Anand sole leader

Grandmaster Peter Svidler of Russia and his compatriot 2004 Aeroflot Open champion Sergei Rublevski remained in hunt for the second qualifying berth from this group with a draw between themselves in this round. Two more games remain in the preliminary stage being played on a double round robin basis between four players.

In the other group, Braingames champion and Vladimir Kramnik was trying to defend a difficult position against 14-year-old world8217;s youngest ever Grandmaster Sergei Karjakin of Ukraine at the time of going to press. Viktor Bologan settled for his fourth successive draw in the event, signing peace with Peter Leko who is set to challenge Kramnik in a contest part of the reunification treaty of the chess world in September this year.