WC 2012 Anand v Gelfand The Games.

[Harvey Williamson]

Round 11 another draw 1 to go

[Event "World Chess Championship Match"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.26"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E54"]
[WhiteElo "2727"]
[BlackElo "2791"]
[Annotator "Robot 3"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4
Bd7 9. a3 Ba5 10. Qe2 Bc6 11. Rd1 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nbd7 13. Bd3 Qa5 14. c4 cxd4
15. exd4 Qh5 16. Bf4 Rac8 17. Ne5 Qxe2 18. Bxe2 Nxe5 19. Bxe5 Rfd8 20. a4 Ne4
21. Rd3 f6 22. Bf4 Be8 23. Rb3 Rxd4 24. Be3 Rd7 1/2-1/2

[Harvey Williamson]

so we go to tie breaks
Round 12

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2799"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 Ne7 6. b3 d6 7. e5 Ng6 8. h4
Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Nd2 c4 11. Nxc4 Ba6 12. Qf3 Qd5 13. Qxd5 cxd5 14. Nxe5 f6
15. Nf3 e5 16. O-O Kf7 17. c4 Be7 18. Be3 Bb7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Rfc1 a5 21. Bc5
Rhd8 22. Bxe7 1/2-1/2

[Harvey Williamson]

Congratulations to Vishy for retaining his title after the Rapidplay games

It has been a pleasure to work with him for the last 2 years!

This was the decisive game:

[Event "World Chess CH #2/4"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2791"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "Robot 11"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 d6 8.
Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2 Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. dxc5 dxc5 14.
Nc3 O-O-O 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Rg5 Nf6 18. Rxc5+ Kb8 19. Nc4 Re8+ 20.
Ne3 Ng4 21. Ncd5 Nxe3 22. Nxe3 Bg4+ 23. f3 Bc8 24. Re1 Rh6 25. Rh1 Rhe6 26. Rc3
f5 27. Kd2 f4 28. Nd5 g5 29. Rd3 Re2+ 30. Kc1 Rf2 31. h4 Ree2 32. Rc3 Bb7 33.
Rd1 gxh4 34. Nxf4 Re8 35. Rh1 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Bxc8 37. Rxh4 Bf5 38. Rh5 Bxc2 39.
Rb5+ Ka8 40. Nd5 a6 41. Ra5 Kb7 42. Nb4 Bg6 43. Nxa6 Rxf3 44. Nc5+ Kb6 45. b4
Rf4 46. a3 Rg4 47. Kd2 h5 48. Nd7+ Kb7 49. Ne5 Rg2+ 50. Kc3 Be8 51. Nd3 h4 52.
Re5 Bg6 53. Nf4 Rg3+ 54. Kd4 Bc2 55. Rh5 Rxa3 56. Rxh4 Rg3 57. Nd5 Rg5 58. b5
Bf5 59. Rh6 Bg4 60. Rf6 Rf5 61. Rb6+ Ka7 62. Rg6 Bf3 63. Rg7+ Kb8 64. Nc3 Bb7
65. Kc4 Bf3 66. Kb4 Bd5 67. Na4 Rf7 68. Rg5 Bf3 69. Nc5 Kc7 70. Rg6 Kd8 71. Ka5
Rf5 72. Ne6+ Kc8 73. Nd4 Rf8 74. Nxf3 Rxf3 75. Kb6 Rb3 76. Rg8+ Kd7 77. Rb8 1-0

[Harvey Williamson]

[RadioSmall]

Congratulations to Vishy for retaining his title after the Rapidplay games

It has been a pleasure to work with him for the last 2 years!

This was the decisive game:

[Event "World Chess CH #2/4"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2791"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "Robot 11"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 d6 8.
Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2 Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. dxc5 dxc5 14.
Nc3 O-O-O 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Rg5 Nf6 18. Rxc5+ Kb8 19. Nc4 Re8+ 20.
Ne3 Ng4 21. Ncd5 Nxe3 22. Nxe3 Bg4+ 23. f3 Bc8 24. Re1 Rh6 25. Rh1 Rhe6 26. Rc3
f5 27. Kd2 f4 28. Nd5 g5 29. Rd3 Re2+ 30. Kc1 Rf2 31. h4 Ree2 32. Rc3 Bb7 33.
Rd1 gxh4 34. Nxf4 Re8 35. Rh1 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Bxc8 37. Rxh4 Bf5 38. Rh5 Bxc2 39.
Rb5+ Ka8 40. Nd5 a6 41. Ra5 Kb7 42. Nb4 Bg6 43. Nxa6 Rxf3 44. Nc5+ Kb6 45. b4
Rf4 46. a3 Rg4 47. Kd2 h5 48. Nd7+ Kb7 49. Ne5 Rg2+ 50. Kc3 Be8 51. Nd3 h4 52.
Re5 Bg6 53. Nf4 Rg3+ 54. Kd4 Bc2 55. Rh5 Rxa3 56. Rxh4 Rg3 57. Nd5 Rg5 58. b5
Bf5 59. Rh6 Bg4 60. Rf6 Rf5 61. Rb6+ Ka7 62. Rg6 Bf3 63. Rg7+ Kb8 64. Nc3 Bb7
65. Kc4 Bf3 66. Kb4 Bd5 67. Na4 Rf7 68. Rg5 Bf3 69. Nc5 Kc7 70. Rg6 Kd8 71. Ka5
Rf5 72. Ne6+ Kc8 73. Nd4 Rf8 74. Nxf3 Rxf3 75. Kb6 Rb3 76. Rg8+ Kd7 77. Rb8 1-0

