Reply #19: Update (Tuesday): VISHY WINS WITH BLACK, RETAINS TITLE

[Jack Rabbit]

Reigning world champion Vishy Anand of India has just defeated challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaia in 56 moves Black in the twelfth and final game of their world championship match in the Bulgarian capital of Sophia and thus retains his title.

Anand, who won the title in a tournament in Mexico City in 2007, has defended his title for the second time. He also defeated former champion Vladimir Kramnik in a match held in Bonn, the Cold War capital of West Germany, in 2008.

The final score of the match is Anand 6½, Topalov 5½. Anand won 3 games, Topalov scored 2 wins and seven game went to the cat. (I have to say that because Poncho, a member of my impressive and loyal staff, is sitting in front of the monitor telling me I better.) Today's win by Anand was the only Black victory of the match.

For Topalov, this is the second loss in a world championship match. He also lost to Kramnik in 2006 in the famous reunification match, when Topalov held the FIDE version of the world championship and Kramnik, by virtue having won a match from the great Garry Kasparov in 2000, held what FIDE condescendingly called the "Classical" world championship.