The title match is evenly poised. The score is tied 5-5 and two “normal” games are left. On Sunday, Viswanathan Anand gets his last crack with white. Veselin Topalov has white in game 12 on Monday. Nerves have been evident on both sides. In the last five games, Topalov has won once with four draws. Anand failed to convert a clear cut win in Game 9 while Topalov had plenty of chances as well.
If the last two games of what is now a “mini-match” are tied, there would be four rapid tiebreakers followed if required by blitz. Certainly the last two games are likely to be tense and quite likely, error-riddled. Much could depend on who gets his shots in first.
Game 6 saw Anand maintain a little pressure in a Catalan that set a record for the maximum consecutive knight moves. Draw. In game 7, Topalov produced a stunning exchange sacrifice on the black side of the Catalan. Anand was caught, calculated well to get out of jail and had the better of the draw. Game 8 proved a disaster for Anand in a Slav Defence. Under pressure, he defended steadily to head for a drawn endgame. The blunder came with several routes to the draw.
Game 9 was an epic. Anand got a winning position in a very complicated middlegame after he switched openings to a NimzoIndian complex. He failed to convert in a time scramble. He had several more chances at later stages before the position burnt out to a draw. Game 10 in contrast, was quiet. Topalov had a serious advantage but let Anand off the hook.
The diagram, WHITE TO PLAY, (Anand Vs Topalov World Chp 2010, Game 9) is the last chance for Anand to put away the full point. White played 64.Kg3? Qa1 65.Rg4? b2 and it’s drawn. The point was split after 66.Rc4+ Kb7 67.Kf2 b1Q 68.Nxb1 Qxb1 69.Rdd4 Qa2+ 70.Kg3 a3 71.Rc3 Qa1 72.Rb4+ Ka6 73.Ra4+ Kb5 74.Rcxa3 Qg1+ 5.Kf4 Qc1+ 76.Kf5 Qc5+ 77.Ke4 Qc2+ 78.Ke3 Qc1+ 79.Kf2 Qd2+ 80.Kg3 Qe1+ 81.Kf4 Qc1+ 82.Kg3 Qg1+ 83.Kf4. (1/2-1/2).
The win is 64.Rdd7! The idea is simple — out the rooks on the seventh with multiple mate threats and then move the king to free the Kt for Ne4-d6 if required. Since white can avoid perpetuals, he wins. However, it requires deep analysis to king-walk to safety.
Sample lines could be like 64...a3 65.Kg3 Qa1 66. Rc7+ Kd8 67. Ra7 with 67. - Qg1+ 67. Kh3 Qh1+ 68. Kg4 Qg1+69. Kf5 Qc5+ 70. Ke4 Qc6 71. Ke3 Qc5+72. Ke2 Qe5+ 73. Kf1 Qb5+ 74. Kg2 Qc5+ 75. Kg2 and now it's either mate or catastrophic win of material.
Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player