Vishy Anand retains the crown

Anand defeated Topalov in the World Championship Title match 2010.

You can read a nice piece on Anand here.
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Vishy Anand is World Chess Champion

Viswanathan Anand remained unbeaten and scored 9 points out of 14 with four wins in the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico to become the undisputed World Chess Champion.

(photo courtesy: Susan Polgar's blog, Official site of WCC 07)

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14th round results - WCC 07

Svidler defeats Grischuk and Kramnik beats Aronian in the fourteenth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Svidler - Alexander Grischuk (1 - 0)

Viswanathan Anand - Peter Leko (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Morozevich - Boris Gelfand (0.5 - 0.5)

Vladimir Kramnik - Levon Aronian (1 - 0)

Points after fourteen rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 9/14

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 8/14

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 6/14

Peter Leko (2751): 7/14

Levon Aronian (2750): 6/14

Peter Svidler (2735): 6.5/14

Boris Gelfand (2733): 8/14

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 5.5/14

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12th and 13th round results - WCC 07

Three decisive results in the twelfth round, and one in the thirteenth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

12th round results

Peter Svidler - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)

Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Leko (1 - 0)

Alexander Morozevich - Alexander Grischuk (1 - 0)

Levon Aronian - Boris Gelfand (0 - 1)

13th round results

Levon Aronian - Peter Svidler (0.5 - 0.5)
Boris Gelfand - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)
Peter Leko - Alexander Morozevich (1 - 0)
Alexander Grischuk - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)

Points after thirteen rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 8.5/13
Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 7/13
Alexander Morozevich (2758): 5.5/13
Peter Leko (2751): 6.5/13
Levon Aronian (2750): 6/13
Peter Svidler (2735): 5.5/13
Boris Gelfand (2733): 7.5/13
Alexander Grischuk (2726): 5.5/13

14th (last) round pairings

Anand needs atleast a draw in the last round to win this championship.

Peter Svidler - Alexander Grischuk
Viswanathan Anand - Peter Leko
Alexander Morozevich - Boris Gelfand
Vladimir Kramnik - Levon Aronian

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11th round results - WCC 07

Anand beats Morozevich in the eleventh round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Boris Gelfand - Peter Svidler (0.5 - 0.5)

Peter Leko - Levon Aronian (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Grischuk - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)

Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Morozevich (1 - 0)

Points after eleven rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 7.5/11

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 5.5/11

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 4.5/11

Peter Leko (2751): 5.5/11

Levon Aronian (2750): 5.5/11

Peter Svidler (2735): 4.5/11

Boris Gelfand (2733): 6/11

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 5/11

12th round pairings

Today is a free day at the world championship. The twelfth round matches will be played on September 27, 2007.

Peter Svidler - Viswanathan Anand
Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Leko
Alexander Morozevich - Alexander Grischuk
Levon Aronian - Boris Gelfand

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10th round results - WCC 07

Aronian defeats Grischuk in the tenth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Svidler - Alexander Morozevich (0.5 - 0.5)

Vladimir Kramnik - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)

Levon Aronian - Alexander Grischuk (1 - 0)

Boris Gelfand - Peter Leko (0.5 - 0.5)

Points after ten rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 6.5/10
Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 5/10
Alexander Morozevich (2758): 4.5/10
Peter Leko (2751): 5/10
Levon Aronian (2750): 5/10
Peter Svidler (2735): 4/10
Boris Gelfand (2733): 5.5/10
Alexander Grischuk (2726): 4.5/10

11th round pairings

Boris Gelfand - Peter Svidler
Peter Leko - Levon Aronian
Alexander Grischuk - Vladimir Kramnik
Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Morozevich

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9th round results - WCC 07

Morozevich defeats Kramnik, and Grischuk beats Gelfand in the ninth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Leko - Peter Svidler (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Grischuk - Boris Gelfand (1 - 0)

Viswanathan Anand - Levon Aronian (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Morozevich - Vladimir Kramnik (1 - 0)

Points after nine rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 6/9

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 4.5/9

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 4/9

Peter Leko (2751): 4.5/9

Levon Aronian (2750): 4/9

Peter Svidler (2735): 3.5/9

Boris Gelfand (2733): 5/9

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 4.5/9

10th round pairings

Peter Svidler - Alexander Morozevich
Vladimir Kramnik - Viswanathan Anand
Levon Aronian - Alexander Grischuk
Boris Gelfand - Peter Leko

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8th round results - WCC 07

Leko defeats Grischuk in the eighth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Svidler - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)
Levon Aronian - Alexander Morozevich (0.5 - 0.5)
Boris Gelfand - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)
Peter Leko - Alexander Grischuk (1 - 0)

Points after eight rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 5.5/8
Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 4.5/8
Alexander Morozevich (2758): 3/8
Peter Leko (2751): 4/8
Levon Aronian (2750): 3.5/8
Peter Svidler (2735): 3/8
Boris Gelfand (2733): 5/8
Alexander Grischuk (2726): 3.5/8

9th round pairings

Today is a free day at the world championship. The ninth round matches will be played on September 23, 2007.

