Anand, world champion

TEHRAN, DEC. 24. Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand today became world champion defeating Spain's Alexei Shirov 3.5-0.5 in the fourth of the six-game world chess championship final here.

Opening with a king pawn, Anand played an offensive game right from the start as he needed just one point to seal the world crown from three games.

Latvia-born Spaniard replied with French defence sacrificing two pieces to bring himself back in the game, but Anand defended well. After a wild middlegame, Shirov tried his best for a draw but Anand kept probing before the Spanish grandmaster resigned on the 41st move.

Towards the end it became a fascinating battle as Shirov was getting ready to sacrifice virtually anything to get a chance. But the wily Anand, not getting carried away by the amount of material being sacrificed, just stuck to a task.

At one stage after the 24th move, Shirov was playing with two pieces down, a knight and a bishop and both sides had twin rooks. But Shirov had an incredible four passed pawns at one stage. That was his hope to get one of them to queen. But Anand kept at it not allowing himself to be carried by all that seemed available. He knew it was all his. He only had to wait and he did.

For the first 14 moves, all 32 pieces on the board were intact. And when the first capture took place, it started with Anand taking Shirov's E5 pawn with his F pawn. That led to a series of captures which resulted in Shirov sacrificing his knight for three pawns.

Anand became the first Asian to claim the chess' world title which hitherto was a monopoly of Russians. The Indian grandmaster, who celebrated his 30th birthday by beating the defending champion Alexander Khalifman in New Delhi exactly two weeks ago on December 11, will celebrate Christmas as the world champion.

It was Anand's sixth win in eight games with white pieces in these championships. The only person who avoided defeat when Anand had white in classical games was Khalifman.

The prize distribution ceremony was to have been on December 27, but it could now be advanced.

President, PM congratulate

The President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, today termed ``historic'' the win by Anand in the world chess championship.

``Viswanathan Anand has made the whole country proud by winning the world championship in chess. It is a historic and remarkable triumph in the annals of our country,'' Mr. Narayanan said in his message.

Extending his good wishes for Anand's future success, Mr. Narayanan said, ``Anand's unprecedented victory is an authentic expression of resurgent India and the boundless power and energy of our youth.''

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, congratulated Anand and said he had done the country proud.

``Anand has done the country proud by becoming the first Indian to claim the coveted world chess title,'' Mr. Vajpayee said in a message.

``Anand's grand success will inspire country's youth for achieving excellence in the field of sports,'' he said.

- PTI

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