india SPOrts

Anand and Topalov go into the 12th game of their match today with scores level. If drawn, tie-break rapid games will be played on Thursday. Topalov's declaration before the match that he would neither offer nor accept a draw has clearly had a liberating effect on both players, resulting in one of the most entertaining world championship finals we have seen in years. All the games have been long and hard-fought, so it's hardly surprising that tiredness is affecting play. Anand missed several chances to win in game 9, Topalov had a promising endgame in game 10 but allowed Anand to slip out, and game 11 was looking like the dullest of the match, but suddenly exploded into life after inaccuracies from both players.

If Anand loses this match, it is the ninth game that will haunt him. He prepared an excellent opening, achieved a winning position out of the complications but, unusually, ran short of time with Topalov rushing his moves to try to unsettle the Indian. Anand had a couple of minutes to play his last move before the time control and the position was complicated, but two rooks should be superior to the queen, particularly with Black's king in such an exposed position. Unable to find a clear continuation, Anand played 1 Rh8+, thinking that he would be able to repeat the position after 1...Ke7 2 Rh7+ forcing the king back to e8. With the time control reached he would have an extra hour to work out the win. Instead, Topalov played 1...Kd7! 2 Rh7+ (2 Rd1+ Nd3! is probably what Anand missed, and the rook on h8 is inconveniently threatened by the queen) 2...Kc6, slipping away to the queenside and putting the win in doubt.

Instead, in the starting position Anand should have moved his threatened rook to a safe square: 1 Re4. With the king still trapped on the back rank, Black will not be able to survive: 1...b4 2 Rxa7 b3 3 Rb7 b2 4 Kh2 Qc1 5 Ra4, and the mate threat on a8 is too much.