On Tuesday, the world title match starts in Bonn. It should end the chaos caused by the 1993 walkout of Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short. Garry Kasparov stayed no:1 until his retirement in 2005. But he refused to play the title cycle.
A tiebreaker in Bonn makes sense to ensure that there is a clear champion. But unfortunately Bonn is very short with 12 games on successive days. It could be even shorter if anybody takes a winning 6.5 lead inside the limit. If the match is tied it goes a maximum of 7 more games (4 Active, 2 Blitz and 1Armegeddon). It’s very difficult to call “favourite” given two players with similar career records and experience. Opinions are split. Most fans prefer Anand’s violent methods but the cognoscenti will point out that Kramnik has a natural match-playing style. Anand is older at 38 but 33-year-old Kramnik has had more health problems. Neither shows signs of being over the hill.
Both have clear opening preferences. Anand plays 1.e4 99 per cent of the time and responds with Queens Gambit Accepted and Slav to 1.d4, which Kramnik plays 99 per cent of the time. Kramnik responds with Petroff Defences or the Berlin Spanish against 1.e4. It’d be a surprise for either player to switch basics.
Kramnik prefers dry technical positions he can try to win without risk. Even with black, he will defend slightly inferior positions so long as they are technical. Anand prefers complications with either colour and is happier in tactical maelstroms. The match may hinge on their ability to get positions they desire. That brings us to the psychological element. Getting positions one likes equates to psychological comfort. But of course, both are also under pressure due to the sheer stakes.
Meanwhile in Nagpur, 1993 Challenger Short made a “three-peat” of successive Commonwealth titles winning with 8.5 points from 11 games ahead of GM-elect Arun Prasad, Ganguly (both 8) in a field of 270. The decisive last round showed the difference nerves makes at clutch moments.
From the Diagram, WHITE TO PLAY, (Arun Prasad Vs Short, Cwealth 2008) the play took a bizarre course. White played 23. Rxd3 cxd 24. Qxd3 g5 25. Bg3 Nd7. Now, despite the small material deficit, white can win with 26. b4! Bxb4 27. Qd4!! Bxc3 28. Bxd6+ Kg8 29. Qxc3 Qf6 30. Qxf6 Nxf6 31. Bg3 and the pawns roll. Instead AP played 26. f4 gxf4 27. Bxf4 Ne5 28. Qf1 Bd7 29. Nf5 b4 (0-1). The resignation shocked even Short! Black is only a little better after normal tries like 30. Ne2 Bxf5 31. Bxe5 Rxe5 32. gxf5. Apparent Prasad suffered a sudden attack of despondency when he belatedly realised 26.b4 worked.