Peter Leko - Peter Svidler
Alexander Grischuk - Boris Gelfand
Viswanathan Anand - Levon Aronian
Alexander Morozevich - Vladimir Kramnik

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Chessy Masala Dosa and Stretchy Mangalooru Bajji

I am following the World Chess Championship 2007 in spite of confusing rules of FIDE to determine the next world champion. Anand and others say the format is biased and designed to suit Russian (Kramnik) and Bulgarian (Topalov) lobbies. Anand also says that he does not want to dip inside the muddled waters of FIDE politics. He rather concentrates on chess matches. So far so good. When you follow a chess match, you have to participate in the process. Imagine watching a live chess match without any thoughts. It is not possible. You have to think about it. But if you think it is as good as you are playing. Not like other sports where you can watch live without doing anything that is connected with those sports. I watched Yuvraj's six sixers. But I did not feel the physical effort involved in that power hitting - meaning there is no pain or strain on my shoulders. Leave the mental efforts alone.

Now what am I writing...

I am supposed to write about masala dosa and mangalooru bajji.

Where is the link?

The link is the Janatha Hotel, 8th cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore.

I am sitting here in the hotel and thinking about what are the differences between watching chess live and watching other sports like cricket, hockey, football, etc live.

I am waiting for my masala dosa. It is surprising. Surprising to see people wait outside the hotel. You think there is no surprise about that as far Janatha Hotel is concerned? Surprising to see people wait outside when the hotel is closed. Ah! that's something, isn't it?

The hotel opens at 4pm. People wait from 3:30pm.

People?

A husband, A wife, and their small girl who asks sambar for Masala dosa which is not given at the hotel. Pay extra for extra sambar.

Two ladies with newly bought something.

Two girls who swallow mangalooru bajjis as fast as they send SMS.

An old man who sips coffee and thinks about good old days.

A girl who is carrying and is thinking possibly about the kid that is shaping up.

Two grandmothers with their grand-daughters eating some sweets which are possibly banned at home.

All these people are united. United to taste the time-tested Janata servings.

And what am I doing now? I am supposed to think about differences between watching a chess match and a cricket game. But here I am. Sitting and watching Janata's Janata.

Masala Dosa emerges just in front of me. Crispy and slightly sticky too. Pudina leaves are floating on the chutney. The chutney seems to be watery but it is not. You just dip your finger to feel the solid sediments of chutney.

I unroll the dosa to see the beauty of potato masala and grey chutney talking to each other on the crispy grass of masala dosa. I envy them. What is better than discussing chess with potato masala?

Small piece of dosa along with solid sediments of white chutney rolled together and meet their destiny in my mouth. I am watching ...

Chess is such a beautiful game that you do not mind losing yourself. Not just losing yourself but getting lost. I still remember a chess game I played with my friend in Tambaram bus stand. Without a board. How?

e4
e5
Nf3
Nf6

We played and pushed the game to its middle. We then found it quite difficult to analyse the position without board. Board is the substratum. Just like our experiences with relationships are to understand ourselves.

Where am I?

Who has eaten my Masala Dosa?

I must have achieved that in no time - much faster than how Anand plays a double knight Ruy Lopez variation.

Some say - Do not play Catalan against Kramnik. Sicilian against Kasparov, etc. But I play Mangalooru Bajji next.

Four small balls come. Elastic balls. Quite hot. Quite crispy. When I went to Mangalooru I asked Mangalooru bajji. They brought something quite different. I thought this is similar to how Hosur road, somewhere in its path, transforms itself to Bengalooru Road.

The small girl sitting opposite does not want to come out. The mother insists. But the girl moves between the table and the bench. The girl is quite happy with the masala dosa.

I am also happy with my dosa and bajjis. What next?

What will happen to this blog? How do I want to continue this? Chess statistics? Personal rants? Why I have to continue this? What is the big deal in saying I maintain a blog?

Hahahahhaa.....Hahahahhh.....

Two old men are laughing loudly.

Where are we?

Did I write "why I have to continue this blog"? No. It can't be true. Did I write that?

Masala Dosa is nice. Bajji is good. Something is still incomplete. Feeling of incompletion and feeling of something more might have created those words. Not me.

This is the right time to drink Janata Coffee.

