Nanjing: World Champion Viswanathan Anand put up a superlative display to outplay former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the third round of Pearl Spring Chess tournament.

Anand, who had beaten Topalov in last World Championship, was at his best in finding resources with black pieces and then capitalised on his initiative to cruise home for his first victory in the event.

Magnus Carlsen of Norway, meanwhile, remained atop the table with a crushing victory over local hopeful Wang Yue. Backed by his second victory in the tournament, Carlsen took his tally to 2.5 points in all out of a possible three.

Anand took the second spot solely now on two points, while Etienne Bacrot of France is on third position with 1.5 points. In the other game of the third round of this six-player double round-robin event, Bacrot defeated Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan.

With seven rounds still remaining, Topalov, Gashimov and Wang Yue are tied for the fourth spot with one point each, having drawn two and lost one game apiece.

The ghosts of the last World Championship, where Topalov lost with white in the 12th and final game of the match, came back to haunt the Bulgarian as Anand psychologically went for the same Lasker defence that had helped him get the title.

A victory with black is usually always special at top level chess. Especially so, when it comes the way Anand won.

Anand came up with a new move on the 16th turn which was apparently the fruition of the homework he had done for the match against Topalov. (PTI)