World Chess Championship 2010

The World Chess Championship 2010 was held as a duel between the reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand and former FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov. It took place from 24 April to 11 May 2010 in the Bulgarian capital Sofia instead. It was (if Alexander Alekhine is consistently counted as a Russian ) about the first world chess championship without the participation of a Russian player since the 1921 World Cup, when the German Emanuel Lasker his title to the Cubans José Raúl Capablanca lost.

Through a Black victory in the last game Anand won the competition with 6.5 to 5.5 points. It was his second successful title defense after the World Cup 2008 campaign against Vladimir Kramnik. Topalov had qualified for the championship fight by his victory in the Candidates final in February 2009 against the U.S. grandmaster Gata Kamsky.

2.1 Application Procedure
2.2 Regulatory framework

3.1 Summary
3.2 game table

4.1 First game
4.2 Second game
4.3 Third game
4.4 Fourth game
4.5 Fifth game
4.6 Sixth game
4.7 Seventh game
4.8 Eighth game
4.9 Ninth game
4:10 Tenth game
4:11 Eleventh game
4:12 Twelfth game

Prehistory

Background

After Garry Kasparov's break with FIDE in 1993, there were until 2006 two world champions: An official FIDE World Champion, who was mostly determined in controversial knockout tournaments with short cooling-off period, and a "classical" world champion, who continues in duels and classical reflection scheme was chosen. In the World Chess Championship 2006 between the classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik and FIDE world champion Topalov these two competing titles were reunited. Topalov it was no longer possible as inferior car by contract thereafter to participate in the World Cup tournament in 2007, although this would have him actually conceded after his victory at the 2005 FIDE World Cup. Therefore, the FIDE easier access to the following World Cup cycle granted him, by being set in the Candidates final in 2009. The winner of the 2007 World Cup, Anand, has played a title defense when he in Bonn won a rematch against Kramnik in 2008.

Candidates final

The final took place candidates under the name "World Chess Challenge " from 16 to 26 February 2009 at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia instead. Besides Topalov was the winner of the World Chess Cup 2007, Gata Kamsky, qualified.

First plans according to the duel would have been in November 2008 in Lviv ( Ukraine) to take place. In the meantime, negotiations had stood before the failure, as Kamsky FIDE accused frivolous behavior and did not want to play in the home country of his opponent. As a prize money of 250,000 U.S. dollars were awarded, which was divided evenly regardless of the outcome of the struggle between the players.

The competition was designed to a length of eight games; in a possible tie should bring the decision four rapid games. After seven games, Topalov was however already with 4,5:2,5 unassailable lead, making an eighth game ceases to exist.

Balance Anand / Topalov before the World Cup

Between 1993 and 2008, Anand and Topalov played a total of 44 tournament games against each other.

Organization of the World Cup

Application Procedure

The second title defense Anand was originally already planned for first half of 2009, had difficulties due to organization of the final candidates but always be moved. To host the World Cup, Bulgaria, Singapore and Turkey had applied. However, the latter two withdrew their applications after the details of the Bulgarian bid were announced. Although failed to deliver a bank guarantee, the Bulgarian organizers, Bulgaria Prime Minister and concurrent chairman of the World Cup organizing committee, Boyko Borisov, however, secured in an open letter to the financing by the Bulgarian government. On 16 December 2009 the contracts were finally signed.

Conditions

The match was held in Sofia in the Central Military Club. Referees were, as with the World Cup in 2008, Panagiotis Nikolopoulos and Werner Stubenvollstrasse. Beginning of the first game was at 17.00 clock local time (16.00 GMT clock ), all remaining lots started at 15.00 local time clock (14.00 clock CEST ); after two games, there was a rest day each, as well as after the eleventh game. After the first six games, the colors were swapped. Time controls were 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and 15 minutes for the rest of the game at a premium of 30 seconds per train, starting with train 61 case of a tie after the regular 12 games would be four rapid games been played 25 minutes' thinking time plus 10 seconds per train. If even then no decision be like, up to five extensions of two blitz games with 5 minutes thinking time plus 3 seconds per train would have followed. Would also been no decision, a final blitz game would have been played, one minute at the White more time would have received, Black would have meant that a draw to win the match.

The winner received 1.2 million euros, which is the highest prize money of a World Chess Championship at all. The loser got 800,000 euros, 400,000 euros more had to be paid to the FIDE. Due to the disputes at the World Chess Cup 2006 players was just a common residence and toilet area. Silvio Danailov Manager Topalows announced on the eve of competition that Topalov will unilaterally adhere to the so-called " Sofia rule" and its opponents do not draw offers. At the request of Anand, a transparent curtain was placed in front of the stage, which should prevent the players are given characters from the auditorium.

Sponsors of the event were the Bulgarian state and the telecommunications company Spectrum Net.

Seconds Danten were on the side of Anand's Peter Heine Nielsen, Rustam Kasimjanov, Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Radosław Wojtaszek, the team of Topalov consisted of Ivan Tscheparinow, Erwin l' Ami Jan Smeets and Jiří Dufek.

Course

Summary

The arrival Anand was delayed due to the deterioration of air transport following the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. Instead, as planned, on April 16, he met in the morning of 20th April, after 40 hours of driving, in Sofia. He therefore called a relocation of the race start three days in order to recover from the rigors of travel and acclimatize appropriately. During the Bulgarian Chess Federation and the organizing committee rejected a relocation of the first game, the vice president of FIDE, Georgios Makropoulos decided on a compromise and the displacement of competition beginning one day. The opening ceremony still took place but according to the original plan on April 21. The draw of the colors showed that Topalov begins with white.

