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The King Retains his Title

Playing the black pieces Anand was able to win in the final game 12 of the World
Championship. The game can be replayed at http://www.anand-topalov.com/en/game12.html
The last classical game of the FIDE World Chess Championship was opened with Lasker variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined as Viswanathan Anand sought for a solid defence in which White would have only minimal chances to score a victory. The opening went quietly until Anand moved the slightly unusual 16...Nf6. This was the moment where Veselin Topalov took a bit longer to decide on the middlegame plan. Topalov allowed Black to trade the Be4 and in return he forced an isolated pawn on c5. But is was not easy to besiege this pawn as Black successfully coordinated pieces and obtained excellent counterplay. White took some time to consolidate the position and avoid tactics on the back-rank and against the Knight on d2. Anand silently offered a moves repetition with Bd3-a6, but Topalov snubbed the offer. White established the Knight on c4, while Black Bishop possessed a long diagonal from a8. Exactly in this moment, Topalov erred in an attempt to prevent Black's e5-e4. He played e4 himself, but Anand did not hesitate long before breaking the formation with 30...f5 and 31...e4. Topalov carelessly traded the pawn on e4 and fell under a strong attack. The Black battery Queen-Rook-Bishop worked perfectly in the pursuit after White King. It looked like the game was over, and even Anand admitted that he couldn't see a defence for White, but Topalov found some remarkable resources and managed to prolong the game. But with a series of precise moves, Anand managed to convert the advantage and bring victory home on move 56. The final score is 6,5:5,5. Thus Anand retained the title of the World Chess Champion! Congratulations!

2 comments:

  1. Ah, let me move a relevant comment which I had posted in the then top-item:


    Congratulations to Viswanathan Anand on the successful defense of his title! Harish and I both have been active commenters in other blogs, including today a note about how Vishy calculated 11+ moves ahead at Move 40. Many engines don't see it or take a long time to do so---which caused chat commenters and even some bloggers to express consternation about Anand's move! What Vishy had to calculate is:

    40. Rf8+ Kg7(!)
    41. Nf5+ Kh7
    42. Rg3 Rxg3+
    43. hxg3 Qg4+
    44. Kh2 Re2+
    45. Kg1 Rg2+
    46. Qxg2 Bxg2
    47. Rf7+ Kg6! (Topalov actually played 47. Kxg2)
    48. Rg7+ Kxf5
    49. Rxg4 hxg4
    50. Kxg2

    A potentially difficult horizon for engines because now the position is quiet, and it takes a lot longer for machine than human to see that after 50...Ke4! Black is winning.

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  2. Indeed, Susan Polgar had given whites 47.Kxg2 a ?? evaluation and then later changed it.

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