Anand sparkles in Olympic chess

Indian Grandmaster Vishwananthan Anand displayed his sparkling speed of thoughts to pin Alexei Shirov into a corner, but the Spaniard wriggled out of the mess as chess made an exhibition entry into the Olympic Games.

While athletes of different disciplines were busy at various arenas playing for their country's honour and a moment of glory, chess made a quiet but positive start in its bid to get a possible entry into the Olympic family.

World number two Anand and Latvia-born Shirov added their might to the game's world governing body FIDE's efforts to make the sport a medal event in the Olympics by playing exhibition matches at the Olympic Athletes' Village in the Homebush Bay facility in Sydney.

Though no medals were at stake, Anand and Shirov played two rapid games at mind-boggling speed and fought hard till there was no life left in the positions.

The first game was a fashionable Najdorf variation that has evoked such an interest that world's best chess players have decided to have a close scrutiny for the game's theoritical value.

Anand, known for his speed play, got an advantage on the board as well as the clock in the first game despite playing with black.

Shirov defended under pressure to reach a drawn ending where black's extra bishop had no effect on the result of the game.

Anand, having an advantage of white pieces in the second game, however, came unstuck against the French Rubinstein variation from Shirov.

The French Rubinstein seems to have become a pet opening for the Spaniard, but both players seemed to have liked their positions.

The Indian sacrificed a pawn but Shirov repulsed the White initiative and gobbled the pawn to good use.

In mutual time trouble Anand managed to win his pawn back and both players lifted till the eyes met and a second draw was agreed.

After the mind-quenching games, Anand and Shirov were friends again and chatted amicably.

Interestingly, the players discussed their games in the language that was easier for both - Spanish.

While Shirov has adopted Spain as his home, Anand's second base is also the country that is more mad about bull-fighting, football and tennis.

As Anand and Shirov played two 'ground-breaking' games, Australia's youngest ever International Master, Zong-Yuan Zhao, took on all-comers from the athletes in the Olympic village in a simultaneous exhibition on 20 boards.

Many wellknown athletes as well as chess players tried their hand to see how this player of the future would play.

Zhao made all work hard keeping his 20 opponents on the tenterhooks and impressed the chess fraternity as Australia found a world class player.

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