Anand recovered his tournament situation slightly as he came to joint eighth spot instead of joint ninth but the Indian ace still has a lot of ground to cover in the remaining three rounds of this 300000 USD Prize money tournament.
On a day when Hikaru Nakamura of United States played a remarkable attacking game against compatriot Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France also bounced back in reckoning for top honours disposing Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria.
With just three rounds remaining, Carlsen and Aronian remained atop the tables with four points each in their kitty and Vachier-Lagrave, Giri and Nakamura are now joint third with 3.5 points apiece. Topalov and Grischuk share the sixth spot on three points each while Anand and Caruana are joint eight a full point behind. Wesley So is now at the bottom with just 1.5 points in his bag.
The Dutchman got a pleasant looking position out of the opening but timely exchanges by Anand kept him at bay and when Anand forced him in to an opposite coloured Bishops endgame the result of the game was never in doubt.
Nakamura played a fine attacking game with black pieces drawing praise from on and all. The American was at his tactical best in spotting a flaw in Wesely So' judgement as he went on a rampage on the king side with a series of sacrifices that left the audience as well as his opponent astonished. The game ended with checkmate after white king had come out on a stroll by force.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
