World Championship Game seven – pictures and video

by ChessBase
5/21/2012 – At last another game with action and excitement – and a 1-0 decision! Many spectators kept their cool, but some didn't. We brought you full analysis by different GMs and IMs in our previous report, and now we add to that with a video report by Europe Echecs and some wonderful pictures provided by the event photographers Anastasiya Karlovich and Alexey Lushenkov. Relax and enjoy.

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The World Chess Championship 2012 is being staged in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, between the current World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India and the winner of the Candidates tournament Boris Gelfand of Israel. The match is over twelve games and lasts from May 11 to 30. The prize fund is US $2.55 million, the winner getting $1.53 million (60%), the loser $1.02 million (40%).

Press release

The second half of the World Championship has started

The seven game of the match for FIDE World Champion was played on 20 May at the State Tretyakov Gallery’s Engineering Building. The opponents continued their theoretical dispute in the Slav Defence. Boris Gelfand, who played White, was the first to move away from the lines that had been tried out before, opting for the most principled continuation, 6.c5. A complicated strategic fight ensued, with nearly all pieces remaining on the board.

Experts note that the World Champion did not play energetically enough and failed to equalise. Black’s main problem was his bad light-squared bishop, which never made it through the fence of black pawns. Gelfand skillfully built up pressure on the queenside and managed to penetrate his opponent’s camp with his pieces via the open c-file, putting Black in a very poor position. Vishy Anand’s desperate attempt to sacrifice a piece and launch an attack against his rival’s king brought no success, and he resigned on move 38.

To recap, this is Gelfand’s first win against Anand in events with classical time control over the past 19 years – since 1993. The match score is now 4-3 in Gelfand’s favour. The next, eighth, game will be played 21 May. Viswanathan Anand will play with white pieces.

Extensive analysis of the games is available in our round seven report.


Pictorial impressions Anastasiya Karlovich and Alexey Lushenkov


Has he got something up his sleeve? Boris Gelfand before the start of round seven


The World Champion in a game that would bring the first decision of the match


The theatre is packed on this Sunday afternoon


Some spectators are able to keep their cool during the game – and some aren't


The arbiters: Hal Bond (Deputy) Ashot Vardapetian (Chief)


When world-renowned chess trainer Mark Dvoretsky studies a position everybody is interested. Everybody.


Tolya! Guest of honour and commentator in round seven


In the press room: Peter Leko chats with GM Ian Rogers and wife Kathy


A simultaneous exhibition given by GM Ian Nepomniachtchi...


...and one by Russian IM Valentina Gunina, current European Women's Champion


Mr. Cool giving his opponents some extra time to ponder their positions


Camera man Anton Skrypnik providing images for the live HD video stream


Vijay Kumar, unassuming and kind-hearted (he always brings us Indian spices),is a
producer for the Doordashan TV channel that reaches about half a billion viewers


Behind the camera in the Europe Echecs reports: Gérard Demuydt

Pictures by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich and Alexey Lushenkov

Video report

GM Robert Fontaine and his video producer Gérard Demuydt are in Moscow produced video reports and interviews after each round for the French chess magazine Europe Echecs. In this round seven report we see the moment Anand resigns the game and the hug-and-hop jubilation of Gelfand fans in the press centre.

Scoreboard

 Players
Rtng
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tot.
Perf.
+/–
 Vishy Anand
2791
½
½
½
½
½
½
0
         
3.0
2678
–11
 Boris Gelfand  
2727
½
½
½
½
½
½
1
         
4.0
2840
+11

Remaining schedule

Days of play, with live commentators on Playchess.com. Note that the games start at 15:00h local time = 13:00 CEST, 07 a.m. New York or here in your location.

Mon May 21 Game 8 Oliver Reeh
Tues May 22 Rest day  
Wed May 23 Game 9 Daniel King
Thur May 24 Game 10 Yannick Pelletier
Fri May 25 Rest day  
Sat May 26 Game 11 Daniel King
 
Sun May 27 Rest day  
Mon May 28 Game 12 Sam Collins
Tues May 29 Rest day  
Wed May 30 Tiebreaks  
Thurs May 31 Closing  

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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