The Norwegian wunderkind, Magnus Carlsen, has defended his World Chess Championship title after defeating Vishy Anand of India in 11th game of their match in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Sunday’s win gave Carlsen, 23, an unassailable lead in the match
of 6 1/2 to 4 1/2, rendering the planned 12th and final game
unnecessary.
The Norwegian has beaten Anand, 44, for the chess crown for the
second year in a row, with his first success coming in Chennai,
India in November 2013, by the score of 6 1/2 to 3 1/2.
Carlsen and Anand agreed to a draw in game 10 of the match in
Sochi on Friday before going into Sunday’s battle.
Leading Anand 5 1/2 points to 4 1/2, Carlsen knew he had to make
Sunday’s game count, or face a nerve-wracking final game with the
black pieces.
Anand, rated 6th in the world, had good chances in Game 11, but
faltered in a complicated queenless middlegame. A risky exchange
sacrifice of rook for bishop was brutally refuted by Carlsen, who
soon forced a technically winning endgame.
Anand beat seven of the world’s top grandmasters in the
Candidates Tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in March, to
qualify for the World Championship match in Sochi.
The Chess World Championship is the third major sporting event
taking place in Sochi this year as the city successfully hosted
the Winter Olympics in February and Russia’s maiden Formula 1
Grand Prix in October.