Title in sight as Anand takes on Peter Leko

Linares, Mar 9 (UNI) Tournament leader Vishwanathan Anand will look to seal the issue when he takes on Peter Leko in the 13th and penultimate round of the Morelia-Linares Supergrandmasters chess tournament in the final stages of the Category 20 event, that was played over two legs in Morelia, Mexico and Linares, Spain.

Anand, who holds a slender lead of half a point faces Peter Leko with white. Then in the final round he is up against Vassily Ivanchuk, where former world champion, Anand will have black.

It was not a great start for Anand at the Corus Grandmasters tournament, which he had won five times previously. But this time he finished outside Top three. But here in Morelia, after a sedate start he picked and joined early leader, the 16-year-old Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, at the top of the table.

After beating Carlsen twice, Anand is now sole leader, but with just half-a-point.

In the 13th round, Anand plays Leko with white, while Carlsen has white against Peter Svidler. Lev Aronian, the only player to beat Anand here plays Ivanchuk with white and Alexander Morozevich takes on Veselin Topalov.

Standings after Round 12 1. Anand 7.5; 2. Carlsen 7.0; 3. Svidler 6.5; 4. Aronian 6.0; 5.

Topalov and Ivanchuk 5.5; 7. Morozevich 5.5; 8. Leko 4.5 UNI