Baden-Baden (Germany): India's Viswanathan Anand got the better of Daniel Fridman of Germany while overnight leader Fabiano Caruana lost to Michael Adams of England and are in joint lead after the penultimate round of Grenke Chess Classic here.
Having missed out on a few promising positions, the Indian ace ensured a fine victory and took his tally to 5.5 points.
The script of the GRENKE Chess Classic had seemed set in stone – a single decisive game a day, the World Champion struggling to win and Caruana surviving scares on his way to an inevitable first place – but in the penultimate round that script was tossed out of the window. Caruana fell to defeat against Adams, Anand joined him in the lead by beating Fridman, and Naiditsch was tamed by Meier.
The tiger from Madras has at times exhibited the frustration of a caged animal here in Baden-Baden, but he remains unbeaten and today chose the perfect moment to pounce. Although Anand was giving little away in the press conference, his victory over Daniel Fridman was obviously cooked up in his home laboratory.
Fridman had out-prepared Fabiano Caruana in Round 5, but this time it was Anand who sprang a surprise in the classical main line.
The last game to finish was a fiendishly complex Catalan battle between Fabiano Caruana and Michael Adams. In terms of the tournament standings the young tournament leader really only needed a draw. But Round 9 wreaked havoc on the tournament standings. Not only are Anand and Caruana now locked together on 5.5 points, but the only other players with a chance of catching them on the final day are Adams and Meier – something anyone would have given long odds against just a round or two ago.
Naiditsch and Fridman have no winning chances, but they still have an absolutely crucial role to play. Fridman, known for his solidity, has the white pieces against Caruana, while Naiditsch, whose fighting chess has made him the man of the tournament, has White against the World Champion. In case of a tie for first place a play-off will be played.
Standings:
1-2. Anand, Caruana: 5.5/9
3-4. Adams, Meier: 4.5
5. Naiditsch: 4
6. Fridman: 3