Anand takes 3-point lead over Kramnik in chess
AP foreign
Tuesday October 21 2008
By ROBERT HUNTINGTON
For The Associated Press, BONN, Germany (AP) – India’s Viswanathan Anand beat challenger Vladimir Kramnik again on Tuesday to put another nail in the coffin of the Russian challenger’s fast-disappearing hopes of reclaiming the chess world championship.
The win Anand’s third in four games gave the defending champion a 4.5-1.5 lead in their 12-game match. Such a streak is virtually unheard of in world championship match play, where the vast majority of games are drawn.
When Kramnik defeated then-world champion Garry Kasparov in 2000, for example, he won two games, while the other 13 were drawn. Kramnik lost the world championship to Anand last year.
Kramnik, who has never before lost three games out of four, has slim chances of digging himself out of his hole with only six games to go three of them with the white pieces. That means Anand can afford to keep drawing in the remaining games.
Anand’s ninth move, in a Classical Nimzo-Indian, was a prepared novelty that he later called “interesting because it forces him to start thinking very early.”
Former world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia said that “Kramnik’s reaction was not good.”
“It was a strange opening but it looked pretty equal,” Kramnik said. “My moves seemed very logical.”
However, Anand liked the position he had when the queens came off because he had pressure on the c-file against a weak pawn on c7.
He was critical of Kramnik’s 17th move. Kramnik agreed saying that, after that move, “I couldn’t see how to equalize.”
Anand called his response, pinning Kramnik’s knight to his rook, “a little unpleasant. I thought I was better then.”
Kramnik’s next move, a pawn sacrifice, was the logical consequence of his 17th move.
Karpov called it “too risky,” but Kramnik thought it was necessary, otherwise “I would be without counterplay.”
Kramnik was simply down a pawn. His pieces were far more active and Anand’s rook was awkwardly placed on g2 but it was only a matter of time before Anand untangled his position.
“He got a hell of a lot of play (for the pawn) but he doesn’t get it back,” Anand said. Kramnik called his 33rd move “the decisive mistake.”
In the end, Anand had to play accurate, but had a variety of winning plans to choose from. Kramnik resigned on move 47.
The post-game press conference was delayed by more than a half hour for the mandatory drug tests. Asked about the testing, Anand called it “completely pointless” and pointed to computers as the main risk of cheating in chess.
“It was made for some other sport,” Anand said.
Anand will have the white pieces in game seven on Thursday.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk
Congratulations to Anand for defending the title. No chances for Kramnik after 3 defeats.
its not over yet.
there might be possibility where kramnik starts taking risks and playing some novelties to surprise anand.
However anand seems very much prepared right now and looks very strong player in the current match.
Viewers are enjoying as long as the games are fighting and not dull draws ..
Way to go vishy 🙂
Is the match over?
If we look into the history of World Championship matches then we see that some players did manage to come back after being down by 3 games.
First one to do it was Steinitz in the first WCC match in 1886. He was 1-4 down after 5 games, but nevertheless won convincingly 10-5 in wins after 20 games.
The second one to do it was Max Euwe in 1935. He was 2-5 down after 7 games, but managed to win 15.5-14.5 at the end.
In 1954 Smyslov was 0.5-3.5 down after 4 games, but managed to equalise to 12-12 in the end (Botvinnik kept the title by virtue of being the defending champion).
In 1978 Karpov was already leading 4-1 and 5-2 in wins, but Korchnoi managed to equalise to 5-5 (Karpov won the next game to clinch the match with 6-5 in wins)
In 1984 Kasparov was 0-4 down after just 9 games, and 0-5 down after 27 games, but he nevertheless managed to hang on until the match was terminated without a result after 48 games (with Karpov leading 5-3 in wins).
In 1986 Karpov was already 6.5-9.5 down after 16 games, however by the end of game 19 the score was tied at 9.5-9.5 ! (Kasparov ended up winning 12.5-11.5)
So things are still not over. It happened in the past, it can happen again.
