The Chess Mind

The first game to finish, without much effort, was Svidler-Adams, a Petroff drawn in 24 moves.

The next two games, featuring the two favorites, finished at almost the same time and with the same result.

Polgar-Anand was a massacre, as Polgar chose a non-testing line against Anand's Caro-Kann, before choosing an extremely dubious attacking idea. She allowed Anand to destroy her kingside pawn structure, but in return, Polgar hoped that by castling queenside, she could generate an attack with the bishop pair and the g-file. Pretty optimistic, and on the playchess.com server, Seirawan and Kasparov predicted an easy win for Anand, and they were right. Polgar's loose queenside pawn structure sped up Anand's attack, and she was convincingly defeated.

Leko-Topalov was also won by the rating favorite with Black, but it took a vastly different route. Leko had a colossal advantage out of the opening and a forced win on move 20 (with 20.Nb6!, the main line proceeding 20...Qxb6 21.Nxe6! Qxe6 (21...Qxf2 22.Nc7/Ng7#) 22.Qa7!). Leko still seemed to be in charge, but once Topalov played 23...Rd8 the White attack was over and a winning ending for Black ensued.

Morozevich-Kasimdzhanov was drawn, but not without some adventures. Morozevich had a nice pull most of the way, but Kasimdzhanov showed off his defensive prowess and not only neutralized White's advantage but gained a small edge of his own. It wasn't enough to win in the rook ending that ensued, but before that ending, Kasimdzhanov missed his big chance: 40...Rg5! (threatening 41...Qg3+ and 42...Qxg2#) can't be met without (at least) losing the d-pawn for nothing.

Click here to replay the games with my (light) annotations.

Standings after Round 1:

Anand, Topalov 1
Adams, Kasimdzhanov, Morozevich, Svidler .5
Leko, Polgar 0

Pairings for Round 2:

Adams-Polgar
Kasimdzhanov-Svidler
Leko-Morozevich
Topalov-Anand

Another big round, with the two favorites facing off. My predictions: Adams and Leko win, the other games drawn.

All four games were drawn, but three of the four were extremely hard fought. I had predicted wins for Adams and Leko and draws in the remaining two games, and about three hours in it looked like I would go four for four. Polgar and Morozevich fought well, however, and saved their games, but meanwhile it looked as though Topalov was going to beat Anand. In a game that exhausted everyone, including the spectators, the two heavyweights took turns giving away half points, until Anand at long last - move 97 - saved the draw.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS HERE

Standings after Round 2:

Anand, Topalov 1.5
Adams, Kasimdzhanov, Morozevich, Svidler 1
Leko, Polgar .5

Pairings for Round 3:

Anand-Adams
Morozevich-Topalov
Polgar-Kasimdzhanov
Svidler-Leko

Round 3 could be a snoozer, with the players deciding to catch their breath after the bloodthirsty chess of the last two days. Assuming the players come out fighting, I predict wins for Anand (despite an exception to the trend earlier this year, Adams is one of Anand's most regular customers) and Topalov (at least if he isn't too depressed about missing several wins against Anand), expect a decisive result in Polgar's game but don't have a clue about what it will be, and think Svidler-Leko will peter out (pun intended) to a short draw.

Blood everywhere!

The carnage began in the game Anand-Adams, when Adams chose the ultra-sharp Zaitsev Variation of the Closed Ruy. Kasparov won a number of beautiful attacking games against Karpov in their world championship matches on the White side of the variation, and I suspect Karpov had a familiar sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw what happened to Adams today. Anand produced a brilliant novelty on move 23, and savagely pummeled Adams in just nine more moves. Definitely the game of the tournament so far.

Anand is not in clear first, however, as Topalov also won. Morozevich, with White, got nothing in the opening, and his 24.c4, lashing out to avoid a central cramp, cost him a pawn and, eventually, the game. Not a good performance by Morozevich, but good news for Topalov, who shares first with 2.5/3 with Anand.

Polgar-Kasimdzhanov was a fun game (except for those rooting for Kasimdzhanov) - a Perenyi Najdorf. Polgar had prepared a sideline (13.Bxd4), and if there was a good defense, Kasimdzhanov didn't find it. The game lasted 42 moves, but it was clear early on that White would win.

