World Champion Viswanathan Anand retains the title

The tie-break of the match for FIDE World Champion was played on 30 May at the State Tretyakov Gallery’s Engineering Building

12 games with classical time control ended in a draw 6:6, so the Champion was determined during the tie-break. Players had to play four games with the control of 25 minutes till the end with an increment of 10 seconds after each move.

The struggle was extremely tense and dramatic. The first game was very tough, each side had chances to win, but eventually all the pieces were exchanged and game was drawn.

In the second game Anand, playing white, won a pawn but Black got compensation and was defending precisely. However Boris Gelfand spent too much time and as a result blundered in the endgame. Anand won the second game in 77 moves.

In the third and fourth games Boris Gelfand got very good chances to equalize the score but failed. Viswanathan Anand remains World Chess Champion! The awarding ceremony will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the State Tretyakov Gallery’s Engineering Building. After the ceremony there will be final press-conference with World Champion and officials.

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 12

In the final game of the match with classical time control, the opponents once again played the Rossolimo variation of the Sicilian Defence. Unlike the previous game when this system was used, the world champion managed to provide a surprise, sacrificing the pawn with e5 on the eighth move. Boris Gelfand thought long and hard before finding an interesting solution – on the tenth move he voluntarily returned the material and then sacrificed another pawn in order to reveal the position and activate his pieces. The challenger’s decision proved to be justified as he was well compensated. Anand agreed that he was lacking the sufficient resources to fight for an advantage, eased the situation in the centre, and on the twenty-second move the opponents agreed to a draw.

Following the twelfth game, the score is equal at 6-6. According to the rules, the players must now play a tie-break: four games of rapid chess (25 minutes until the end plus 10 seconds per move). If they finish with a score of 2-2, a match of two blitz games will be played (5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move). If the score is still even, another match of two blitz games will be played (in total no more than 5 such matches). If the winner is not determined from these 10 games, the decisive Armageddon will be played.

The tie-break will be held on Wednesday, 30 May, at 12.00 pm.

The guests of honour on 28 May were the American art experts Bradley Bailey and Francis Naumann.

In the chess courtyard, grandmaster Sergey Karjakin played a game of multi-board chess with children. Sergey won nine victories, but one boy managed a draw in the game.

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 11

During the eleventh game of the match, just as in the ninth, Viswanathan Anand once again selected the Nimzo-Indian Defence for Black. Even during the early stages, the world champion surprised his opponent with the rare move of 8…Сd7, forcing the contender to think long and hard about his next move. The opponents traded queens rather quickly and moved on to the multi-piece endgame. Once again Boris Gelfand held the advantage of two bishops, however his so-called “hanging pawns” in the centre came under fire from enemy rooks. On the twentieth move, the Indian grandmaster launched tactical operations in the centre, preventing his opponent from stabilising the situation and strengthening his advantage. Running out of time to think, Gelfand decided to simplify things after which their positions were completely equalised. On the twenty-fourth move, the opponents agreed to a draw.

Following the eleventh game, the score is even at 5.5-5.5. Sunday, 27 May, is an off-day at the match. The twelfth and final game with classical time control will be held on Monday, 28 May. Viswanathan Anand will play with white. If the score is still even after this game, the world champion will be determined by a tie break (in games with accelerated time control) on Wednesday, 30 May.

The guests of honour on 26 May were the famous Russian musicians, pianist Nikolai Lugansky and cellist Alexander Knyazev.

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik delivered a lecture to children and parents and also took numerous questions from the young audience.Similar to the fifth game, Viswanathan Anand started the tenth game with 1.e4. The opponents once again played the Sicilian Defence, but on the third move the world champion veered away from the Sveshnikov variation, choosing 3.Bb5. Just two moves later Boris Gelfand showed a new plan – 5…e5, which resulted in an interesting position with mutual chances. Judging by how quickly the moves were made, the Israeli grandmaster had analysed this variation very deeply. Soon the queens were exchanged, the position simplified considerably, but, according to many experts, all three results of the game were still possible. Black’s position was weakened by doubled pawns on the queenside, but he had the two-bishop advantage. New exchanges followed, and the position simplified even further. On move 25 the opponents agreed to a draw.