The most boring World Championship Match in the History of the Game .Some suggestions to prevent this from happening in the future 1.Reduce the prize fund for the second place ( in this Match it was slightly over 1 million dollars which was substantial for Gelfand) 2. No draw offers allowed before move 40 . 3.No tie breaks in the event of a draw the Champion retains his title. But really what was the real cause of this Match being so boring ?? It seems that both players were scared of each other to a degree never seen in a championship Match .This was also a world record in terms of the average length of the games .Compare this Match to Karpov - Korchnoi 1978 or Alekhine - Capablanca 1927 , it is a complete joke.As good as Anand is in Chess , it is still a fact that he is not a fighter in the mold of Lasker , Fischer or Kasparov .Any Grandmaster willing to fight each game to the last pawn will be a very dangerous opponent for Anand.

[Harvey Williamson]

Congratulations to Vishy for retaining his title after the Rapidplay games

It has been a pleasure to work with him for the last 2 years!

This was the decisive game:

[Event "World Chess CH #2/4"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.30"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2791"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "Robot 11"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 d6 8.
Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2 Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. dxc5 dxc5 14.
Nc3 O-O-O 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Rg5 Nf6 18. Rxc5+ Kb8 19. Nc4 Re8+ 20.
Ne3 Ng4 21. Ncd5 Nxe3 22. Nxe3 Bg4+ 23. f3 Bc8 24. Re1 Rh6 25. Rh1 Rhe6 26. Rc3
f5 27. Kd2 f4 28. Nd5 g5 29. Rd3 Re2+ 30. Kc1 Rf2 31. h4 Ree2 32. Rc3 Bb7 33.
Rd1 gxh4 34. Nxf4 Re8 35. Rh1 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Bxc8 37. Rxh4 Bf5 38. Rh5 Bxc2 39.
Rb5+ Ka8 40. Nd5 a6 41. Ra5 Kb7 42. Nb4 Bg6 43. Nxa6 Rxf3 44. Nc5+ Kb6 45. b4
Rf4 46. a3 Rg4 47. Kd2 h5 48. Nd7+ Kb7 49. Ne5 Rg2+ 50. Kc3 Be8 51. Nd3 h4 52.
Re5 Bg6 53. Nf4 Rg3+ 54. Kd4 Bc2 55. Rh5 Rxa3 56. Rxh4 Rg3 57. Nd5 Rg5 58. b5
Bf5 59. Rh6 Bg4 60. Rf6 Rf5 61. Rb6+ Ka7 62. Rg6 Bf3 63. Rg7+ Kb8 64. Nc3 Bb7
65. Kc4 Bf3 66. Kb4 Bd5 67. Na4 Rf7 68. Rg5 Bf3 69. Nc5 Kc7 70. Rg6 Kd8 71. Ka5
Rf5 72. Ne6+ Kc8 73. Nd4 Rf8 74. Nxf3 Rxf3 75. Kb6 Rb3 76. Rg8+ Kd7 77. Rb8 1-0

The most boring World Championship Match in the History of the Game .Some suggestions to prevent this from happening in the future 1.Reduce the prize fund for the second place ( in this Match it was slightly over 1 million dollars which was substantial for Gelfand) 2. No draw offers allowed before move 40 . 3.No tie breaks in the event of a draw the Champion retains his title. But really what was the real cause of this Match being so boring ?? It seems that both players were scared of each other to a degree never seen in a championship Match .This was also a world record in terms of the average length of the games .Compare this Match to Karpov - Korchnoi 1978 or Alekhine - Capablanca 1927 , it is a complete joke.As good as Anand is in Chess , it is still a fact that he is not a fighter in the mold of Lasker , Fischer or Kasparov .Any Grandmaster willing to fight each game to the last pawn will be a very dangerous opponent for Anand.

The best new rule would br to ban people kibitzing with engines. As Danny King said if people switch off their engines and actually listen to what commentators like him say they might actually learn something..

I think being World Champion for the 5th time is a remarkable achievment. I suspect reducing the match to only 12 games does have an effect on taking risks as one mistake can lose the match.

[ricard60]

If the match will go for only 12 games and if it is a draw, and the champion retains the title, then the champion will do a good deal playing for a draw. There must be a winner.