Linares (Spain): Viswanathan Anand scored a thumping victory against Peter Leko of Hungary to emerge as joint leader along with world number two Vladimir Kramnik after the sixth round of the Super Grand Masters Chess tournament.

Kramnik proved his mettle as he handed Azerbaijani sensation Teimour Radjabov his second defeat in the tournament.

Both Kramnik and Anand shared the lead with 3.5 points apiece from their five games played so far and were followed by Leko on three points.

World's highest rated Garry Kasparov was half a point behind on 2.5 along with Radjabov who has played an extra game and has a bye in the final round of the first lap in the seven-player double round robin tournament.

Anand was in his element right from the start and displayed remarkable technique in crushing Leko, who played black.

move when Anand sacrificed a pawn to open lines rather than going for some counter active measures to confine himself to defend an inferior position.

Anand gobbled the pawn back on the 18th move and secured a lasting advantage by virtue of queen side pawn majority.

Playing energetically and quickly thereafter, Anand traded the queens and exerted pressure on the queen side with his rooks. It turned out to be a complete domination once Anand sacrificed the exchange to get two menacing passed pawns on the queen side and the rest was child's play.

Leko surrendered his lead and the game on the 72nd move.

Just at the time when Anand was tightening the noose on Leko, Kramnik crashed through the defences of Radjabov who might have to work on some other opening than the French defence if he has to make a greater impact here.

The same opening had given Radjabov a full point against Kasparov in the second round but his position was not so good then also.

PTI