In the first game Topalov took over with a tactical blow the lead, but lost the second, with a strategic game, which Anand equalized to 1:1. After a draw in the third game Anand took his part in the fourth game of the leadership that Topalov equalized in the eighth game with a victory. With the only black victory of the match Anand defended his title in the twelfth round.

Game table

In an undecided state after these twelve games had on 13 May 2010, the tie-break to take place.

Games

First game

The first train led from the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Anand chose the unusual for him Grünfeld Indian Defence. Both players moved very quickly in the opening phase and followed up to 16 train a variant that had already played in the Candidates final between Topalov and Kamsky. In the 23 train Anand underwent a serious mistake when he confused the sequence of the prepared in home analysis features. After following knight sacrifice Topalows he could not defend his position. Topalov needed for the whole lot just 40 minutes, Anand, however, more than twice as much.

Second game

Anand chose the Catalan opening, and sacrificed a pawn. After a controversial among commentators exchange of queens in the 15th train he seemed to have no advantage; Anand probably wanted to go but the preparation Topalows out of the way. However, Topalov treated the resulting position is not good and was playing positionally by Anand. After about four hours Topalov gave up in a lost rook endgame.

Third game

Anand did not repeat the Grunfeld defense from the first game, but played a solid variant of the Slav Defence, which was being used by Kramnik at the 2006 World Cup against Topalov. Topalov could not reach advantage, and the game ended in a completely balanced rook endgame draw by repetition.

Fourth game

Anand won after a positionally out fight with a kingside attack, he (see diagram) and a subsequent bishop sacrifice initiated by a knight sacrifice. Topalov was still a quality back, but was Anand's now only with major pieces and a pawn on f6 out attack not tame. After the exchange of the peasants against the black bishop finally decided that Matt threat on the seventh row. Helmut Pfleger praised Anand's game as " profound [s ] " concept. He holds 20 .. h6 for the decisive error.

Fifth game

Robert Mundell, Nobel Prize winner in economics, made the first train. The players followed initially the third game until Anand deviated in the 15th train. After 17 Topalows train the game for about a quarter of an hour had to be interrupted because the power supply had failed in large parts of Sofia; thus functioned neither the electronic chess clocks nor the lighting. To compensate for the disturbance both players received a time credit of two minutes. It was the first interruption of a World Cup match since the World Chess Championship 1886; then worked the chess clock properly. The organizers apologized afterwards in an open letter for the incident. In a balanced endgame, the game was given by repetition draw.

Sixth game

Seventh game

Before the game there was a minute of silence for the deceased on the same day former FIDE President Florencio Campomanes. This former world champion Anatoly Karpov acknowledged the merits of Campomanes. After the minute's silence Karpov led from the first train of the game.

Eighth game

Among the analyzed chess masters was agreed that Anand's 54th train is a mistake, but they were cautious in assessing whether the previous position would have been a draw or if the final game Topalov could have won. Experts saw Topalov after the eighth game of the advantage. Antoaneta Stefanova praised the play of the Bulgarians. The error Anand's 22 train was named.

After the game Topalov was reported that he would play in the remaining games to win, to decide the world championship.

Ninth game

Anand was at least three times to win the game, according to welt.de from the 40th train, but did not find the ways to win. ChessBase however, is a possibility to come into clear advantage in the 40th train, and two ways to win by 57.Thh6 and 62.Tdd7. The train 46.h5 was there praised as " tricky ".

Tenth game

Eleventh game

The game began with a moment of silence for the deceased the day before the Hungarian Grandmaster Andor Lilienthal.

Twelfth game

Topalov lost the last game, which Anand decided the duel itself.

To his error in 31 train Topalov said: "I have risked it and was punished. " Anand described the World Cup in the subsequent press conference as the toughest battle he ever played.

Afterthoughts

Anand described the fourth game as his best in the competition. He had his biggest mistake committed in the eighth game. The defeat in the first game was not due to his difficulties upon arrival. He expressed surprised that his opponent had not dodged the Catalan Opening, even after the defeat in the second and fourth game. After Topalov in the sixth and seventh game of reaching each one draws, Anand saw himself forced to play a different opening. He now wants to first travel to his home country of India and recover.

Topalov expressed despite his defeat satisfied with the performance shown, each lot was a great fight. His best game was the first that in which he could attach a brilliant opening preparation. He had omitted in the third, fifth and tenth game, while Anand had used all its possibilities chance to win. The defeat in the decisive game of the twelfth he regretted not because he wanted to avoid at all costs a tiebreaker and needed it to take a risk.

After completion of the competition revealed Anand that he was also supported by Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Anish Giri and. Topalov, however, could be used for analysis on a Blue Gene supercomputer with 8192 processors access the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The manager Topalows, Silvio Danailov, highlighted the good preparation of his team and praised in particular Ivan Tscheparinow. The world champion had made with white with the exception of the fourth game of the opening no benefits and had been in his black games under strong pressure. Topalov showed fierce and creative chess, Anand's competition victory was mainly attributable to its defensive qualities.

In the chess press Anand's victory was described as deserved. He had proved to be the more flexible player and he had succeeded, largely to avoid unexpected openings to his opponent's preparations.

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