A well prepared Anand, could there be anything more lethal? I still hope that Vladimir Kramnik comes out fighting on Thursday and makes a go on dragging Anand out of his world class preparations and into some muddy waters.
I wonder why Kramnik sticks with d4 opening without any good result.
He should change back to e4 ?
Or try some other openings.
even if kramnik plays e4, Anand has surely something prepared.
I guess, Anand is the most motivated of the two to win this championship.
Maybe, after 8 years, winning three matches kramnik does not want it as he should. It was a good run for him.
I hope he comes back fighting though
About WCC matches where past great grandmasters came back from 3-0. Notice that those are longer matches (20-24-game matches). Here we have 12 games, with only 6 games to go. So the odds are really slim for Krmanik. However I do hope Kramnik can come back a game or two. I root for Anand, but do not want to see Kramnik getting crushed like this. Give the man proper respect, even he is obviously off form at the moment. (Plus it makes more exciting chess if Kramnik can regain his compusure)
I remember Kramniks interview a few months ago telling us all how Anand was perhaps a tournament champion but real champions prove themselves in a match. Guess he got what he asked for.
not bad for a coffeehouse player
Robert Fischer, praise be to God, defeated:
Taimanov 6-0
Larsen 6-0
Petrosian 6-0
So Kramnik could still easily KO Anand, who Kasparov called a Coffee House Player (CHP).
Those are the facts!!!
Anand can win the next 6 games as well.
Unless they move the match to Elista.
Fischer did NOT beat Petrosian 6-0 it was 5 wins one loss and a few draws….still was a crazy good result though.
I seriously am worried about anand going into cruise control….He needs to keep up the heat.
Just another lost for Cheatnik.
As long as Kramnik is not able to cheat he simply loses ground.
Kramnik hear my prayer: Knock on your seat three times and my magic chess butt-plug will be there!
Danailov put new batteries in it!
Win for Mother Russia!
As far as I am concerned, the tournament is over. Anand can draw the rest of the games until the cows come home.
I am going to ship Kramnik some fresh coffee. Because Vishy just put him in the Coffee House!
I’ll send some to Garry K. for his next time he is put in gulag for impersonating someone important.
i still don’t understand the reason for a “Drug Test” !!!!!!
i don’t see the logic !
The top 10 reasons why Kramnik lose:
10. The Las Vegas wants him to lose.
9. He is preparing to play go chess instead of chess.
8. The Topalov and Donailov curse.
7. He is too sick eating german food. German food suck big time.
6. The toilet of this wcc is too dirty.
5. The german lady are too much for him.
4. Anand brings yoga and magic to his game.
3. Fishy Anand is too smelly for Kramnik to handle.
2. The chess goes back to India anyway.
And the number one reason why Kramnik lose:
1. Kramnik is playing too much Hindu opening.
“Such a streak is virtually unheard of in world championship match play, where the vast majority of games are drawn.”
😉
The First World Chess Championship Match Steinitz-Zukertort: Zukertort took 5 wins in the first six games, but lost the match.
And this happened in many other World title matches also.
“The First World Chess Championship Match Steinitz-Zukertort: Zukertort took 5 wins in the first six games, but lost the match.”
Thats not true. Zukertort was 4-1 up after 5 games and then Steinitz won two. Then it was a draw, Steinitz won one, a draw, Steinitz won 2 etc.
Don’t talk about something you don’t know. Same goes for that guy that worships Fischer who said that it was 6-0 against Petrosian. Fischer “only” won 6.5-2.5 and it was a Candidates final.
Obviously Anand is cheating somehow
In the last game, Kramnik started to visit his rest-room more often. He is trying to mess with Anand’s head like he did with Topalov’s.
I don’t think Kramnik cheated in Elista, however he made Topalov believe that he does. It’s called psychology. As soon as Anand starts to think about what Kramnik is doing in his rest-room, Kramnik has already won.
Kramnik’s frequent visit to rest-room don’t seem to have any affect on Anand in game 6 🙂