The world chess championship tournament, Mexico 2007

[Donna Ferentes]

Round twelve starts at eight o'clock UK time.

Svidler-Anand
Morozevich-Grischuk
Kramnik-Leko
Aronian-Gelfand

Heated debate about round eleven here (and contrary opinions to be expressed on the same site tomorrow).

 

[two sheds]

Errrm what's Kramnik doing having his queen skewered to his rook? I think i'm missing something basic here.

I'm also hoping Morozevich and Grischuk have one of those fun races against the clock. Fun they are.

Little minds

Ta for the thread Donna by the way I'd have missed all this.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Errrm what's Kramnik doing having his queen skewered to his rook? I think i'm missing something basic here.

Not basic at all: but he judged, correctly as it turned out, that the resulting position, where White is much better developed, would give him good compensation for the exchange.

He won and so did Gelfand: tonight, they play one another and really have no option but to throw themselves at one another. It's probably already too late for Kramnik, still a point and a half behind Anand, and Gelfand himself still lags by a point, but certainly they both need to win their last two games if they're to have any chance.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

OK. Tonight Gelfand and Kramnik drink together in the Last Chance Saloon. Anand will very likely see if he can take a quick draw as Black against Grischuk and then see what happens, with a draw being the result that would suit him best.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Right. Kramnik's taken what's usually considered a dicky pawn in that opening, but looking at his clock he presumably knows what he's doing as he's taken very little time ad 14...a5 appears to be a new move of his own invention.

Anand, meanwhile, has played the wild variation that's been the trend in Mexico, but looking at his clock - four minutes for fourteen moves - he too presumably knows what he's at.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Maybe not though, as despite being well ahead on the clock, he looks much worse to me.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Gelfand and Kramnik have agreed a draw. But Anand seems to be losing a pawn: if he were to lose it would put him just a half-point ahead of Gelfand before the last round, albeit with a White to come against Leko (whereas Gelfand plays Black against Morozevich).

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Well, Anand held the long, hard ending a pawn down. He only needs a draw with White tonight to bring home the bacon, even if Gelfand wins with Black. I'll be out this evening so people following will want to access the usual site at about 8pm UK time.

Here's the previous round report.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Last round at eight your time.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Anand drew quickly and thereby won the tournament by a full point: he's the new world champion though he'll face a match with Kramnik for reasons too convoluted to explain here.

Last round report.

 

[unusual_solid]

just want to say thanks to Donna Ferentes for a thread that kept up with the championship on a daily basis as the games were played and as the results came in. been a little busy but looks like there are alot of bones to pick over. once again thanks to DF for a most insightful and informative thread.

 

[marksims68]

just want to say thanks to Donna Ferentes for a thread that kept up with the championship on a daily basis as the games were played and as the results came in. been a little busy but looks like there are alot of bones to pick over. once again thanks to DF for a most insightful and informative thread.

I'll second that, and sincere congratulations to Vishay Anand, a worthy World Champion.