.

At the midway stage of the 12-game match yesterday, the Indian ace, who won the last two games with black, moved onto a three-point lead with a win in the sixth game that put him ahead with a massive 4.5-1.5 lead.

Playing with white and with a two-point advantage, Anand piled on more misery as he played a solid game in the Nimzo Indian.

Anand, knowing his rival was at his lowest, played a sharp line and went in for a positional game.

Just as the game looked interestingly poised with Kramnik playing solid in reply, Anand unleashed yet another novelty on the ninth move.

Kramnik took up the challenge, probably in the hope that since he was already way behind he might as well be aggressive with black. Anand went for the jugular and accepted the challenge to attack.

Anatoly Karpov in the analysis room felt white (Anand) would be clearly better after the exchange of queens on d5 and that is what actually happened.

It was clear that Anand had come out of the opening way better.

Kramnik needed to play for control of white squares. Into the middle game around move 17, Anand was better but not winning.

Kramnik, trailing in the match, went in risking giving a pawn, which he had no chance of getting back.

By the 21st move, it seemed Anand with white was in a position to go three points up. He kept the pawn and Kramnik was fighting to survive. By the 27th move, Anand was clearly better but he had no need to force things.

As the game progressed, Anand was going up two pawns and he was keeping them and waiting. Over the next few moves from 37 onwards it was clear Anand was in a winning position. And the computer was showing a win, too.

For his 40th move, Kramnik had just 90 seconds, but time no longer mattered as Anand was almost home for a third win.

Anand kept it simple and went in for a crowd pleasing winning line and made it 4.5-1.5 for a three-point lead, which is surely too much for an outplayed Kramnik.

After the rest day today, the seventh game will resume tomorrow with Kramnik having white and Anand black.

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