Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko drew his final round game against compatriot Judit Polgar to clinch his maiden Corus Super Grandmaster Chess title as defending champion Viswanathan Anand settled for the second spot at Wijk Aan Zee on Sunday.
Leko finished with 8.5 points, half a point ahead of hot favourite Anand.
Four wins and nine draws gave the Hungarian the coveted title and a grand start in 2005. His crucial win against Anand with black pieces in the second round proved to be decisive in the end as the Indian was unable to catch up until the last round.
Leko's other wins came against Short, Bruzon and Svidler. He also was the only undefeated player in this prestigious Super Grandmaster event.
At the start of the final round, Leko needed just a draw and he got just that playing against the strongest woman chess player Polgar.
Facing the Queens Indian from Polgar, Leko equalised without any difficulty and held on for a comfortable draw in just 22 moves.
On the adjacent board, Anand playing behind black pieces, was giving it all against tail ender Ivan Sokolov.
Early in the Slav game, Anand gained a pawn and but had a backward bishop to boot to. Trying to eke out a win in the queen, rook and bishop ending, Anand was in a spot of bother briefly as the white queen and rook invaded Anand's back rank.
Sensing great danger, Anand took a draw giving back the pawn.
World No. 2 and four time Corus Champion Anand started the tournament as the favorite, but his early defeat against Leko, put the brakes on his progress.
A hat-trick of wins in the middle, against Morozevich, Ponomariov and Bruzon, brought him back into contention, but a draw against local star Loek van Wely from a winning position spoilt Anand's party.
A fine game against big fish Michael Adams in the penultimate round, brought Anand closer to Leko, but a dogged fight by Sokolov stopped the Indian just half a point behind the winner.
With the title race becoming a match up between Leko and Anand, a majority of the final round games - Svidler-Topalov, Adams-Grischuk, Kramnik-Morozevich - ended in quick draws.
Dutch Grandmaster Van wely, who pulled down Anand's title pursuit, finished with a fifty per cent score thanks to his final round victory over Nigel Short of England.
Results (Round 13)
Ivan Sokolov (3.5) drew with Viswanathan Anand (8), Peter Leko (8.5) drew with Judit Polgar (7), Peter Svidler (6) drew with Veselin Topalov (7.5), Vladimir Kramnik (7) drew with Alexander Morozevich (4.5), Loek. van Wely (6.5) beat Nigel Short (5.5), Michael Adams (7) drew with Alexander Grischuk (7).
