Viswanathan Anand beats Boris Gelfand to win his 5th FIDE World Chess Championship

CHENNAI: Viswanathan Anand lived up to his reputation as the best rapid player of his generation when he routed challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel 2.5-1.5 in the four-game tiebreakers in Moscow to win his fifth World Chess Championship title on Wednesday. Factfile of Anand’s titlesAnand retains World titleThe 8.5-7.5 overall win (including 12 classical games) gave Anand Rs 8.6 crore while Gelfand took home Rs 6.4 crore ($1.02 million). By winning the title, Anand automatically qualifies for the next year's World championship to be played in India. Anand had won the WCC title in 2000 (Tehran), 2007 (Mexico), Bonn (2008) and Sofia (2010).Anand won the second game in the four-game rapidseries after drawing with black in Game 1 and held on to the lead. The firstgame set the tempo as Gelfand was better until he pushed his queen-side pawn onmove 19. After that the Israeli played wildly hoping that Anand would make amistake and then in time trouble, Anand as usual held hisnerve.Anand played a new move in the second game in the Rossolimoand immediately got the desired result. Though the game went on for 77 moves,Gelfand fell in time pressure while trying to find the accurate moves. Anand wona pawn and then quietly used his time advantage to get what hewanted.In Game 3, Gelfand looked at his best when he got theadvantage but again he landed in time pressure. Anand used all his experience toneutralise Gelfand's advantage and drew the game. Anand adopted theRossolimo again in Game 4 and found the clock his ally as he almost got a fourminute advantage when the rook and opposite-coloured bishop endgame arose. Thatmeant, the World champion had used up only the incremental time and a minute forthe 56 moves that he had made.In the post-match press conference,Gelfand said he could not quite cope with the time control. "It's difficult tofind the best moves in time pressure. That was how I made the blunder in thesecond game (tiebreak)." Anand said he was not unduly worried about hisopponent's match strategy. "I have been following Boris' games and Ihad the impression that it was going to be a tough match. But he wasn't gettinganything going in any of those drawn games nor was I getting any clear-cutadvantages," he said. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e64. Bxc6 bxc6 5. b3 e5 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 d6 8. Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Kxe2Bb7 11. Na5 Bxg2 12. Rg1 Bh3 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. Nc3 O-O-O 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6Rxd6 17. Rg5 Nf6 18. Rxc5+ Kb8 19. Nc4 Re8+ 20. Ne3 Ng4 21. Nd5 Nxe3 22. Nxe3Bg4+ 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. Rh1Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Bxc8 37. Rxh4 Bf5 38.Rh5 Bxc2 39. Rb5+ Ka8 40. Nd5 a6 41. Ra5 Kb742. 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. Nxf3Rxf3 75. Kb6 Rb3 76. Rg8+ Kd7 77. Rb8 1-0