Game 9 preview: Last chance for Anand to defend his title

Chennai: With four games to go, defending champion Viswanathan Anand will probably have one last chance in the ninth game to defend his title against challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the ongoing World Chess Championship here today. With eight games gone, Anand is down but still not out. It’s a two-game deficit for the Indian ace and the ninth game would decide the course of the match as Anand plays white today. Carlsen has been the pick between the two and he appears completely relax with his 5-3 lead. It’s a now or never situation for Anand as he has just two white games left. A victory in the ninth game will reduce the deficit to just one point and can unsettle Carlsen who is playing his first serious match. [caption id=“attachment_1242087” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Anand needs a win today. AFP[/caption] After four draws and two losses, the situation has brewed up before Anand can go for his comeback act. The last two games were the easiest draws that he could have hoped for. The eighth game, in fact, was over in just under 75 minutes, giving the impression that Carlsen is also a contented man. Chess pundits had predicted that Anand will try to claw his way back in the match soon after the sixth game loss but the composure on Anand’s face tells a different story about his plans. The king of the 64 squares knows pretty well the match situation and now the time has come to show if he has any aces up his sleeves. Carlsen, on the other hand, has been rock solid and apart from the third game, he has not shown any weakness in the match so far. Add to that the two defeats handed out to Anand after gruelling battles and we know that the future of chess for the next few years is around. A Carlsen victory at this point of the match is anyone’s guess but those who have known Anand also know that he is a tireless fighter and the Indian can turn things around today. Anand too has made it clear that he will come back harder in the next game. In the ninth game, Anand will play with white and chances of going for a win are high because after this the Indian will get white only in the penultimate game and by then it may be too late. On the other hand if this plan boomeranged, then there is no looking back. If Anand losses one more game, the match is as good as ever. Carlsen needs is 1.5 points from next four games to win the title. For Anand, just one victory can liven things up. PTI