The grudge round

by ChessBase
3/2/2003 – Round eight of the 20th Linares tournament was the start of the second half of this very strong round robin. It was a grudge round with the two ex world champions playing against the reigning world champions who had taken away their titles. Both Garry Kasparov and Vishy Anand were eager to teach Vladimir Kramnik and Ruslan Ponomariov a lesson. More...

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XX International Chess Tournament
Cuidad de Linares 2003 (Cat. XX)

Picture gallery round eight

By Frederic Friedel and Nadja Woisin

A full report on round eight is here.


Ponomariov and Radjabov hurrying to round eight


...while Vladimir Kramnik calmly completes his stroll


Inside the playing hall Ruslan Ponomariov prepares for his game against Anand


His opponent Vishy Anand went on to push him to the edge.

The game Ponomariov vs Anand was a scary affair, with the Indian superstar pushing all the way. Just when everyone thought it was over and Pono could do nothing but resign the game ended in a surprising draw. A pale and distraught Anand emerged from the hall, knowing that he had missed a sure win. Later, after analysis in his room with Fritz, he could only mutter "Lucky, lucky $%"§!" (a quote from Monty Python's Life of Brian), while Ponomariov told us at breakfast that "Anand had missed five wins".


Waiting for Kasparov: Vladimir Kramnik, with a skeptical look on his face


Kasparov cometh, the watch is on the table.


Let the game begin: Kasparov vs Kramnik

Kasparov suffering on the close circuit video screens

This game was of very high quality, with virtually flawless play by both sides. But that also meant that it ended in a draw, as probably all perfect games of chess will do.


Postgame analysis with Kramnik's seconds Vladimir Malakhov and Miguel Illescas watching on the left, and Yuri Dokhoian, Kasparov's helper on the right. In the middle is Alexander Roshal, the editor of the Russian chess magazine 64.


The only decided game of the day, a very impressive victory by ex child prodigy Peter Leko over today's top child prodigy Teimour Radjabov.

 


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