Viswanathan Anand kept his position atop Group A at the Sparkassen chess tournament in Dortmund with another draw in the fourth round.
For the second time the Indian Grandmaster was held by teenager Arkadij Naiditsch, the 18-year-old from Germany. All four games, two each in both sections, ended in draws.
Naiditsch and Anand played out a 45-move draw in the Siclian Rossolimo and Naiditsch seemed content with half a point against the world's second highest rated player. In their earlier clash, too, they had split the point.
This game was far longer than the first draw they had in 25 moves of a Spanish opening, where the NIIT Brand Ambassador had white. However, the two draws must be good for young Naiditsch's morale and record.
Thus far in four rounds and eight games, only two have produced results. Anand beating Peter Svidler in one of them and Svidler beating Naiditsch in another. All games in Group B have been drawn so far.
The highlight of the fourth round was 14-year-old Sergey Karjakin's performance against World No. 3, Vladimir Kramnik. Karjakin had Kramnik on the ropes, but even after 86 moves was unable to deliver the knockout punch.
In the end it was a draw.
The game was a Sicilian Najdorf and in the end, the experienced Kramnik must have been relieved to get away with a face-saving draw, which keeps all four players at an equal two points each after four games.
To be fair, Najdorf is one variation that Kramnik has only begun getting into himself and that too this year.
In other games, in Group A, Sergey Rublevsky held Svidler to a draw in 36 moves of Scotch game and in Group B, Viorel Bologan and Peter Leko drew in 25 moves of a Gruenfeld.
Results and standings
Group A Round 4: Rublevsky drew with Svidler; Naiditsch drew with Anand.
Standings: 1. Anand 2.5; 2. Rublevsky and Svidler 2.0 each; 4. Naiditsch 1.5.
Group B Round 4: Karjakin drew with Kramnik; Bologan drew with Leko.
Standings: 1. Kramnik, Leko, Karjakin and Bologan 2.0 each.
