The Hindu : Anand is champion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 01, 2003

Sport

Sport - Chess

Anand is champion

By Arvind Aaron

Viswanathan Anand, who won the World rapid chess championship, beating Vladimir Kramnik on Thursday, proudly displays the trophy. — Photo: Arvind Aaron

Cap d'Agde (France) Oct. 31. Viswanathan Anand was crowned World Rapid chess champion when he beat the reigning World Classical chess champion Vladimir Kramnik 1.5-0.5 in the final on Thursday.

It was Anand's fifth world title of sorts. He won the world junior in 1987 in the Philippines, the World Cup in 2000 at Shenyang, China, the FIDE World Title at Teheran in 2000, the World Cup again at Hyderabad in 2002 and now the World Rapid title here.

The much-awaited 100th game between the new world rivals, Kramnik and Anand saw the former open with the king pawn and the latter reacted with a measure of surprise.

Anand played the Sicilian defence and opted for the Scheveningen variation. Theoretically Anand's 13th move was new and this break in the centre gave black dynamic equality.

Kramnik proposed a draw along with his 19th move which Anand accepted. They had all major pieces on board and a same colour bishop but however white had possibilities to play on.

In the second game, Anand opened with the king pawn and Kramnik went for the Sicilian defence, Sveshnikov variation. Anand's 18th move was new and Kramnik responded solidly but ceded a five-minute advantage on the clock.

By threatening to double his rooks on the half open queen file, Anand had the advantage after 25 moves and was looking comfortable at the board.

Black's closing the counterattacking lines on the king side was excellently handled by Anand. The Indian punched in a brilliant 30th move offering two rooks for queen. Anand's queen and bishop were combining well while Kramnik's rook were disconnected. Anand was with an advantage.

By move 40 the game was firmly in white's grasp and Anand paused for the most accurate move and left the spectators in a state of anxiety. Kramnik extended the game by sacrificing his rook for a bishop. But Anand threatened to win the black rook with checks when the Russian resigned to a thunderous applause from the public.

The results (final): Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) lost to Viswanathan Anand (Ind) 0.5-1.5; Semifinals: Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) bt Alexander Grischuk (Rus) 2-0, Viswanathan Anand (Ind) bt Peter Svidler (Rus) 1-1, 1.5-0.5.

The moves:

GM Vladimir Kramnik-GM Viswanathan Anand, match game one, rapid chess 25 minutes plus 10 seconds, Sicilian Scheveningen, B84: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.a4 Nc6 8.Be3 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.f4 Qc7 11.Qe1 Bd7 12.Qg3 Rac8 13.Kh1 d5 14.e5 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Ne4 16.Qe3 Bc5 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Rfd1 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Draw agreed.

GM Viswanathan Anand-GM Vladimir Kramnik; match game two, rapid chess 25 minutes plus 10 seconds, Sicilian Sveshnikov, B33: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Qh5 0-0 14.0-0 f4 15.Rfd1 Rb8 16.Nc2 Qd7 17.h3 a5 18.Na3 b4 19.Nb5 bxc3 20.bxc3 Ne7 21.Ndc7 Rbc8 22.Nxe6 fxe6 23.a4 Kh8 24.Bc2 Rc6 25.Rd2 Nc8 26.Rad1 Qe7 27.Bb3 Rf6 28.c4 Rh6 29.Qf3 Bf8 30.c5 Rxc5 31.Nxd6 Nxd6 32.Rxd6 Qxd6 33.Rxd6 Bxd6 34.Qd3 Rc6 35.Qb5 Rc1+ 36.Kh2 Rf6 37.Qe8+ Bf8 38.Bxe6 f3 39.g4 Rf1 40.Kg3 Rg1+ 41.Kh4 Kg7 42.g5 Rf4+ 43.Kh5 Rg2 44.Bf5 Rxf5 45.exf5 Rxf2 46.Qxe5+ 1-0.

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