Finally, #3 favorite Leko continued his skid, as Svidler won convincingly on the White side of an anti-Marshall. Leko is very rarely outplayed, but the final position is horrid, a picture of complete domination. The event is far from over, but it's looking more and more like a two-horse race.

Standings after Round 3:

Anand, Topalov 2.5
Svidler 2
Polgar 1.5
Adams, Kasimdzhanov, Morozevich 1
Leko .5

Pairings for Round 4:

Kasimdzhanov-Anand
Leko-Polgar
Morozevich-Svidler
Topalov-Adams

Will the bloodlust continue? Sunday is a rest day, and sometimes in these events, the players try to take an extra day off. There hasn't been much of that here, though, and given the event's importance, it's not likely that they'll do so. So: I predict Anand and Topalov will continue their winning ways, the Hungarians will draw, and think Svidler might win as well. (These represent my leanings - how I'd choose if I absolutely had to make a decision. I'm just avoiding hedges to make things more entertaining for my readers, not because I think my picks are a "mortal lock".)

I'll have some analysis later tonight, for now, here are some alternative links. First, to replay the games without any notes, the TWIC viewer awaits your click. For commentary of the Anand-Adams game, IM Malcolm Pein's flash analysis is available here, in pgn, while Fabrice Fiol (FIDE 2271) examines the game on a replayable board over here.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP - click here.

Draws seem to have been abolished, as for a second consecutive round all the games finished with a decisive result. Great!

The first game to finish was Leko-Polgar, a 25-move disaster for Polgar. Leko got a great position in the opening, and Polgar's decision to keep her king in the center eventually led to its perishing there. (When Black's rook leaves the second rank, 26.Nxb5 followed by 27.Nd6+ will be fatal.)

Next to finish was another opening disaster for Black in the Sicilian, but this time, in as big an upset as such an elite field allows, it was Kasimdzhanov sticking it to Anand. The 6...Ng4 lines against the English Attack have been out of favor for some time now, and this game won't do anything to change its reputation.

One favorite lost, but Topalov took advantage of the opportunity to take the lead. Adams was fine coming out of the opening, but Topalov outplayed him in the middlegame and finished with some nice tactics. The Bulgarian is now in clear first, and could have been 4-0 with just a bit more accuracy against Anand. (On the other hand, he could easily have lost to Leko in round 1, when the tournament might have been very different than it is now.)

So Topalov leads by a point over Anand, but he's just half a point ahead of stealth candidate Svidler. In the day's longest game, Morozevich was in the driver's seat up to the time control at move 40. It turned out that while Morozevich was a pawn ahead, Svidler's more active heavy pieces gave him an initiative that turned into a win, taking Svidler in clear second and relegating Morozevich into a last-place tie.

Standings after Round 4:

Topalov 3.5
Svidler 3
Anand 2.5
Kasimdzhanov 2
Leko, Polgar 1.5
Adams, Morozevich 1

Pairings for Round 5: (Monday - the players have Sunday off)

Adams-Kasimdzhanov
Anand-Leko
Polgar-Morozevich
Svidler-Topalov

A big round, with the four highest-rated players facing off. I predict draws for Anand-Leko and Svidler-Topalov, though I'm not sure I believe that for the second game. In the reunion of last year's finalists in Tripoli, I predict Adams will enjoy the White pieces and gain a measure of revenge. Likewise, although Polgar's openings have been creaky, I think the advantage of the White pieces against an out-of-form Morozevich will suffice enable her to bounce back to 50% for the tournament.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP - click here.

Only one decisive game this round, but it occurred in the most important game: Svidler-Topalov. In a real surprise, Topalov repeated the 6...Ng4 line used unsuccessfully by Anand against Kasimdzhanov in round 4. Svidler varied first, and then Topalov unleashed a bombshell. Svidler could allow a quick perpetual (he didn't, obviously), or head for an ending with the material imbalance of the bishop pair in return for a rook and two pawns. This imbalance often favors the two bishop, but not this time: Topalov prevented them from breaking free, outplayed his opponent and won yet again. 4 1/2 out of 5!

