A little late (X-Ray appt this time..Boo) Anand Wins World Championship!

GrandMaster Viswanathan Anand won the World Title of Chess yesterday with a draw, giving him 6.5 pts out of a possible 12 to eliminate GM Vladimir Kramnik's challenge. Final score being 6.5-4.5 in Anand's favor, Kramnik just didn't seem to be in the match, I don't know if his auto-immune disease played a factor, but as a fellow auto-immune disease victim, I know that play is very hard while hurting. GM Kramnik suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, Here's a quote from Medicinenet.Com of what it is exactly.

"Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. The sacroiliac joints are located in the low back where the sacrum (the bone directly above the tailbone) meets the iliac bones (bones on either side of the upper buttocks). Chronic inflammation in these areas causes pain and stiffness in and around the spine. Over time, chronic spinal inflammation (spondylitis) can lead to a complete cementing together (fusion) of the vertebrae, a process referred to as ankylosis. Ankylosis leads to loss of mobility of the spine.

Ankylosing spondylitis is also a systemic rheumatic disease, meaning it can affect other tissues throughout the body. Accordingly, it can cause inflammation in or injury to other joints away from the spine, as well as other organs, such as the eyes, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Ankylosing spondylitis shares many features with several other arthritis conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, and arthritis associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Each of these arthritic conditions can cause disease and inflammation in the spine, other joints, eyes, skin, mouth, and various organs. In view of their similarities and tendency to cause inflammation of the spine, these conditions are collectively referred to as "spondyloarthropathies."

Ankylosing spondylitis is two to three times more common in males than in females. In women, joints away from the spine are more frequently affected than in men. Ankylosing spondylitis affects all age groups, including children. The most common age of onset of symptoms is in the second and third decades of life."
www.medicinenet.com

Many people ask why I just use a computer to analyse games (Like the WC Match). At one time I may have been able to do so, but now with 150mg of slow-release morphine, percocet and valium as well as about 15 other drugs coursing through my system, it's very hard to concentrate, so I use the computer as a tool (Deep Rybka 3.0 is the engine, developed by IM Vasik Rajlich, who I thank heartfully for his help). And since I am observing the games, many people ask for computer evaluations, they want to have an idea what the computer says about the game, possible lines and who the computer favors at that moment, it can also show errors in the game in almost real-time as well as awesome moves no one saw (except other titled players & very strong players watching, as well as the average patzer like me who actually sees it in a rare moment of clarity!) So I respect GM Kramnik in his try for the World Championship with this condition, as my Dad has the same illness, I know what he can be going through during flares. There are times when you can be in relative comfort when medicine has reduced the inflammation and it's a mild case, but still, to be a Super-GM with this condition, is an achievement in it's own. Sadly, I suspect he will have trying times ahead, and hope he does well.

Here is the game...after the long personal commentary...

GM Anand vs GM Kramnik: Annotations courtesy of Chessdom.Com



Anand has White pieces and needs only to draw. This shouldn't be too hard for him, though Kramnik finally found his form.

1.e4 I thought that this move won't be played at all in the match.

1... c5 (1... e5 would pretty much mean surrendering the title.)

2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 ( Instead of Anand's favorite 6.Be3)

6... e6 7.f4 Qc7 In the main lines of 7...Qb6 or 7...Nbd7 White may force the draw result.

8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.f5 (9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Be2 is the most popular way for White to fight for opening advantage.)

9... Qc5 (9... Nc6 10.fxe6 fxe6 11.Bc4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Rg8 13.O-O-O bears no risk for White.)

10.Qd3 Nc6 11.Nb3 Qe5 The Queen got to an excellent square. The drawback is that 'b6' is left unprotected.

12.O-O-O exf5 Capturing the pawn seems anti positional, but otherwise Black has no active plan.

13.Qe3 Bg7 ( Kramnik spent a lot of time over this move and now the clock readings are equal: 1.10 1.10. Nevertheless, it seems to weird to be good. 13... fxe4 seems to be risky, but deserved testing. In lines as 14.Rd5 Qe6 15.Nxe4 (15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 is stronger) 15... f5 16.Nxd6+ Bxd6 17.Qxe6+ fxe6 18.Rxd6 Ke7 Black is OK.)

14.Rd5 Qe7 15.Qg3 Rg8 Kramnik is balancing with only moves the threat to get into strategically lost position.

16.Qf4 fxe4 17.Nxe4 f5 (17... Be6 only looks promising. In fact 18.Rd1 Kf8 19.Ng3 leaves Black without any counterplay.)

18.Nxd6+ Kf8 19.Nxc8 Rxc8 20.Kb1 After this precise move Black chances to launch a counterattack vanished into thin air.

20... Qe1+ Obligatory.

21.Nc1 Ne7 22.Qd2 Qxd2 23.Rxd2 Bh6 24.Rf2 ( Anand woulb be happy to share the point and is not looking for a win after 24.Rd7)

24... Be3 Draw agreed. Kramnik has to fight hard for the draw with no winning chances, so he preferred to surrender the match. As I have predicted, Vishy effortlessly drew, and deservedly defended his title of World Chess Champion.

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