The score is equal after 10 games – 5-5. Tomorrow, on 25 May, the opponents will have a rest day. The next game will be played on Saturday, 26 May. Gelfand will play White.

Today Edvard Radzinsky, the famous writer, historian and TV presenter, was the honorary guest of the match. The press conference was dedicated to the “Chess and Terror” theme. Radzinsky spoke about the unique chess set titled “Reformers Against Revolutioners”, which was created in commemoration of the tragic events of the second half of the XIX century, when tsar Alexander II was murdered by members of the People’s Freedom movement. Radzinsly dwelled not only on the chess set, which was a genuine masterpiece, but also on the controversial era in Russian history, when the government of Alexander II implemented radical reforms in the country’s economic and political system.

Three simuls were played in the chess courtyard. The 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov, the Champion of Europe 2011 Vladimir Potkin and Grandmaster Vladimir Belov played against children.

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 9

WORLD CHAMPION FOUND SHELTER IN A FORTRESS

The ninth game of the match for FIDE World Champion was played on 23 May at the State Tretyakov Gallery’s Engineering Building

In the ninth game, Viswanathan Anand decided against the Slav Defence and played the Nimzo-Indian Defence with black. In response, Boris Gelfand selected the solid Rubinstein System. Following the opening, White acquired moveable pawns in the centre and an advantage of two bishops; at the same time the Black positions had no weaknesses. Soon the challenger had an opportunity to deal a blow to the centre with a move of 19.с5. As a result of this tactical operation, White won a queen for a rook, bishop and pawn. Experts believed that a draw was the most likely outcome, but White nevertheless still had a small chance for victory. Gelfand tried long and hard to undermine the black defence, although he may not have acted as accurately as he should have. White managed to open the kingside, however Anand successfully restructured his forces and with his concise play fought off all threats from his opponent after building a fortress. The opponents agreed to a draw on the forty-ninth move.

After the ninth game, the score is 4.5-4.5. The tenth game will be played today, 24 May. Viswanathan Anand will play with white.

A press conference was held on 23 May to mark the eightieth anniversary of the birth of artist Viktor Popkov, a brilliant master of the Soviet school of art. Popkov’s painting The Team is Resting became the artistic symbol of the 2012 World Chess Championship Match. The press conference was attended by Pyotr Kozorezenko, a doctor of art studies and the author of a book about Popkov, as well as Russian Art magazine editor Inna Pulikova.

Also on this day, the match was attended by Natan Sharansky, a well-known Israeli politician, social activist and writer. Sharansky gave interviews to several television channels and also played an unplanned simultaneous chess display with children in the Chess Corner.

Boris Gelfand: I played a risky variation

During the press conference, which took place immediately after the game, Boris Gelfand confessed that he simply failed to spot white's 17. Qf2. After playing 14...Qf6, he could only see 17. Qf4, after which white would have to play either 18. Bd3 or 18. Bh3. The Israeli grandmaster also considered the possibility of offering a losing exchange after a potential 15. Kc2 Nf4 16. Ne4 continuation. An interesting position appeared after 16... Re4 17. fe. “I played a risky variation and thought it would turn out okay, but I didn't anticipate White's last move. It's difficult to say where I could have played better. I think that, if this variation fails, then the whole concept is wrong. Of course, I could have just played Knight to g7 or f6 on the 14th move instead of Qf6, but then Black's position would have been worse after 15. h4.”

Viswanathan Anand admitted that he had seen the possible blunder as early as the 11th move, when he played pawn takes f5. “At first I had the same thought as Boris – that actually I had to go Queen f4, and then I refined it to Queen f2, and that's how it happened.” The world champion called move 7... Nh5 provocative as Black usually plays this move after 7... e6. He could have responded more aggressively and played 7. g4, but considered this to be too “committal”. “I played Bc5 taking advantage of the fact that had not played his pawn on e7.”

