Indian GM Anand off to winning start in Superbet Rapid event

After nine rounds of Rapid, the players will take part in a Blitz event over two days with each player coming up against the nine others twice.

Former world champion and Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand got off to a flying start in the Rapid section of the Superbet Rapid and Blitz Poland chess tournament here on Thursday, registering wins in the first three rounds.

Playing as a wildcard, the Indian chess maestro defeated Radoslaw Wojtaszek of Poland in the first round, before getting the better of American Wesley So and ended the day one of the tournament with a win over Anton Korobov of Ukraine.

The veteran Indian star took the early lead in the 10-player tournament, which features rapid and blitz games. Pitted against local player Wojtaszek in the first round, Anand prevailed in 36 moves in a Ruy Lopez game and tamed So in a 30-game affair in the second round.

Against Korobov in the third round, he won in 28 moves in a French Euwe variation game to wrap up a superb first day.

Hungary's Richard Rapport is second behind Anand with a win, a loss and a draw. He beat Kirill Shevchenko of Ukraine, drew with Lev Aronian and lost to Polish Jan-Kryrzstof Duda in the first, second and third rounds respectively.

The event, which is part of the Grand Chess Tour, boasts of a strong field that includes Fabiano Caruana of USA, Aronian, So and Rappor apart from Anand. After nine rounds of Rapid, the players will take part in a Blitz event over two days with each player coming up against the nine others twice.

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