Fighting back

Anand fights back to win second game, levels world title match
IANS, Apr 25, 2010, 10.45pm IST

SOFIA: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand fought back in style to level his 12-game World chess final against Bulgarian Veselin Topalov with a superb win in the second game Sunday.

Fighting tiredness and a first-game deficit, Anand, who endured a 40-hour road trip to make it to Sofia, is now tied 1-1 after losing the first game Saturday.

“I am happy with my play and I thought that I played fairly accurately,” Anand said. This sends him to the first rest day with a psychological advantage.

Anand started with the Queen Pawn Opening. It was a complex Catalan Opening with neither player having any clear advantage.

In comparison to the rapid-style first game, players were more circumspect Sunday. Topalov seemed to have an edge in terms of position, but Anand waited it out.

Anand sacrificed a pawn and Topalov appeared to have greater mobility. The early exchange of queens on the 15th move was a bit surprising since it was at Anand’s invitation and he was a pawn down.

Anand made a few unexpected moves and slowly seemed to be improving his position. The 25th move of Topalov to get into Anand’s territory to exchange a knight for a bishop was dubious and the Indian started looking better.

Anand spent too much time on the 29th turn and had just 19 minutes to Topalov’s 38 minutes to complete the stipulated 40 moves before the first time control.

Topalov’s 29th move was either unnecessary aggression or desperation in trying to exchange at least one rook as Anand’s position had started looking better and better.

The Indian first won a pawn and then the second one with his rooks, bishop and knight in perfect control even as Topalov’s pieces were left with no play and he resigned on the 38th move.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com