Games: Chess

When Viswanathan Anand and Anatoly Karpov met in the eighth round at Wijk aan Zee, they produced a better game than any they played in the final of the world championship earlier this month.

After a slow start, the game erupted into violence when Anand advanced his K-side pawns to open lines for his rooks. Karpov countered by dodging out of the way with his king (29.Kf2 and 32.Ke3), preparing to meet 32...hxg3 with 33.Rh1! with his own attacking plans on the g- and h-files. Anand delayed the capture on g3, but the position became complex when he finally played it at move 36.

Black's 41...d4+ was an inspired way to keep the white king in the firing line, and Karpov had to tread warily as his king insisted on leading its army from the front. At the end, Anand emerged with an extra pawn, but could not avoid perpetual check from the white queen.

Latest news: Karpov was beaten by Topalov in round nine and now languishes among the Dutchmen at the wrong end of the table. Scores: Anand 6; Polgar, Timman, Kramnik and Shirov 51/2; Gelfand and Topalov 5; Adams 41/2; Piket, Karpov, van der Sterren Nijboer and Salov 31/2; van Wely 3.

White: Anatoly Karpov

Black: Viswanathan Anand

Wijk aan Zee 1998

1 d4 d5 32 Ke3 a5

2 c4 c6 33 a3 axb4

3 Nc3 Nf6 34 axb4 b6

4 Nf3 e6 35 Na4 b5

5 Bg5 h6 36 Nc3 hxg3

6 Bxf6 Qxf6 37 Rh1 Qh4

7 e3 Nd7 38 Ne2 Rh7

8 Rc1 Qd8 39 Qg1 Rf8

9 Bd3 Be7 40 Qe1 Bxe5

10 0-0 0-0 41 dxe5 d4+

11 Qe2 a6 42 Kxd4 Bh5

12 Bb1 f5 43 hxg3 Qg4

13 Ne1 Bd6 44 Rf2 Ra8

14 c5 Bc7 45 Rh4 Qg6

15 f4 Nf6 46 Kc3 Ra2

16 Bd3 Bd7 47 Rfh2 Rxe2

17 Qd1 g5 48 Rxe2 Bxe2

18 g3 Rf7 49 Rxh7+ Kxh7

19 Rc2 Rg7 50 Qxe2 Qxg3+

20 Rg2 Qe7 51 Kd4 Qxf4

21 Be2 Kh8 52 Qh5+ Kg7

22 Qb3 Rb8 53 Qe8 e3+

23 Nd3 Be8 54 Kd3 Qf5+

24 Qd1 Bf7 55 Kxe3 Qxe5+

25 Ne5 Rbg8 56 Kd3 Qd5+

26 Bf3 Be8 57 Ke3 Kf6

27 b4 h5 58 Qf8+ Kg5

28 Re1 h4 59 Qg7+ Kh5

29 Kf2 gxf4 60 Qf7+ Kg5

30 exf4 Ne4+ Draw agreed

31 Bxe4 fxe4