Anand handed tough draw, opens with black against Ponomariov

Wijk Aan Zee, Holland, Jan 13 (UNI) Viswanathan Anand will kick off his campaign for a record sixth title with a battle of wits against former World champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, while Delhi prodigy Parimarjan Negi meets local favourite and IM Wouter Spoelman in his first round match of the Corus Chess tournament here today.

Anand was handed a tough draw which has him playing with black against World champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and top seed Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, expected to be the biggest thorns in the Indian's flesh.

The defending champion would also play with black against Ponomariov, Alexander Motylev, Magnus Carlsen, Sergey Karjakin and Sergey Tiviakov.

The Indian, however, would have white against Levon Aronian, Peter Svidler, Teymour Radjabov, Loek van Wely, Alexey Shirov and David Navara.

In all, Anand will have six games with white and seven with black in the 14-players, category-19 Group A event.

In the Grandmasters' group C category, youngest GM Parimarjan Negi will open with white against International Master Wouter Spoelman.

Parimarjan will have white against IM Thomas Willemze (Holland), IM Nadezhda Kosintseva (Russia), GM John van der Wiel (Holland), IM Manuel Bosboom (Holland), IM Edwin van Haastert (Holland) and Russian IM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The Delhi prodigy would have black against GM Stellan Brynell, GM Michal Krasenkow, GM Emanuel Berg, GM Harmen Jonkman, GM Zhaowin Peng and the 13-year-old Chinese sensation Hou Yifan.

UNI