Troubled in the middle-game, Viswanathan Anand defended accurately to split the point in the first game against Magnus Carlsen in the second round of chess24 Legends of Chess on Wednesday.
After surrendering the first round to Peter Svidler 1.5-2.5, following a one-move blunder in the fourth game, Anand was under pressure between moves 21 and 34, when Carlsen’s rook and bishop-pair threatened to prove superior to Anand’s rook, knight and bishop.
But the Indian managed to trade his knight for a bishop on the 35th move and thereafter, Carlsen could not exert any pressure. Nine moves later, draw was agreed following repetition of moves.
World No. 3 Ding Liren, stunned by Boris Gelfand in the first round, lost to Ian Nepomniachtchi in the only decisive game of the round before Vladimir Kramnik let Anish Giri off the hook.
Second-round results: Game One: Magnus Carlsen (Nor) drew with Viswanathan Anand; Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr) drew with Boris Gelfand (Isr); Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus) bt Ding Liren (Chn); Peter Svidler (Rus) drew with Peter Leko (Hun); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) drew with Anish Giri (Ned).
First round: Svider bt Anand 2.5-1.5; Carlsen bt Giri 3-1; Gelfand bt Liren 3-1; Nepomniachtchi bt Kramnik 3-2; Leko bt Ivanchuk 3-2.
