Anand wins Corsica Masters

World Champion Vishwanathan Anand added another feather to his cap when he defeated Grandmaster Alexander Chernin of Hungary in the final of the Corsica Masters Rapid Chess in Bastia, France, on Wednesday.

Warming up for the World Championships, later this month in Moscow, Anand took things easy and the victory, though sweet, did not quite come in the natural style as the Indian stalwart has the reputation of destroying his opponents in the rapid version of the game.

The final, comprising of a two-game mini-match, ended in a 1-1 deadlock and Anand, playing black in the tie-break, only had to draw to win the title which he forced in 36 moves.

Anand drew with black in the tie-break for the second time in the tournament - the first had come against another Hungarian GM Peter Leko in the quarterfinals.

The Indian GM held on to his own in the final and with some excellent defensive manoeuvres and imaginative counterplay on the kingside forced a draw by perpetual checks.

The opening was a deviation from the Trompowski variation and a sudden frenzy of piece-trade left both the players with only heavy pieces.

Anand had one weak link in the form of a king-pawn but he nonchalantly exchanged it and subsequently the rooks too. The ensuing queen and pawn endgame in which Anand made a pawn sacrifice to force a draw.

Earlier, in the first game with normal time control of 20 minutes and five seconds addition after every move, Anand faced the Modern defence with white pieces and obtained a miniscule advantage out of the opening.

However, timely exchange of pieces helped Chernin to neutralise white's initiative and a tactical breakthrough in the final stages of the game steered the game to a draw in 44 moves.

In the second game, Chernin failed to impress with white pieces as Anand dealt his English opening with effective ease on both flanks. The game did not have much for the spectators either as the Hungarian had to contend with a 22-move draw through repetition.

This was Anand's last competitive outing before the World Championship and he is now expected to prepare intensely to retain the coveted crown.

An interesting entrant in this year's World championship is former champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia who decided against playing in this format in the past two editions.

Final-game 1
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 a6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Qd2 b5 7. Bh6 O-O 8. Bxg7 Kxg7 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. h3 e5 11. d5 Ne7 12. O-O Bb7 13. a4 c6 14. dxc6 Bxc6 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa8 Qxa8 17. Bxb5 Bxb5 18. Nxb5 Nxe4 19. Qd3 Qc6 20. Rd1 Rb8 21. c4 Rb6 22. b3 Ra6 23. Qe2 f6 24. Nfd4 exd4 25. f3 d5 26. fxe4 dxc4 27. Nxd4 Qb6 28. Qxc4 Nc6 29. Qxc6 Qxc6 30. Nxc6 Rxc6 31. Rb1 Re6 32. b4 Rxe4 33. b5 Re7 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. b6 Rb7 36. Ke3 Ke6 37. Kd4 Kd6 38. h4 Kc6 39. Kc4 f5 40. Rb2 Rxb6 41. Rxb6+ Kxb6 42. Kd5 Kc7 43. Ke6 f4 44. Ke5 1/2-1/2

Final-game 2
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Nd5 Bc5 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O d6 8. a3 Nxd5 9. cxd5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 Bxd4 11. e3 Bb6 12. a4 a5 13. d3 Bf5 14. Qc2 Qd7 15. Bd2 Bh3 16. b4 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 axb4 18. Bxb4 Ba5 19. Rab1 Bb6 20. Ra1 Ba5 21. Rab1 Bb6 22. Ra1 Ba5 1/2-1/2

Play-off
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. Nd2 h6 4. Bh4 d5 5. e3 Be7 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. Ngf3 O-O 9. Qe2 b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Ne4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. f4 Nxd2 15. Qxd2 f6 16. exf6 Rxf6 17. Rae1 Raf8 18. e4 dxe4 19. Bxe4 Bxe4 20. Rxe4 Qf7 21. Qe2 e5 22. Rxe5 Rxf4 23. Rxf4 Qxf4 24. g3 Qc1+ 25. Kg2 Qb1 26. a3 Qg6 27. Re7 Rf7 28. Re6 Rf6 29. Rxf6 Qxf6 30. Qe8+ Kh7 31. Qe4+ Kg8 32. Qa8+ Kh7 33. Qxa7 Qc6+ 34. Kg1 Qb5 35. b4 Qd3 36. bxc5 Qe3+ 1/2-1/2