WCC 2010-11: Gladiator Battle, but no Winner

While this match has had its share of mistakes, no chess fan on the planet will say that the match was not hard-fought. This match has had many exciting battles where the game hung in the balance such that the result was unclear.

Game #11 was different because it featured 1.c4, the first time a game has opened other than 1.d4. The English resembled a type of Sicilian Dragon reversed, but was unconventional. At one point, black’s pieces were huddled in the center of the board like a battleship.

After a series of exchanges, Topalov’s task became easier. Anand had expanded on the queenside and ended up with an overextended pawn on b5 which he eventually sacrificed. His idea was to activate his pieces and go for a win! Most commentators and fans were worried that Anand’s plan was flawed and that Topalov would score the full point. However, Anand played actively and set several traps. Topalov waded through the land mines, defending against the looming “king attack” and settled for a draw. (See Game #11)