Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom
The live feed is down. This is what I get:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 Ngf6 5. e5 Qa5+ 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. Bxd7+ Bxd7 9. Bxc3
Gelfand was ready to employ the Najdorf. But Anand wisely played 3. Bb5+ to get away from Gelfand’s strength.
9…Qa6 10. exd6 Two options to take back, Q or P.
10… exd6 11. Qe2+ Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 f6 Black is slightly better but Anand is confident that he can hold with Queens off the board.
13. b3 Bb5+ 14. Kd2 Bc6 15. Rad1 Kf7 16. Kc1 Be7 17. d5 Bd7 18. Bb2 b5 19. Nd2 a5 20. Rhe1 Rhe8 21. Re3 f5 22. Rde1 g5 Gelfand is better but he is way behind on time again.
23. c4 b4 24. g3 Anand is clearly trying to play for draw. Gelfand is forced to try to win and is using a lot of time.
24…Bf8 25. Rxe8 Bxe8 26. Nf3 Kg6 27. Re6+ Kh5 28. h3 Bf7 29. Rf6 Bg6 30. Re6 Re8 Gelfand should have pushed a4.
31. Bf6 g4 32. hxg4+ Kxg4 33. Nh2+ = Gelfand’s problem is he’s constantly in time pressure. You can’t win if you’re constantly in this mode.
33…Kh3 34. Nf3 f4 35. gxf4 Kg4 36. Ng5 Ra8 37. Re3 Kf5 38. Bb2 Anand should comfortably hold this game.
38…a4 39. Ne6 Bh6 40. Rh3 Bxf4+ 41. Nxf4 Kxf4 42. Bf6 Ra7 43. Re3 Be4 44. Bh4 axb3 45. Bg3+ Kf5 46. axb3 Ra1+ 47. Kd2
Anand clearly was better prepared and energized in the rapid playoff. He was ahead on time most of the time. Gelfand missed many chances.
47…Ra2+ 48. Ke1 Ra6 49. f3 Bb1 50. Kd2 h5 51. Kc1 h4 52. Bxh4 Kf4 53. Bg5+ Kxg5 54. Kxb1 Kf4 55. Re6 Kxf3 56. Kb2 1/2
Anand retains his title. It may not be the most exciting World Championship match but Anand did his job. Gelfand came so close but he failed to capitalized on his chances. He was also constantly in time pressure in the rapid playoff.
Who could believe it?
After staging the dullest World Championship in history FIDE can’t even keep its live feed going so we can watch Anand play for a draw to win.
Very disappointing coverage by FIDE
susan, its the final game, please post!
this game will end in a draw and Anand will retain the title
Bf8 25. Rxe8 Bxe8 26. Nf3 Kg6 27. Re6+ Kh5 28. h3 Bf7 29. Rf6 Bg6 30. Re6 Re8 *
and it seems to be stuck after that…
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 Nf6 5. e5 Qa5+ 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. Bxd7+ Bxd7 9. Bxc3 Qa6 10. exd6 exd6 11. Qe2+ Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 f6 13. b3 Bb5+ 14. Kd2 Bc6 15. Rad1 Kf7 16. Kc1 Be7 17. d5 Bd7 18. Bb2 b5 19. Nd2 a5 20. Rhe1 Rhe8 21. Re3 f5 22. Rde1 g5 23. c4 b4 24. g3 Bf8 25. Rxe8 Bxe8 26. Nf3 Kg6 27. Re6+ Kh5 28. h3 Bf7 29. Rf6 Bg6 30. Re6 Re8 31. Bf6 g4 32. hxg4+ Kxg4 33. Nh2+ Kh3 34. Nf3 f4 35. gxf4 Kg4 36. Ng5 Ra8 37. Re3 Kf5 38. Bb2 a4 39. Ne6 Bh6 40. Rh3 Bxf4+ 41. Nxf4 Kxf4 42. Bf6 Ra7 43. Re3 Be4 44. Bh4 axb3 45. Bg3+ Kf5 46. axb3 Ra1+ 47. Kd2 Ra2+ 48. Ke1 Ra6 49. f3 *
it’s all over anand retains the title.
and the live feed comes back just as the game ends. Whoo hoo
FIDE server couldn’t handle all the traffic. from what I read, 160 Millions followed the match online from India alone.
The only world championship Iève ever witnessed that I wanted to end a long time ago. Holy crap that was a bad trip
Mike Magnan does seem disappointed that Anand won. He congratulates Gelfand on exposing Anand and goes on to say that Anand would never defeat anybody from the top 10 in ratings. Of course the only thing he has exposed is his small mind and his crass comments insult both Gelfand and Anand.