Stavanger: Viswanathan Anand lost to Yu Yangyi of China in the tie-break game in the sixth round of Altibox Norway chess tournament here.
Anand, thus, ended his winning run of three matches. He failed to disturb Yu Yangyi’s Petroff defence and could not make inroads in the Classical game played earlier in the day.
The players fought tooth and nail in the Armageddon game soon after a draw was agreed and Anand deviated as early as in the second move when he went for the Bishop’s opening. Yangyi went for the main line but his position flagged in the middle game owing to Anand’s wealth of experience and expertise.
Eventually, Yangyi won in 48 moves. It was a day of upsets as American Wesley So allowed a checkmate in one, Ding Liren of China dropped a whole rook and Russian Alexander Grischuk just left his Bishop in front of his opponent’s Bishop.
Home boy Magnus Carlsen had a good day. The World Champion was on the verge of his first defeat against Ding Liren in a pawn less rook and opposite coloured Bishops endgame but the latter made a mistake on a rook in checks to lick his wounds.
Carlsen on 9.5 points stayed 1.5 points ahead of Yangyi, who is now on 8, and Levon Aronian of Armenia is sole third on 7.5 points.
