World Championship G9 – Anand saves a tough game to a draw

The World Chess Championship 2012 is being staged in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, between the current World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India and the winner of the Candidates tournament Boris Gelfand of Israel. The match is over twelve games and lasts from May 11 to 30. The prize fund is US $2.55 million, the winner getting $1.53 million (60%), the loser $1.02 million (40%).

Round nine – Anand saves a tough game to a draw

There was no decisive result but plenty of fighting chess before reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand drew against Challenger Boris Gelfand in the ninth round of the World Chess Championship in Moscow. If in the eighth game the NIIT MindChampion Anand had given a demonstration of his tactical ability, then today his defensive skill was in full display as he battled dourly to force a draw after 49 hard fought moves, in an engrossing battle.

Anand has a vast opening repertoire and keeps his opponent guessing on his choice in every game. Today he opted for the Nimzo Indian Defence. As if to make up for the shock value of the last two rounds, the players followed the safe and solid main line until Anand played a novelty on the 16th move. Gelfand appeared to hold edge after the transposition to the middle-game, but the NIIT MindChampion opted for active defence by giving up his queen for a rook, knight and a pawn. In the ending Anand had a rook, knight and five pawns as against Gelfand’s queen and four pawns.

Boris Gelfand planning a possible winning strategy

Anand has worked out the fortresses he needs to hold the draw

Gelfand: "Nobody is happy to draw a position where he has had a good advantage."

For the first time in this Match, the players crossed the 40 move mark, which is the stipulation for the first time control where each player has two hours on his clock. Anand appeared calm and confident and his body language communicated that he had worked out the draw with a position in mind and it was just a matter of checking and rechecking on the board. Gelfand on the other stayed hunched on the board after completing the 40 moves and tried hard to find a winning continuation. However Anand’s king, knight and rook stayed connected and Gelfand’s queen could not battle alone.

After nine games the twelve-game Match is evenly and excitingly poised with 4.5-4.5 score. Tomorrow in the tenth round, Anand will wield white.

Flash game commentary by GM Gilbert Milos

The two players in the press conference. One question to Anand: "Your wife seems to appear in the press center half a minute before the game ends. Does she have paranormal abilities to tell when this is going to happen?" Anand's answer: "I don't know how she does it."

Game eight analysis by Malcolm Pein

IM Malcolm Pein comments on the games on TWIC and live during each game via Twitter #telegraphchess.

Video commentary by Daniel King

Video commentary by Andrew Martin

Video report by Vijay Kumar for Doordarshan Indian TV Network

Video report

GM Robert Fontaine and his video producer Gérard Demuydt are in Moscow produced video reports and interviews after each round for the French chess magazine Europe Echecs. In this report they show the arrival of the players (handshake in slow-mo), a game summary, the press conference, with interesting evaluations by both players

Picture gallery by WGM Anastasya Karlovich

A Gelfand fan looking for a win?

People outside the playing hall following the moves and commentary on flat screens

At the start it was just a few, but by the end of the game a crowd had gathered

Valentina Gunina – her themaric t-shirt ready "So I am blond! What's your excuse?"

GM Robert Fontaine and his video producer Gérard Demuydt working on their report

Scoreboard

Remaining schedule

Days of play, with live commentators on Playchess.com. Note that the games start at 15:00h local time = 13:00 CEST, 07 a.m. New York or here in your location.

Links Official web site of the World Championship match All ChessBase reports on the World Championship All games in PGN 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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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