The other games were drawn, but all were hard-fought. Polgar had a big advantage against Morozevich, but the latter defended resourcefully and slipped away. Adams seemed to have an ideal position against Kasimdzhanov's Najdorf, but the latter "Sveshnikoved" the position at just the right moment and held the draw. Finally, Anand came out of the opening with what looked like a large advantage against Leko's Sveshnikov, but Black found enough counterplay at the last moment to escape to a slightly inferior but theoretically drawn ending.

Standings after Round 5:

Topalov 4.5
Anand, Svidler 3
Kasimdzhanov 2.5
Leko, Polgar 2
Adams, Morozevich 1.5

Pairings for Round 6

Adams-Morozevich
Anand-Svidler
Kasimdzhanov-Leko
Polgar-Topalov

Quick prediction: Anand and Topalov win, other games drawn.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP: Click here.

It's not over yet, but it's getting there. Topalov won yet again, this time with the 2000 edition of the Petroff (the Berlin Defense) against Polgar. The Berlin is one of those "coiled spring" openings: White starts with more space and better coordination, but Black gets the bishop pair and, sometimes, the chance to prove White's e-pawn, and sometimes the White kingside in general, is overextended.

So it was here. Polgar went a-pushing with her kingside pawns, but it was premature. Topalov managed to coordinate, gets lots of activity and win a pawn. The rest, as the infamous "they" say, was a matter of technique.

As in round 5, the three non-Topalov games finished as draws, but as usual, even the draws are full of fight. Anand-Svidler was a Marshall Gambit in which the usual roles were reversed. Anand accepted the gambit pawn, but sacrificed the exchange a few moves later to achieve a strong pawn center. White may have achieved a small edge, but active, non-materialistic play by Svidler secured the draw on move 39. A clean game, but one leaving both opponents two full points back of Topalov.

Kasimdzhanov-Leko repeated Anand-Leko from the previous round up to Black's 18th move. Leko achieved a better position than he did the round before, but here too he had the inferior position and no winning chances. He held the draw without too much difficulty, but that's not good enough three (!!) points behind the leader.

Finally, Adams-Morozevich was a fascinating game, with Morozevich early on giving up two rooks for the queen. It worked out well and he had Adams under pressure throughout, but his opponent eventually (just) saved the draw. I think Morozevich is starting to find his form, and while it's too late for him to win the event (three and a half points out of first), he might do some damage to the leaders before this event is all over.

For now, however, three things in life seem to be sure: death, taxes, and now Topalov. (Famous last words?)

Standings after Round 6:

Topalov 5.5
Anand, Svidler 3.5
Kasimdzhanov 3
Leko 2.5
Adams, Morozevich, Polgar 2

Pairings for Round 7:

Leko-Adams
Morozevich-Anand
Svidler-Polgar
Topalov-Kasimdzhanov

Predictions:

Leko gives the tournament his last, best chance and defeats Adams. Morozevich draws with Anand (though the chance of a Morozevich overpress is always a real possibility), Svidler beats an out-of-form Polgar, and Topalov beats Kasimdzhanov.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP: Click here.

Can we crown a winner yet?

Kasimdzhanov made Topalov work very hard for the full point, but he achieved it just the same, and leads at the halfway mark with a whopping 6.5/7.

Further, pre-event co-favorite Anand lost a second game, this time to Morozevich (I warned you he was waking up!), and is now 3 points back with 7 rounds to go. However, it's not quite over yet, as Svidler beat Polgar to remain "just" two points behind the leader. Finally, in the game least likely to have first-place implications, Leko beat Adams's Petroff to return to 50%.

Standings after Round 7:

Topalov 6.5
Svidler 4.5
Anand, Leko 3.5
Kasimdzhanov, Morozevich 3
Adams, Polgar 2

Pairings for Round 8:

Topalov-Leko
Kasimdzhanov-Morozevich
Adams-Svidler
Anand-Polgar

Predictions: Leko has been playing a little better than he was at the start, but until someone stops him, I see no reason not to predict another Topalov win. Kasimdzhanov and Morozevich is totally up in the air, so with a near-total lack of conviction, I'll predict a draw. Next, I'll predict a win for Svidler, who looks like a good candidate to win the tournament (while Topalov wins the exhibition). Finally, although Anand's form is questionable, Polgar's form looks much worse, so I'll go with the Indian player as he attempts to generate a little positive momentum going into his round 9 game with Topalov this Saturday.

