Anand vs Carlsen as it happened: World Chess Championship Game 8 drawn

PRESS CONFERENCE The players had to leave for the dope test – but as reactions go, it wasn’t a very eventful Q&A session. “Wasn’t in best of shape at start but I felt I managed to be fresher as the game progressed,” Carlsen said on why he seemed like he was dozing off at the start of the match. He also added that it was a good result for him and that ‘it was always a nice surprise’ when chess players were surprise tested for doping. https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/status/534720780597481472 https://twitter.com/OlimpiuUrcan/status/534721408677326848 https://twitter.com/GMjtis/status/534720773605560321 https://twitter.com/GMjtis/status/534718065943273472 https://twitter.com/chess24com/status/534720487528882176 LIVE ANALYSIS AND TWEETS It’s a draw https://twitter.com/Pogonina/status/534716367413735424 https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534716489841270784 https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534716443775225856 Heading for a draw? https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534713772943110144 https://twitter.com/nigelshortchess/status/534711279169318913 https://twitter.com/nigelshortchess/status/534709122554667009 https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/status/534707715579584513 https://twitter.com/chess24com/status/534706281324761088 Pawns exchanged and then the queens on move 24/25. As said earlier, every exchange will take this match closer to a draw. Carlsen sees off the white challenge and a rare opening move from Anand with ease. https://twitter.com/OlimpiuUrcan/status/534704944461275137 https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534704034037645313 Past the opening - the middle game now https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534701370331635712 https://twitter.com/OlimpiuUrcan/status/534702529573965824 Another exchange – it’s again knight-bishop. Carlsen can now force a rook exchange. Well, at least that will be what most players would do. https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534700776682450944 There was an exchange in the 18th move – Anand takes Carlsen’s knight, sacrifices his light square bishop for it. https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534697173607530496 https://twitter.com/erwinlami/status/534695762702401536 https://twitter.com/GMJanGustafsson/status/534694740890226688 Anand castles Anand goes for castling in move 15 and then Bb1 in move 17 – but this doesn’t add anything to his attack. Carlsen responds so quickly – he is still in preparation. Thought he’s not dozing off anymore. https://twitter.com/GMjtis/status/534687761216045056 https://twitter.com/GMJanGustafsson/status/534688746936238080 New territory now https://twitter.com/Pogonina/status/534687874860716033 https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534686328718626816 Magnus hungover? https://twitter.com/Rick_Chess/status/534694958809509888 https://twitter.com/rajachess/status/534686828428001281 https://twitter.com/anishgiri/status/534686760916516864 https://twitter.com/chess24com/status/534685632065732609 https://twitter.com/OlimpiuUrcan/status/534686152410677250 Anand doesn’t castle – chooses a less sharper game Anand went for Rd1 in the 11th move rather than castling. This is now preparation time. Something like one of those modules you’ve done in school and remember – just time to get pluck it out of the head. https://twitter.com/nsrinath69/status/534684165606612992 https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534684753153507328 Anand responds to first unusual move So Anand had a lot of theoretical options to choose from but goes for something out of the book himself. Positive sign? Of course. A O-O-O or direct Rd1 were the theoretical moves keeping the game sharp, but Vishy chooses Bg5. https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534683936077914112 https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Rowson/status/534683632611631104 https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534682369325006849 https://twitter.com/HariChess/status/534681466282586113 Variation - 9th move Not long before Carlsen opts for something new — his game hardly follows usual patterns. He’s making Vishy think hard now. https://twitter.com/nigelshortchess/status/534679101572136961 https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/534679869960245248 https://twitter.com/chess24com/status/534679019976142849 Opening phase: Here we are in the same opening as game three. Anand opens with a d4, just in case you’ve forgotten. https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534678066749251584 https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/status/534678616505065472 https://twitter.com/yelenadembo/status/534678234689196032 Pre-match: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand salvaged a draw after suffering for a long time in the seventh game of the world chess championship against Magnus Carlsen now underway. Trying to recuperate from a double blunder in the previous sixth game of the 12-game match, Anand did not show any signs of fatigue and matched Carlsen move for move in what was considered a grudge game. [caption id=“attachment_1808735” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Anand takes on Carlsen in Sochi for the Chess World C’ship. AP[/caption] The Indian, who was facing a double white from Carlsen according to the rules laid in, was at his best in defense even though the game was fought in the most recent theoretical battle. For the records, it was as theoretical as it could get in a world championship match. Carlsen took the baton and went for the extensively analysed Berlin defense with his white pieces which was an indication earlier enough that the Norwegian word champion has worked out a plan to tackle Vishy’s deep preparation in the opening. As it happened, Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri could not stop himself from tweeting that ‘when it came to Berlin, Carlsen knew who to follow’. The Dutch GM was obviously referring to his game against Teinmour Radjabov of Azerbaijan just a couple of weeks back and after Carlsen followed him to the hilt there was no doubt that Giri was making sense. PTI