Anand and Kramnik on the stage in round three. Photo Cathy Rogers
After a slow start, the ongoing World Championship match in Bonn between Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand has become an engrossing contest, with the Indian leading 2-1 after three games.
Anand and Kramnik have between them won every title worth winning over the past decade but there was always a suspicion that mutual respect would cause the players to be overly cautious.
Although the first game served to heighten these fears, and the abrupt end to the second also generated criticism, the ultra-violence shown in the third game has already made it clear that the match is likely to be a classic.
So far Anand has had the upper hand, equalising easily in game one, controlling game two until time trouble intervened and then winning a spectacular game three.
The third game saw Anand show the type of opening, which took him to victory in the FIDE World Championship in Mexico City in 2007. Prior to that event, Anand was almost always happy to play for equality with Black in top tournaments but in Mexico Anand introduced some super-sharp variations to his repertoire and scored valuable points with Black. (Meanwhile at the same event Kramnik was making draw after draw with Black.)
Anand and Kramnik have between them won every title worth winning over the past decade but there was always a suspicion that mutual respect would cause the players to be overly cautious.
Although the first game served to heighten these fears, and the abrupt end to the second also generated criticism, the ultra-violence shown in the third game has already made it clear that the match is likely to be a classic.
So far Anand has had the upper hand, equalising easily in game one, controlling game two until time trouble intervened and then winning a spectacular game three.
The third game saw Anand show the type of opening, which took him to victory in the FIDE World Championship in Mexico City in 2007. Prior to that event, Anand was almost always happy to play for equality with Black in top tournaments but in Mexico Anand introduced some super-sharp variations to his repertoire and scored valuable points with Black. (Meanwhile at the same event Kramnik was making draw after draw with Black.)
.Anand’s one regret may be that he secured his first victory on the day when his countryman Sachin Tendulkar finally broke the world record for most runs in cricket Test matches. Tendulkar and Anand are constant rivals for India’s sportsman of the year but today the front and back pages of India’s newspapers will be all Tendulkar, with Anand’s win relegated to an inside page.
At the press conference after the third game Kramnik, while appearing pensive, remained positive, believing that his sacrifices in game three to disrupt a better prepared opponent should have earned at least a draw.
Anand showed no signs of triumphalism, trotting out the classic “I’ll take it one game at a time” line, which served Boris Gelfand so well in Mexico City. He is of course right that the match is only in its infancy but both players know that a win tomorrow for Anand could put the contest almost out of reach of Kramnik.
The Bonn Exhibition Hall has been near its 400 capacity every day, despite ticket prices ranging between 35 and 280 Euros (for VIP tickets which include drinks and other privileges). The crowds looked visibly disgruntled as they left the playing theatre after game one but were generous in their applause for the players at the end of game three.
Kramnik has never trailed in the early stages of any of his three world title matches so how he reacts to this set-back will determine whether he will be seen as a good or a great Match World Champion.
At the press conference after the third game Kramnik, while appearing pensive, remained positive, believing that his sacrifices in game three to disrupt a better prepared opponent should have earned at least a draw.
Anand showed no signs of triumphalism, trotting out the classic “I’ll take it one game at a time” line, which served Boris Gelfand so well in Mexico City. He is of course right that the match is only in its infancy but both players know that a win tomorrow for Anand could put the contest almost out of reach of Kramnik.
The Bonn Exhibition Hall has been near its 400 capacity every day, despite ticket prices ranging between 35 and 280 Euros (for VIP tickets which include drinks and other privileges). The crowds looked visibly disgruntled as they left the playing theatre after game one but were generous in their applause for the players at the end of game three.
Kramnik has never trailed in the early stages of any of his three world title matches so how he reacts to this set-back will determine whether he will be seen as a good or a great Match World Champion.
Article Source : Chess Life Online
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