ANAND VS TOPALOV CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE

UPDATE: MAY 11 --

ANAND IS STILL THE WORLD CHESS CHAMPION!

GAME 12 (Final game -- Players even at 5 1/2 - 5 1/2 going into this game.) In an even position Topalev declined a chance to repeat moves. Anand then launched an attack, winning Topalov's Q for R & N. Endgame was easy. Anand wins game 12 and the match!

Anand retains the world chess championship by a score of 6 1/2 to 5 1/2!

Here's a video analysis of the final game. There are similar videos of the other games in the match:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5URbl3tNyo&feature=youtu.be&a

see also:

ChessNetwork �

http://myspace.com/ChessEducator

http://twitter.com/ChessNetwork




SEE BELOW FOR BACKGROUND INFO...

Topalov [B] managed to hold Anand [W] to a draw in game 9 -- in a tense endgame (Q N & advanced pawns [B] vs 2 Rooks N & strong attack [W] ) -- after winning a tense endgame in game 8 that looked like a possible draw (Bishops of opposite colors with [W] one advanced pawn ahead) .

Score is 4 1/2 - 4 1/2. Next game is Fri May 7 3 PM (Bulgaria) 7 AM (NY time). Topalov [W].

UPDATE NOTE: MAY 7: Game 10 is drawn. Score is 5-5. Next game is Sunday. Anand has White.
UPDATE NOTE: MAY 9: Game 11 is drawn. Anand sacs a pawn in the endgame, but Topalov holds off an attack. Score is 5 1/2 -5 1/2. Next (and last regular) game is Tuesday. Topalov has White.

Game 12 is the last regular game... Winner is World Chess Champion. If the game is drawn, there is a series of faster and faster tie breaks. (It used to be that the reigning Chess Champion remained Champion until beaten. Now neither Champion nor Challenger has an advantage going into the match, and the match is guaranteed to produce a winner.) Here are the rather complex rules:

http://www.anand-topalov.com/en/regulations.html


For an intro to the match, see tattoowesley
http://tattoowesley.blogspot.com/2010/05/world-chess-championship-anand-vs.html

Official site (live video feed and live game board links from the site!):
http://www.anand-topalov.com

Replays of all games & Official after-game press conferences (but on my computer the audio is essentially incomprehensible):
http://www.anand-topalov.com/en/results.html

Analysis:

http://www.chessdom.com/

Also check...
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

For background on the World Chess Championship:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_2010