Chess - The Scotsman 31/05/2012

IT was a script that became the predictable heartbreaker for challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel, as defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India clinched his fifth World Championship title in Moscow yesterday after winning their rapid playoff tie-breaker by a narrow margin of 2.5-1.5.

Gelfand, who was the better prepared of the two during the 12-game match that was tied 6-6, was always going to be at a disadvantage to Anand in the speed playoffs, as the champion is regarded as the world’s best speed player. And so it proved in the playoffs: in every game Gelfand had good positions but fell desperately short of time to do anything.

The match swung Anand’s way in the only decisive win in Game 2 as the challenger found himself in serious time trouble in an ending that otherwise would have been an easy technical draw. But Gelfand was living off the fumes of his increment only when he blundered, allowing Anand to exchange down into a won rook and pawn ending.

V Anand - B Gelfand

World Championship Playoff, (2)

Sicilian Rossolimo

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1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 e6 4 Bxc6 bxc6 5 b3 e5 6 Nxe5 Qe7 7 d4 d6 8 Nxc6 Qxe4+ 9 Qe2 Qxe2+ 10 Kxe2 Bb7 11 Na5 Bxg2 12 Rg1 Bh3 13 dxc5 dxc5 14 Nc3 0–0–0 15 Bf4 Bd6 16 Bxd6 Rxd6 17 Rg5 Nf6 18 Rxc5+ Kb8 19 Nc4 Re8+ 20 Ne3 Ng4 21 Ncd5 Nxe3 22 Nxe3 Bg4+ 23 f3 Bc8 24 Re1 Rh6 25 Rh1 Rhe6 26 Rc3 f5 27 Kd2 f4 28 Nd5 g5 29 Rd3 Re2+ 30 Kc1 Rf2 31 h4 Ree2 32 Rc3 Bb7 33 Rd1 gxh4 34 Nxf4 Re8 35 Rh1 Rc8 36 Rxc8+ Bxc8 37 Rxh4 Bf5 38 Rh5 Bxc2 39 Rb5+ Ka8 40 Nd5 a6 41 Ra5 Kb7 42 Nb4 Bg6 43 Nxa6 Rxf3 44 Nc5+ Kb6 45 b4 Rf4 46 a3 Rg4 47 Kd2 h5 48 Nd7+ Kb7 49 Ne5 Rg2+ 50 Kc3 Be8 51 Nd3 h4 52 Re5 Bg6 53 Nf4 Rg3+ 54 Kd4 Bc2 55 Rh5 Rxa3 56 Rxh4 Rg3 57 Nd5 Rg5 58 b5 Bf5 59 Rh6 Bg4 60 Rf6 Rf5 61 Rb6+ Ka7 62 Rg6 Bf3 63 Rg7+ Kb8 64 Nc3 Bb7 65 Kc4 Bf3 66 Kb4 Bd5 67 Na4 Rf7 68 Rg5 Bf3 69 Nc5 Kc7 70 Rg6 Kd8 71 Ka5 Rf5 72 Ne6+ Kc8 73 Nd4 Rf8 74 Nxf3 Rxf3 75 Kb6 Rb3 76 Rg8+ Kd7 77 Rb8 1–0

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