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7th round results - WCC 07

Anand beats Grischuk in the seventh round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Svidler - Levon Aronian (0.5 - 0.5)

Vladimir Kramnik - Boris Gelfand (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Morozevich - Peter Leko (0.5 - 0.5)

Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Grischuk (1 - 0)

Points after seven rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 5/7

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 4/7

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 2.5/7

Peter Leko (2751): 3/7

Levon Aronian (2750): 3/7

Peter Svidler (2735): 2.5/7

Boris Gelfand (2733): 4.5/7

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 3.5/7

8th round pairings

Peter Svidler - Vladimir Kramnik

Levon Aronian - Alexander Morozevich

Boris Gelfand - Viswanathan Anand

Peter Leko - Alexander Grischuk

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6th round results - WCC 07

Gelfand joins Anand at the top by defeating Morozevich in the sixth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Alexander Grischuk - Peter Svidler (0.5 - 0.5)

Peter Leko - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)

Boris Gelfand - Alexander Morozevich (1 - 0)

Levon Aronian - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)

Points after six rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 4/6

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 3.5/6

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 2/6

Peter Leko (2751): 2.5/6

Levon Aronian (2750): 2.5/6

Peter Svidler (2735): 2/6

Boris Gelfand (2733): 4/6

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 3.5/6

7th round pairings

Peter Svidler - Levon Aronian

Vladimir Kramnik - Boris Gelfand
Alexander Morozevich - Peter Leko
Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Grischuk

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6th round pairings - Corrections made

The official site has changed the sixth round pairings from that of earlier pairings. The new pairings are as follows:

Alexander Grischuk - Peter Svidler
Peter Leko - Viswanathan Anand
Boris Gelfand - Alexander Morozevich
Levon Aronian - Vladimir Kramnik
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5th round results - WCC 07

Three decisive results in the fifth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico: Anand defeats Svidler, Gelfand beats Aronian, and Grischuk scores a full point against Morozevich.

Viswanathan Anand - Peter Svidler (1 - 0)

Alexander Grischuk - Alexander Morozevich (1 - 0)

Peter Leko - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)

Boris Gelfand - Levon Aronian (1 - 0)

Points after five rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 3.5/5
Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 3/5
Alexander Morozevich (2758): 2/5
Peter Leko (2751): 2/5
Levon Aronian (2750): 2/5
Peter Svidler (2735): 1.5/5
Boris Gelfand (2733): 3/5
Alexander Grischuk (2726): 3/5

6th round pairings

Peter Svidler - Levon Aronian

Vladimir Kramnik - Boris Gelfand

Alexander Morozevich - Peter Leko

Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Grischuk

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4th round results - WCC 07

Aronian scores full point against Leko in the fourth round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Peter Svidler - Boris Gelfand (0.5 - 0.5)

Levon Aronian - Peter Leko (1 - 0)

Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Grischuk (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Morozevich - Viswanathan Anand (0.5 - 0.5)

Points after four rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 2.5/4

Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 2.5/4

Alexander Morozevich (2758): 2/4

Peter Leko (2751): 1.5/4

Levon Aronian (2750): 2/4

Peter Svidler (2735): 1.5/4

Boris Gelfand (2733): 2/4

Alexander Grischuk (2726): 2/4

5th round pairings

Today is a free day at the world championship. The fifth round matches will be played on September 18, 2007.

Viswanathan Anand - Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk - Alexander Morozevich

Peter Leko - Vladimir Kramnik

Boris Gelfand - Levon Aronian

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3rd Round results - WCC 07

Morozevich defeats Svidler in the third round of the World Chess Championship 2007, Mexico.

Alexander Morozevich - Peter Svidler (1 - 0)
Viswanathan Anand - Vladimir Kramnik (0.5 - 0.5)
Alexander Grischuk - Levon Aronian (0.5 - 0.5)
Peter Leko - Boris Gelfand (0.5 - 0.5)

Points after three rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792): 2/3
Vladimir Kramnik (2769): 2/3
Alexander Morozevich (2758): 1.5/3
Peter Leko (2751): 1.5/3
Levon Aronian (2750): 1/3
Peter Svidler (2735): 1/3
Boris Gelfand (2733): 1.5/3
Alexander Grischuk (2726): 1.5/3

4th round pairings:

Peter Svidler - Boris Gelfand
Levon Aronian - Peter Leko
Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Grischuk
Alexander Morozevich - Viswanathan Anand
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2nd Round results - WCC 07

Anand wins the match against Aronian while Kramnik defeats Morozevich in the second round of the World Chess Championship 2007.

