KOLKATA, Jan 8: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand recovered from an early setback to register two victories and emerge as joint leader with Nihal Sarin after six rounds of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid on Thursday.
Rounds four to six produced fighting chess and frequent shifts at the top of the standings in both the Open and Women’s sections. Both Anand and Nihal are tied on 4.5 points.In round four, Anand appeared to be pressing in the middle game before a rook blunder allowed Arjun Erigaisi to turn the tables.He patiently and later capitalised on an endgame error to seal the win.Anand, however, bounced back strongly, picking up full points against Hans Niemann and Volodar Murzin in the next two rounds to return to the top of the standings.\Nihal, meanwhile, surged into joint lead with three successive wins. He first capitalised on a knight blunder by Niemann, followed it up with a neat back-rank combination against Murzin, and then showcased fine endgame technique to defeat compatriot Vidit Gujrathi in a knight endgame. (PTI)
