This is also one of only four matches in championship history without a single Black piece victory.

(As a trivia exercise, I'll leave it to everyone else to figure what the other three were, except Littlefish, who already knows, and shouldn't spoil it for the others.)

IK, if 2 games margin is what is required of him to retain his title, Anand would have certainly went for that. He sees an opponent who is weaker in rapids so he strategizes himself to draw the classical part of the games. However that was not what his original strategy. In fact after seeing first couple of games, I suggested here on this board that Anand should draw the rest of the games. Because there was perfect response for Anand's choice openings at rapid phase so the strategy needed to be revised. Because the ultimate goal is to retain the title and Anand can work in any which permittable way he wants.

Now, why do you come and complain and give a wrong picture that Anand's play was weak? If Anand move's are weak, then bring it, reason out and make a case.

For instance, people will generally think that the top candidate move (or the moves) is good and anything else that further degrades your position is weak. You can use computer analysis to prove your point and to show your objectivity. But when you sit at board, common sense will not always agree to it. Because when your position is already minus, you don't necessarily try to play the best computer suggested move. You try to play a move or a sequence that make your opponent go wrong easily. (Is it subjective then? No, this can be still objectively derived when for example the series of move responses require consistent and high accuracy, and the accurate moves are not that easy to spot out, that is not from some familiar patterns. If you can see what I mean) That is why Anand in this championship said "all moves are bad after bad move!" after his 7th round loss. But what does the brilliant GM commentator who do not have the capacity to grasp all this would say? Anand played so weak move after move! What would the chess population think? Oh yeah, age is showing up! Immediately spin masters will pounce on it in their desperation to make others look better than Anand.

None of the so called greats would have agreed to play rapids for the fear exposing themselves, they would rather duck and run away, yet you leave the classical games but bring some rapid games played out under tremendous pressure to prove the strength or weakness of Anand? Give us a break!

**Excellent stuff** by Petrosianic!!


Chess Fan

None of those in fact refused to play Rapids. It didn't exist until the mid 90's. But by your argument, Anand refused to play an Unlimited match, and so he can't be considered one of the greats.

That's your argument, you understand, not mine. (i.e. Failure to play given format = fear of that format = automatic disqualification from circle of greats). I wish you'd reconsider. Of all the people to go after Anand, I hate to see it be you.

anand's greatness also lies in the fact that he has brought sanity to the title. before him with kramnik and kasparov there was nothing but controversy and holding onto the title through exercising one's own whims and fancies.

Sanity was there before Anand became champion. It all tied together when Kramnik unified the two title in 2006.

Although Anand did make a valuable contribution, by winning the 2008 match, and avoiding endless controversy about whether he was really the champion by virtue of a tournament win.

That's assuming you define "sanity" as an incompetent FIDE organization administering the title. A lot of people have forgotten what caused the Schism in the first place, even though they get reminders all the time (Best of 12 title matches, Best of 4 Candidates Matches, Armageddon Games, a cycle that changes more often than Kirsan changes his socks, et cetera). We can credit Anand with not creating new problems, but not so much for solving any. Except the ones he solved by winning the 2008 match.

After his sixth title win will V Anand become VI Anand ?

Vishful thinking.

i can see kramnik anand part deux. that will be the real epic

Can you believe? Just after I posted, the next day Anand expresses the very same sentiment! IK, are you also one among them that Anand considers parroting out??!!

Times of India - Irritated Anand lashes out at his critics