Anand crushes Topalov to win Leon Chess for 7th time

Leon, Spain, July 9 (UNI) World number one Viswanathan Anand once again asserted his supremacy on the game, annihilating Veselin Topalov 3-1 in the final of the Magistral Ciudad de Leon chess tournament to lift the trophy for an incredible seventh time in 12 years.

The two-time defending champion drew the first and third games, and won the second and fourth against the former World champion Bulgarian yesterday to win the title once again.

The last game was a masterpiece. Topalov trailing 1-2 after his loss in the second game, needed to win to take the match into tie-breaker. It was another Sicilian Najdorf but with e6 this time. Anand sacrificed a piece on 14th but had three pawns for it and the pawns were connected.

As Anand played very adventurously, Toplaov looked slightly better. But the Indian Grandmaster offered a queen exchange which Topalov refused.

Anand then regained initiative and his two connected passed pawns were now unstoppable. The chess wizard realised his opening plan of creating strong passed pawns. Topalov was now lost and then Anand reeled off a series of superb moves to win the game and the title in 29 moves.

Anand has now twice won Leon title three times in a row.

After his first title win in 1996, Anand was champion three times in a row from 1999 to 2001 and then again from 2005 to 2007.

Earlier, the first game of the final was a Closed Ruy Lopez in which Topalov, with white, launched a vicious-looking kingside attack, which was coolly rebuffed by Anand, who forced a draw in 49 moves.

In the second game, with Sicilian Najdorf, Anand slowly outplayed his opponent, queened a pawn on b8 and took full points on move 37.

A point behind, Topalov launched another Closed Ruy with kingside aggressions in Game Three. But once again Anand allowed nothing really dangerous to happen and the game was drawn in 38 moves.

The Cuidad de Leon tournament now in its 20th edition has been held in various formats, including a phase, from 1998 to 2002, when it was held as an ''Advanced Chess'' event with the players using computers during the games.

UNI