Fun note: If the event ended today, Topalov's rating would be 2807 - within striking range of Kasparov's 2812. Maybe, just maybe, Kasparov will feel a little extra tug to return to the game if Topalov passes him on the January 2006 rating list.

Games - with analysis - are here.

It ain't over 'til it's over!

A win for Topalov today would have come pretty close to clinching the event, practically speaking, but Topalov was finally stopped (or rather, slowed) as Leko easily held the draw with the Black pieces. His closest pursuer, Svidler, failed to gain any ground, as he only managed a draw with Adams, but Anand's win over Polgar brought him not quite into striking distance, but within range of striking distance. (In the other game, a resurgent Morozevich won his second straight game, this time over the sinking Kasimdzhanov.)

Thus the door is still ajar, especially with Anand due for White against Topalov in the very next round. A Topalov win would slam the door shut, but if Anand wins - certainly not an impossibility - the peleton could still close in on the Bulgarian grandmaster.


Standings after Round 8:

Topalov 7
Svidler 5
Anand 4.5
Leko, Morozevich 4
Kasimdzhanov 3
Adams 2.5
Polgar 2

Pairings for Round 9 (On Saturday):

Anand-Topalov
Morozevich-Leko
Polgar-Adams
Svidler-Kasimdzhanov

Predictions: As happened in Linares, Kasimdzhanov started having serious troubles in the second half, and I predict they'll continue - win for Svidler. In the battle of the cellar-dwellers, I think Polgar will use the White pieces to put a stop to the bleeding and accede to a draw (unless Adams gives her a big opportunity). In the battle of the 50 percenters (Morozevich-Leko), I predict they'll stay there - another draw. Finally, in Anand-Topalov, the biggest game of the day - probably the biggest game of the tournament, if there's a decisive result - I'm going to predict a draw.

Sorry! The update has been up for some time now; I simply forgot to announce it. Games, with analysis, are here.

In 1993, I played in the Southern California Championship, and going into the last round, I was half a point behind my opponent. Our ratings were similar, but he had White and was having a great tournament (he won up twice), while I had played down every round and was in just my second event in five years. So when my opponent offered me a draw in the opening - an opening position I felt was slightly worse and much more in his bailiwick than my own - I accepted.

I felt like a bit of a wuss, but money was tight and I thought choosing the bird in the hand was the right decision. Even so, I'll never forget IM David Strauss telling me, afterwards, "I guess you don't really want to be the champion."

Turning to the big game of the day, Topalov played provocatively with Black, and Anand responded with a piece sac. White only had one pawn for the piece and a choice: take a draw by repetition and kiss any chance of winning the tournament goodbye, or take a risk on reasonable but admittedly speculative attacking prospects.

What should Anand do?

He has White, isn't rusty or playing badly, has all the money any normal person could want, and a lively position that, as far as the GMs and computers were concerned, admitted the possibility of all three results. The point of this event is to win the world championship, but rather than take the last real chance to derail the Topalov express - certainly his last chance at the title - Anand decided to cash his chips, take the draw, and close up shop for the year.

Taking the draw was probably the objectively correct thing to do (but then why did Anand head for the sac in the first place? It could have been safely avoided), but unless the ensuing position was practically a forced loss, Anand should have fought on. What does it mean for his legacy if he concludes 2005 rated 2780 rather than 2785, or if he finishes this event in fourth rather than third or even a distant second? Chess historians remember who lost world championship events; chess fans remember the winners.

The bottom line: Anand doesn't really want to be the world champion.

An even more bloodless game was Polgar-Adams, but in this case it was understandable, given their position at the bottom of the crosstable. In the 1960s, Boris Spassky demonstrated that the Marshall Gambit was a potent drawing weapon (see here and here), which is why many players (including most especially Kasparov) avoid the Marshall with 8.a4, 8.h3, 8.d4 or accept it but avoid the old main line. Not today: Polgar went straight down the old mill stream, the current flowed where it always does, and the players agreed to a draw.

