VISWANATHAN ANAND SNATCHES WIN WITH BLACK PIECES IN 12TH GAME AGAINST VESELIN TOPALOV TO REMAIN UNDISPUTED WORLD CHESS CHAMPION WAR & PIECES Grandmaster's black magic does the trick
Viswanathan Anand retained his world title with an emphatic victory in the 12th and final game against Veselin Topalov in Sofia on Tuesday. Requiring victory in the final game, Anand capitalised on Topalov's mistakes to seal victory with the black pieces in 56 moves. His choice of the Lasker variation of Queen's Gambit Declined proved to be the right choice.
Once Topalov erred by opening up the position with a pawn capture on the 31st move (exf5), Anand conjured up a deadly attack to force the Bulgarian's capitulation. He won the match 6.5-5.5. It was the 40-year-old's fourth world title and second in match format.
In what was probably the toughest match of his career, Anand delivering the knockout punch in the decisive game.
The Indian won the match because he did not allow Topalov to get his favourite positions. The Bulgarian was forced to play technical queen-less endgames, which is not his cup of tea. Even though Topalov went level pegging till the penultimate game, Anand's strategy of steering clear of complications and taking calculated risks with white paid off.
Except for the first game when Anand forgot the move order, Topalov could not impose his game in the match.
Throughout the match he was not able to produce a deadly novelty or a powerful attacking game. Anand kept him guessing by coming up first with the novelty in the opening phase of most of the games.
Anand's victory in the fourth game was probably the best in the match.
With this triumph, Anand joins Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov as one of the greatest players in the history of chess. Viva Anand!
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