Peter Svidler - Peter Leko (0.5 - 0.5)

Boris Gelfand - Alexander Grischuk (0.5 - 0.5)

Levon Aronian - Viswanathan Anand (0 - 1)

Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Morozevich (1 - 0)

Current standings after two rounds

Viswanathan Anand (2792) - 1.5/2

Vladimir Kramnik (2769) - 1.5/2

Peter Svidler (2735) - 1/2

Boris Gelfand (2733) - 1/2

Peter Leko (2751) - 1/2

Alexander Grischuk (2726) - 1/2

Alexander Morozevich (2758) - 0.5/2

Levon Aronian (2750) - 0.5/2

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1st Round results - WCC 07

All matches are drawn in the first round of World Chess Championship 2007.

Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Svidler (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Morozevich - Levon Aronian (0.5 - 0.5)

Viswanathan Anand - Boris Gelfand (0.5 - 0.5)

Alexander Grischuk - Peter Leko (0.5 - 0.5)

The world championship coverage internet links are collected by Susan Polgar here. The schedule is available here.

World Championship Chess Matches

You can follow matches live in the official website here. For Susan Polgar's live commentary, visit her blog.

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World Chess Championship 2007 - The Schedule

The match begins at 14:00h local time. Add 10:30 to get IST i.e., for instance, the first round matches begin at Sept. 14th 2007, 00:30h IST.

Round 1: Thursday, Sept. 13th 2007, 14:00h

Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Svidler
Alexander Morozevich - Levon Aronian
Viswanathan Anand - Boris Gelfand
Alexander Grischuk - Peter Leko

Round 2: Friday, Sept. 14th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Peter Leko
Boris Gelfand - Alexander Grischuk
Levon Aronian - Viswanathan Anand
Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Morozevich

Round 3: Saturday, Sept. 15th 2007, 14:00h

Alexander Morozevich - Peter Svidler
Viswanathan Anand - Vladimir Kramnik
Alexander Grischuk - Levon Aronian
Peter Leko - Boris Gelfand

Round 4: Sunday, Sept 16th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Boris Gelfand
Levon Aronian - Peter Leko
Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Grischuk
Alexander Morozevich - Viswanathan Anand

Round 5: Tuesday, Sept. 18th 2007, 14:00h

Viswanathan Anand - Peter Svidler
Alexander Grischuk - Alexander Morozevich
Peter Leko - Vladimir Kramnik
Boris Gelfand - Levon Aronian

Round 6: Wednesday, Sept. 19th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Levon Aronian
Vladimir Kramnik - Boris Gelfand
Alexander Morozevich - Peter Leko
Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Grischuk

Round 7: Thursday, Sept. 20th 2007, 14:00h

Alexander Grischuk - Peter Svidler
Peter Leko - Viswanathan Anand
Boris Gelfand - Alexander Morozevich
Levon Aronian - Vladimir Kramnik


Round 8: Friday, Sept. 21st 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Vladimir Kramnik
Levon Aronian - Alexander Morozevich
Boris Gelfand - Viswanathan Anand
Peter Leko - Alexander Grischuk

Round 9: Sunday, Sept. 23th 2007, 14:00h

Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Svidler
Alexander Morozevich - Levon Aronian
Viswanathan Anand - Boris Gelfand
Alexander Grischuk - Peter Leko

Round 10: Monday, Sept. 24th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Peter Leko
Boris Gelfand - Alexander Grischuk
Levon Aronian - Viswanathan Anand
Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Morozevich

Round 11: Tuesday, Sept. 25th 2007, 14:00h

Alexander Morozevich - Peter Svidler

Viswanathan Anand - Vladimir Kramnik
Alexander Grischuk - Levon Aronian
Peter Leko - Boris Gelfand

Round 12: Thursday, Sept 27th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Boris Gelfand
Levon Aronian - Peter Leko
Vladimir Kramnik - Alexander Grischuk
Alexander Morozevich - Viswanathan Anand

Round 13: Friday, Sept. 28th 2007, 14:00h

Viswanathan Anand - Peter Svidler
Alexander Grischuk - Alexander Morozevich
Peter Leko - Vladimir Kramnik
Boris Gelfand - Levon Aronian

Round 14: Saturday, Sept. 29th 2007, 14:00h

Peter Svidler - Levon Aronian
Vladimir Kramnik - Boris Gelfand
Alexander Morozevich - Peter Leko
Viswanathan Anand - Alexander Grischuk

Sunday, Sept. 30th 2007
Possible tiebreaks, closing ceremony

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World Chess Championship 2007

The FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 will be held in Mexico City, from September 12, 2007 to September 30, 2007. The format is eight-player double round robin where each player plays every other player twice.

The eight players are,

• Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
• Viswanathan Anand (India)
• Peter Svidler (Russia)
• Alexander Morozevich (Russia)
• Péter Lékó (Hungary)
• Boris Gelfand (Israel)
• Levon Aronian (Armenia)
• Alexander Grischuk (Russia)

The official site of the World Championship is here.

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