Monaco, March 21 (IANS) Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand lost in the blindfold category to Russian Vladimir Kramnik in the fourth round of the Melody Amber Blindfold and Rapid chess tournament here Wednesday.

Kramnik kept his perfect record in blindfold and Anand with three points in rapid maintained his second position behind Armenian Lev Aronian, who has 3.5 out of four in the section.

After the fourth round the standings changed a little but the leader's consolidated their position.

Kramnik maintained the lead in the overall standings with 6.5 points ahead of Aronian, who had six points in his kitty.

The NIIT-sponsored Anand is second in rapid and tied for eighth spot in blindfold category and is fifth in the overall standings.

Kramnik's win also avenged the Russian's loss to Anand in the 2005 Amber Blindfold game.

Anand went on an all-out attack in rapid, which opened in the Ruy Lopez. He sacrificed a full rook and aimed as many pieces at the black king as possible. Kramnik survived the pressure and onslaught with some great defence and after 56 moves, the duo agreed to a draw with both attacker and defender playing superbly.

RESULTS:

Round IV (Blindfold): Radjabov drew with Ivanchuk; Kramnik beat Anand 1-0; Van Wely beat Morozevich; Vallejo lost to Svidler 0-1; Aronian beat Carlsen; Leko drew with Gelfand

Rapid: Ivanchuk beat Radjabov; Anand drew with Kramnik; Morozevich beat Van Wely; Svidler beat Vallejo; Carlsen drew with Aronian; Gelfand drew with Leko

STANDINGS:

Blindfold: 1. Kramnik 4.0; 2. Svidler and Ivanchuk 3.0; 4. Gelfand and Aronian 2.5; 6. Leko 2.0; 7. Morozevich and Radjabov 1.5; 9. Carlsen, Anand, Van Wely and Vallejo Pons 1.0;

Rapid: 1. Aronian 3.5; 2. Anand 3.0; 3. Morozevich, Kramnik and Ivanchuk 2.5; 6. Carlsen, Leko and Svidler 2.0; 9. Gelfand 1.5; 10. Vallejo Pons and Van Wely 1.0; 12. Radjabov 0.5

Combined: 1. Kramnik 6.5; 2. Aronian 6.0; 3. Ivanchuk 5.5; 4. Svidler 5.0; 5. Gelfand, Morozevich, Leko and Anand 4.0; 9. Carlsen 3.0; 10. Radjabov, Vallejo Pons and Van Wely 2.0