Anand vs Karpov – Match of World Champions

The World Champion Vishy Anand is playing a four-game rapid chess match against the legendary twelfth World Champion Anatoly Karpov, on the island of Corsica. The games take place in Bastia on October 31th, and then in Ajaccio on November 2nd. Time controls are 15 minutes for the whole game and 3 seconds increment per move. Live coverage is available on the official web site and on the Playchess server.

The event started with a simultaneous exhibition by both players, each facing 32 opponents from the subsidiary events – Youth and Open tournaments. Karpov won 31 games and drew one (against 15-year-old Francis Xavier Vincenti, rated 1854). Anand won all 32 games. A selection of these games are given at the bottom of the page.

In the rapid chess Match Anand won the first game with white in 46 moves. The second game ended after 41 moves in a draw.

Anand,V (2788) - Karpov,Ana (2619) [D31]
Rapid Match Corsica FRA (1), 31.10.2009
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.Qc2 Nf6 7.e3 Nbd7 8.h3 0-0 9.Bd3 Re8 10.Nf3 Nf8 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Rab1 a5 14.a3 Be6 15.Na4 N6d7 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 b5 18.Nc5 Nb6 19.Ra1 f6 20.Qc3 Bf7 21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.Ra1 Qb8 23.Nd2 Nc4 24.Ndb3 Ra7 25.e4 dxe4 26.Bxe4 Bd5 27.Bxd5+ cxd5 28.Re1 Qd6 29.Qf3 Kf7 30.g3 g6 31.h4

Anand has been putting the pressure on Karpov for most of the game, but the older player has been hanging on pretty well. 31...Re7?! Leaving the a-file to the opponent was probably not the best idea. 32.Ra1 Rc7? 33.Ra6 Qd8 34.Qf4 Kg7 35.Rxf6 Qxf6 36.Qxc7+ Kg8. Anand is now a healthy pawn up and on the path to victory. 37.Kg2 Qf5 38.Qe7 h6 39.Nc1 g5 40.hxg5 hxg5 41.N1d3 Nd2 42.Qe2 Nc4 43.Ne5 Kg7 44.Ng4 Ng6 45.Qe6 Qxe6 46.Nxe6+

Black resigned, Anand went into the lead. 1-0. [Click to replay]

In the second game Karpov held his own until move 29, where he gave Anand attacking chances.

Karpov,Ana (2619) - Anand,V (2788) [D45]
Rapid Match Corsica FRA (2), 31.10.2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 Rc8 11.Rfd1 c5 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Qc3 f6 16.Qd4 Qe7 17.Bc4 Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Nb7 19.Qe2 e5 20.e4 Qe6 21.Rd5 Rc7 22.Rc1 Rfc8 23.Rxc7 Rxc7 24.h3 Bf8 25.Ne1 Rd7 26.Rxd7 Qxd7 27.Qc4+ Qf7 28.Qc6 Nc5 29.Ba3

Karpov's last move gives Anand the initiative, but it is not enough to seriously endanger the twelfth World Champion: 29...Nxb3 30.Bxf8 Nd4 31.Qa8 Qxf8 32.Qxa7 Qb4 33.Qa8+ Kf7 34.Nf3 Nxf3+ 35.gxf3 Qc5 36.Qb7+ Kg6 37.Qd7 Kh6 38.a4 Qc1+ 39.Kg2 Qg5+ 40.Kf1 Qc1+ 41.Kg2 Qg5+ ½-½. [Click to replay]

Relaxing on the hotel terrace by the sea: Aruna and Vishy Anand, Anatoly Karpov

At lunch in a Corsican restaurant

Looking good in front of the boats and yachts: Anatoly Karpov in Corsica

He definitely should get himself one of these: World Champion Vishy Anand

Anand, Karpov and chief organiser Léo Battesti with the Corsican flag

Gifts – see, Anatoly, if you had brought your wife you would have got two baskets!

Results and standings

The Corsica Masters

The Corsica Masters tournament took place in Bastia from October 25 to 31 and had a prize fund of €40,000. It was a nine-round Swiss played at the rate of 1 hour 30 minutes for all moves with a 30 second increment per move during the entire game. Three GMs scored 7.5 points out of nine games to share first place. The official web site gives Sokolov as the winner.

Dutch GM Ivan Sokolov, winner of the Corsica Masters 2009

Final standings (after nine rounds)

The Corsica Masters under way

Satisfied: Léo Battesti with his organisation staff

Ahh, but they are not so satisfied with Léo...

Links Official event web site All games in PGN: Anand-Karpov – Simuls – Corsica Masters The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!

Karpov vs Kasparov 2009