When asked how had they slept the night before, after game 7, the challenger said that he had slept very well – eight hours non-stop. The champion, on the other hand, said that it had not been his best sleep of the match. Anand was then asked if his state of mind had changed following yesterday's game – if it would help him to get back to playing his usual game. “In general, I'd like to think that I'm playing each game quite hard, but it's clear these last two games are not like before – it's emotionally much more tough. I don't know if I played particularly aggressively today. I think it's just the consequence of this position and white needs to gain space,” he commented, “I mean, if I played well, I'm happy.”

When the world champion – who is known for his fast play – was asked why he had been using a lot of time in the games, the Indian grandmaster explained: “Well, in general, I would say it's much more evolutionary than something else that I've changed from one day to the next. It's happened quite gradually and, obviously, in World Championship matches, I tend to do it a lot more even. But then there's a lot to remember.”

The players were then asked whether they thought it was like the match was starting all over again, as the score was once again even, Boris Gelfand replied: “Well, I don't think it ever stopped! It's not 1985, when the match stopped and then started again.”

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 8

Anand equalises the score

The eighth game of the match began exactly like the third one, which was the only game where Boris Gelfand was on the verge of defeat but still managed to survive.There’s no surprise that as soon as on move 3 Black moved away from the previous games. A pawn structure appeared on the board that is typical of Saemisch system of the King’s Indian, but there was a significant difference in the position of the pieces: both white knights were on the queenside. Trying to use this circumstance, Black decided to go for complications on the kingside, thus provoking Viswanathan Anand to push forward the g-pawn, which would weaken his king’s position. The world champion picked up the gauntlet and sharp play started where the opponents had to calculate a great number of lines. Gelfand miscalculated one of them: as he admitted, when making his move 14…Qf6, he hadn’t noticed the reply 17.Qf2!, after which Black’s position immediately became hopeless. Since he failed to find a defence against large material losses or a mate attack, the challenger resigned.

Anand regained the balance: after 8 games the score is 4-4. Tomorrow, on 22 May, the opponents have a rest day. The ninth game will be played on Wednesday, 23 May. Gelfand will play White.

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 7

Boris Gelfand: "I believe that, not only in chess, but in life in general, people place too much stock in ratings"

During the press conference, Boris Gelfand said that he strayed away from the continuation that we had seen in the first and third games at move number six, by choosing to play 6. Qc2, a move that he had previously used in practice. Black had an isolated pawn in the centre, but the Champion decided to sacrifice it and castled short on the fourteenth move (14…0-0. Novelty). The Israeli grandmaster refused to say if he had been surprised by Anand’s play. “After the 17th move, it became clear that black had a strong shape. White could not bring its pieces out and therefore had to give up a pawn,” the challenger summed up. He further noted that only home analysis would show whether he could have tried to save the pawn and play for something more. Both competitors agreed that, despite the material balance that had been restored, white nevertheless continued to apply pressure as its pieces were in more active positions. But black was able to neutralise this threat with a series of precise moves. Viswanathan Anand was happy with the moves 20…Qe6, 21…f6, 22…Qc6, after which black was able to simplify the game and move into a drawing endgame.

After discussing the game, journalists moved on to other questions. It turns out that the players and their teams have been able to keep up with the latest football news. Anand said that his seconds would probably be going for Bayern, while Gelfand wasn’t even sure if he would watch the match, as Barcelona, his favourite team, would not be playing.

When asked which of the Tretyakov’s paintings they would like to see in their own homes, the World Champion expressed his affinity for Shishkin’s Morning in a Pine Forest and Vasnetsov’s Bogatyrs (or Three heroes), while Gelfand chose the paintings of Aivazovsky. At the same time, both players noted that they have absolutely no talent for art and recalled that once, at the opening of a tournament in Monaco, they were asked to showcase their creative prowess in painting. Neither was happy with their attempts, although both were very lauding at the press conference of Vassily Ivanchuk and Loek van Wely, who also took part.

