Viswanathan Anand retains world title by winning 6.5-5.5 against Veselin Topalov

Viswanathan Anand retains world title

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Viswanathan Anand of India retained his world chess title Tuesday by winning with black against Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov.

The score was 5.5-5.5 before the last game. Each player needed only one win to secure the match.

Anand’s 56-move win came in the last of a possible 12 games between the two, allowing the 40 year-old Indian grandmaster to retain the title he won in 2008.

The match started Apr. 24., a day later than planned.

Anand, whose arrival to Sofia was delayed due to the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland, lost the first game against Topalov but quickly recovered to drew level in the second.

The Indian won the fourth game and took a one point lead before Topalov stroke back for a second time in the eighth game. The remaining games ended in draws.

Anand held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002, at a time when the world title was split.

He became then World champion in 2007 and defended his title against Russian Vladimir Kramnik the next year, becoming thee first chess player ever to have won the world title in a knockout, a tournament, and a match.

Topalov, 34, won the right to challenge Anand after a 4.5-3.5 victory last year over Gata Kamsky of the U.S.

A purse of 2 million euro (US$2.56 million) is to be split between Anand and Topalov.