Anand held by Levon, Parimarjan win Corus chess 3rd round

Wijk Aan Zee, Holland, Jan 15 (UNI) Viswanathan Anand tried every tricks in the book but just could not get the better of Levon Aronian's defence and the Indian chess wizard had to split point with his opponent in the third round of the Corus Chess Tournament here today.

This was Anand's first match with white and despite best of his efforts, the Indian just could not make the best of it and the Armenian Grandmaster proved a tough nut to crack. It was a neck-and-neck battle of wits which lasted 32 moves before the players signed the truce.

Anand had earlier drawn his first game with Ruslan Ponomariov before winning the second against another Russian GM, Alexander Motylev.

Anand will have black again when he crosses sword with Norwegian super talent Magnus Carlsen in the fourth round.

Meanwhile in Group C, Delhi prodigy Parimarjan Negi, playing with white, beat local favourite and IM Thomas Willemze.

In the fourth round, Parimarjan will have white against Russian IM Nadezhda Kosintseva.

UNI