Viswanathan Anand kept himself in the race for the title by keeping the gap between him and leader Veselin Topalov to just half a point with one more round to go in the Category 20 M-Tel Masters chess tournament at Hotel Grand Sofia.
He ensured that the in-form local hero Topalov did not run away with honours with a round to spare. In the last game to finish in the ninth round, Anand squeezed out a fine win in the endgame against a tired looking Michael Adams, who at various stages had even seemed slightly better with white, but it was Anand who seized the chances he got.
Anand's win carried him to five points from nine rounds, and a clear second position and Topalov is half a point ahead at 5.5 points. In the final round, Anand will have white pieces against Judit Polgar, who drew her ninth round game against an off-colour Vladimir Kramnik.
If Topalov and Anand end up with same points, they will have to have a play-off in rapid, where Anand will have a definite advantage. But for that situation to happen Anand must win against Polgar and hope Topalov does no better than a draw.
Topalov, who decimated co-leader Ruslan Ponomariov in another game, will face Kramnik in the last round and Bulgarian will have to play with black pieces. Topalov outplayed Pono with a preparation in the usually solid Queen's Indian defence for black (Pono).
Meanwhile, Anand, when asked what he thought of the fact that he has a chance to catch up with Topalov and maybe end up with first, said, "I have not really thought about it. Till a few minutes ago, it seemed it might be a draw and suddenly things became better for black (Anand) and I won. Maybe it will sink in when I get back to the room."
Anand added, "I really have not thought about the tournament situation. I was not thinking about the tournament or the standings. I just played my game today. I didn't see a moment when I think I would have offered a draw. At one moment I thought I was worse and few moves later, I am already better. Obviously one of my evaluations was wrong."
When talking about the tournament and tiredness he said, "Generally I don't feel it till the end of the tournament. Only when it ends, it hits me."
It was Anand's second win of the tournament, following his first over Kramnik in the seventh round. It also avenged his loss to Adams in the Linares event earlier this year, when the Englishman had won with black pieces. Overall Anand leads Adams 21-5 in all formats with many of his wins having come in the classical form.
Anand had black pieces and opted for the Petroff defense which has been very popular here. Interestingly, Anand's other win in this event had also come in the Petroff, but that had been from the other side, with Anand having white.
Adams admitted that it was confusing in the opening. Then he said that Anand's Bb3 on the 25th turn was very strong. That may have tilted the scales in the Indian ace's favour in the end. But even then both sides seemed slightly better at various stages without much chances of a clear win. Then into the endgame, where Anand said a three-pawn ending can be tricky. Both had rooks, too. Anyhow, Adams erred and Anand seized his chance and wrapped up a good win right at the end.
Topalov is on a roll in the second half of the tournament. The Bulgarian, currently the world's third highest rated player after the now retired Garry Kasparov and Anand, has played four great games in a row.
Talking of his ninth round game, which was in the normally rock-solid Queen's Indian defence, Topalov admitted, "It was too easy, as my opponent fell to my preparation. It was my plan to keep my bishop undeveloped and bring it Bd3 and he could not foresee any of my moves." He then added generously, "It was one of those bad days for him."
The game was sheer torture for Ponomariov, who in last few games had seemed fairly solid. With imminent mate, Pono resigned after Topalov's 30th move, which would have brought mate in two more.
Games begin an hour early in the tenth and final round, where Ponomariov will meet Adams with white pieces. Anand will have white against Polgar and home star, Topalov will have black against Kramnik.
Pairings for tenth round: Ponomariov v Adams; Anand v Polgar; Kramnik v Topalov
Results for ninth round: Adams lost to Anand; Topalov beat Ponomariov; Polgar drew with Kramnik
Points after ninth round:
1. Topalov 5.5 points;
2. Anand 5 points;
3. Ponomariov and Polgar 4.5 points each;
5. Kramnik 4 points;
6. Adams 3.5 points
Adams v Anand
M-Tel Masters 2005, Ninth round
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. cxd5 Qxd5 15. Bf4 Rac8 16. Bg3 Bd6 17. Nd2 Bxg3 18. hxg3 Na5 19. Qa4 Bd7 20. Qc2 b6 21. Bd3 h6 22. Bh7+ Kf8 23. Be4 Qd6 24. Nf3 Be6 25. Ne5 Bb3 26. Qe2 c5 27. Qg4 Rcd8 28. Bf5 cxd4 29. cxd4 Nc6 30. Nxc6 Rxe1+ 31. Rxe1 Qxc6 32. Qe2 Qd6 33. Qf3 Bc4 34. Qe3 Bb5 35. Rd1 Ba4 36. Rd2 Re8 37. Qc3 h5 38. Qc1 Qe7 39. Qc3 Qg5 40. Bh3 Kg8 41. d5 f5 42. d6 Bd7 43. Rd1 Qg6 44. Qc7 Qe6 45. Qxa7 b5 46. Qc5 g5 47. g4 hxg4 48. Bxg4 fxg4 49. Qxg5+ Kh7 50. Qh5+ Kg7 51. Qg5+ Qg6 52. Qc5 Qf6 53. Qa7 Qf5 54. Qd4+ Kg6 55. Qc3 Qe5 56. Qd3+ Kg7 57. Qc2 Rh8 58. Qc7 Qh2+ 59. Kf1 Qh1+ 60. Ke2 Re8+ 0-1