Boris Gelfand commented on Garry Kasparov’s statement that “the uniqueness of this match lies in the fact that, for the first time in the modern history of the game, the World Championship Match will not decide who the strongest player in the world is.”

“Clearly, Garry wants to remind those who have forgotten that he was once the strongest chess player in the world. I believe that, not only in chess, but in life in general, people place too much stock in ratings – they pay attention to which TV shows have the highest ratings, how many friends they have on Facebook, and it’s funny. The best shows often have low ratings and it is impossible to have thousands of real friends.” For his part, the World Champion said that he tries not to pay attention to such comments and only focuses his thoughts exclusively on what is going on in the match.





Official website: http://moscow2012.fide.com/en/

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 5

In the fifth game of the match the world champion changed the opening and played 1.e4. The challenger was ready for such a development and immediately played 1…c5. The Chelyabinsk Variation of the Sicilian Defence was played out very quickly. On the 20th move, a technical position with bishops of opposite colours appeared on the board, and as soon as the 26th move was played, the opponents agreed to a draw. The match score is equal – 2.5-2.5. Tomorrow, on the 18 May, the sixth game of the match will be played with Boris Gelfand having the white colour. Official website: http://moscow2012.fide.com/en/

FIDE World Chess Championship Match - Round 4

Armour is so far stronger than weapons The opponents continued their Slav Defence duel that started in the second game of the match. White was the first to deviate from the previous game and managed to get the so-called two-bishop advantage in the middlegame. After a series of exchanges, the game transformed into an ending with somewhat better chances for White. In the resulting technical position, the game could have had either of two results: a draw or a victory for White. It turned out, however, that the white pieces were not sufficiently well coordinated and that the bishop’s advantage over the knight was not enough for a win: with precise play, Viswanathan Anand built a “fortress” and deflected all threats. A draw on the 34th move. During the press conference, Boris Gelfand noted that there were no critical moments in the game as such, but the question was whether White would manage to gain an advantage or Black would find a clear way to equalise. “Even though I got the two-bishop advantage, the coordination between the pieces was not very good, so Black did not have any major problems.” The opponents considered the possibility of going into a knight against bishop endgame after 32. Rc6, but concluded that the white king lacked the tempo to occupy square d4, so White’s chances in this variation were also minimal. The challenger showed the position after 18…h6, which produced a great aesthetic impression on him. At that moment, each square on the d-file was occupied by black and white pieces, Black’s rooks were on squares c8 and e8, and the whole array resembled a T-shaped figure that is rarely seen on a chessboard. Assessing the situation in the match after the first four games, the world champion said the match was just developing and the rivals were still trying each other out. “You don’t really want to start doing evaluations, but so far it’s a pretty tough match,” commented Viswanathan Anand. Boris Gelfand refused to give any assessment of individual parts of the match and stressed that any analysis was pointless until after the 12th game. Asked by a journalist what scenario the players would have preferred during the game and if something had gone wrong at some point, Gelfand answered jokingly: “Well, of course I would have loved my opponent to choose some doubtful variation that I know well. Then I would have used a strong novelty and won the game, say, by the 20th move. I would be too naïve to count on that, however, so of course one has to be ready for any course of events.” The match score is equal: 2-2. May 16 is a rest day for the opponents, with the fifth game to be played out on 17 May. The world champion will play with white pieces.

Perpetual check saves the challenger

In the 14th move Boris Gelfand sacrificed a pawn in order to mobilise his pieces. Viswanathan Anand managed to rebuff all his opponent’s threats with some precise moves and got some serious chances to win. In the 32nd move the chess players moved to a heavy piece ending in which White’s extra passed pawn was very dangerous. However, in the 34th–35th moves the world champion played inaccurately, after which both of Black’s rooks penetrated into the opponent’s rear, and Gelfand declared a perpetual check. A draw on the 37th move. The score for the match is level – 1.5-1.5. The fourth game in the match will be played tomorrow, 15 May.