Anand draws with Carlsen to maintain lead after 10th round

Linares (Spain), Mar 2 (UNI) World Champion Viswanathan Anand played out a cautious draw with his nearest rival, Magnus Carlsen of Norway to maintain his slender lead after the 10th round of the Morelia-Linares Grandamasters chess tournament here today.

Anand now has 6.5 points, half a point clear of the 17-year-old Norwagian.

All four games of the 10th round ended in draws, as a result of which there was no change in the points table.

Carlsen employed a sideline of the Sveshnikov Sicilian against Anand, who was playing with white pieces. Carlsen managed to generate the kind of play which is characteristic of the variation and a level position arose from the opening.

With neither player able to gain the upper hand, the match ended in a draw on the 22nd move.

Meanwhile, in other matches, Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia retained his third place with a draw against Teimour Radjabov while Ivanchuk drew with Veselin Topalov who managed to cling on to his fourth position.

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