tag: World Championship Sofia - Page 2

Sofia Game two – more analysis and pictures

4/26/2010 – Anand's reaction to his terrible beating in game one, says our colleague IM Malcolm Pein, was a fine performance to level the match. We brought you fairly detailed on-the-spot analysis by GM Anish Giri yesterday. Today we add Malcolm's notes for your enjoyment. Also some interesting pictures from the Bulgarian capital, for one of which you will require strong nerves.

Sofia: Anand strikes back in game two

4/25/2010 – Yesterday Viswanathan Anand suffered a painful defeat, casting doubt on his chances at a title defense. So how did he reply: by turtling up and licking his wounds? Not at all – in a dangerous, fighting game the World Champion outplayed challenger Veselin Topalov in positional masterpiece to level the score at 1-1. We bring you the game with express commentary by GM Anish Giri.

World Championship Sofia: Topalov draws first blood

4/24/2010 – It was one of the shortest, most decisive opening games in World Championship history. Veselin Topalov rattled off his moves quickly and comfortably, with Anand following suit, until he apparently ran into his challenger's home preparation (or muddled up his own). On move 23 he blundered in a very dangerous position, and Topalov drove his advantage forcefully home. Express report.

World Chess Championship 2010 – a curtain raiser

4/24/2010 – The World Championship match in Sofia begins on Saturday, a day later than originally scheduled, and two hours later than the rest of the match – at 17:00h local time, 16:00h CEST, 10 a.m. New York, 16:00h Moscow and 19:30h Indian Standard Time. There will be a rest day after every second game. We bring you the full schedule and a nice promotional video.

Pein on Sofia game one – what went wrong?

4/24/2010 – The first game of the World Chess Championship match in Sofia was a shocker: in just about an hour Anand was in a lost position. In the middle of some obvious preparation Anand started to think and blundered with 23...Kf7?? which was almost certainly as a result of trying to remember his preparation rather than studying the position. Extensive commentary by IM Malcolm Pein in TWIC.

Topalov has white in the first World Championship game

4/22/2010 – Owing to the late arrival of Viswanathan Anand, the World Championship match in Sofia has been delayed by a day (according to the Bulgarian magazine Trud, the organiser Silvio Danailov has threatened to sue FIDE for this). The opening ceremony and press conference went ahead on schedule, and the drawing of lots gave Anand black in the first game. AICF report.

World Championship postponed – by one day

4/21/2010 – "I have consulted with all the parties to try and resolve the 'force majeure' situation," writes FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos. "It is clear that we have reached an impasse in the discussions and a decision must be made." And made it he did: a one-day postponement of the match, with the first game now scheduled for Saturday, 24th April 2010. Letter to the Prime Minister.

A volcanic trip – with the Lord of the Rings

4/21/2010 – On Thursday Vishy Anand embarked on a trip from his house in Madrid, Spain, to the World Championship match. He got as far as Frankfurt, Germany, and was stopped by the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland. Frantic planning followed, and on Tuesday morning, after a 40-hour drive, he arrived with his team in Sofia, Bulgaria. A team member has sent us this remarkable report.

Makropoulos on a possible match postponement

4/20/2010 – Breaking news: after an arduous journey lasting over forty hours – details on this adventure to follow – World Champion Vishy Anand arrived in Sofia on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos has been discussing the prospect of a possible match delay ("Now, it is clear that we are facing a force majeure situation"). Decision to follow.

World Championship news: Anand on his way to Sofia

4/19/2010 – With air traffic at a standstill, trains completely sold out and practically every rentable car taken, it was no easy task for Vishy Anand to make it from Frankfurt to Sofia. Now the World Champion is on his way by road to the Bulgarian capital, a team member has revealed. Meanwhile Anand's request for a three-day postponement is being rejected by the organisers. Statements and stories.

Will the Icelandic volcano affect the World Championship?

4/17/2010 – Just after landing on a stopover in Frankfurt, World Champion Vishy Anand was informed that all further flights were cancelled, owing to volcanic ash from Iceland. With 25,000 flights cancelled per day, hundreds of thousands of travellers, including Anand, are stranded, with alternative routes (rental cars, trains) almost impossible to arrange. The AICF is seeking a three-day postponement.
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