Anand retains his world championship
: Created:11 May 2010 , byToday Viswanathan Anand won the twelfth and final classical time limits game in Sofia with a tremendous victory with the black pieces over the challenger, Veselin Topalov.
Anand surprised us all by playing the Queen's Gambit Declined main line and adopting the Lasker Defence Deferred, 6...h6 and 7...Ne4. Topalov varied from my books on move sixteen and Anand showed great energy to compensate for a weak pawn so when Topalov's pieces became uncoordinated, Anand struck with the magnificent 30...f5! followed by 31...e4. Topalov erred in reply and Anand built up a terrific attack and although he frightened his supporters with the inaccurate 40...Kg7, the last move before the time control, victory was still assured. Topalov avoided checkmate but the price was a lost endgame.