In the second most important game of the day, Svidler went for blood against Kasimjanov and for a while, it looked like he'd succeed in catching his prey. I fear that the drawn result and the game's relative unimportance will obscure its value, but I strongly encourage my readers to take a close look at the game from move 24 on. Kasimjanov set the board on fire there, and concluded the game with an absolutely brilliant perpetual check idea. Really fantastic chess, but the bad news for Svidler is that he's not gaining any ground on Topalov - he remains two points behind.

"Oh yes, they call him the streak"

This 1970s novelty song by Ray Stevens can be applied to Alexander Morozevich, albeit (thankfully) in a different way than Mr. Stevens had in mind. After 6 rounds, Morozevich was -2 and tied for last, 3.5 points behind Topalov. Bad streaky. After today's (slightly lucky) win over Leko, Morozevich has won three in a row and has pulled within half a point of second place. Good streaky! Topalov is up next, and a now in-form Morozevich probably represents the last chance for a bump in the Bulgarian's road to the title.

It's probably too late, but at least Morozevich wants to be the champion.

Standings after Round 9:

Topalov 7.5
Svidler 5.5
Anand, Morozevich 5
Leko 4
Kasimjanov 3.5
Adams 3
Polgar 2.5

Pairings for Round 10:

Topalov-Morozevich
Leko-Svidler
Adams-Anand
Kasimjanov-Polgar

Predictions:

Topalov looks like he has switched into draw mode, and even though he has a big lead, it's a dangerous strategy. (I'm reminded of the "prevent" defense in (American) football, of which it is often said, aptly, that it only succeeds in preventing the team with the lead from winning.) Leko and Anand were cooperative enough, but I don't think Morozevich will be - Topalov will be forced to play. Fortunately, I think his great form, together with good preparation and possession of the White pieces will help him bring in the full point.

Svidler has been in good form, while Leko is probably discouraged by his setback with Morozevich. It's hard to see Leko losing with White though, so I'm predicting a draw; likewise, for Adams-Anand. Finally, I think Kasimjanov will hand Polgar another loss.

The games, with my annotations, are available here.

So close...

Topalov-Morozevich was a fighting game, as expected, and also as expected, Topalov gained a decisive advantage. Morozevich kept causing trouble, though, and just eked out a dramatic draw.

The outcome of the event is not in any doubt, however, especially as none of Topalov's closest pursuers gained any ground. Svidler was worse before achieving a draw against Leko, and Adams-Anand was a quick draw between two players who seem to want to get the event over with.

Finally, Kasimjanov had such an overwhelming advantage against Polgar that even two consecutive blunders weren't enough to prevent him from winning. Kasimjanov is out of the race for first, but his continued fighting spirit is impressive; as for Polgar, the sooner this event is over and forgotten, the better.

Standings after Round 10:

Topalov 8
Svidler 6
Anand, Morozevich 5.5
Kasimjanov, Leko 4.5
Adams 3.5
Polgar 2.5

Pairings for Round 11:

Adams-Topalov
Anand-Kasimjanov
Polgar-Leko
Svidler-Morozevich

Prediction: Four draws. Adams will be happy for a draw, and with White against a player who wins the title by drawing out, I don't think Topalov will have any big objections. Anand might push for a win if Kasimjanov falls into some preparation, but otherwise, I think end-of-tournament inertia will take over. Polgar will use the White pieces to take a breather, while Svidler's White pieces will neutralize Morozevich's good form.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP: Click here.

Creeping closer...

This is true of Topalov, who with a somewhat scary draw against the winless Adams moves a little closer to the title, but it's also true of Svidler and Anand, both of whom gained half a point on the leader with wins in their respective games.

Adams essayed a sharp pawn sac line against Topalov's Scheveningen Sicilian, and what looked like a careless move by the soon-to-be world champ left him in a precarious position. Strong defense held the game, however, and in the end it might justly be said that it was Adams who had to force the draw.

Svidler finally gained some ground, stopping the tournament's currently hottest player. Svidler started with an edge, and best of all, it was in the sort of position where he could bother his opponent indefinitely without risk. He did, and while he might have won more quickly, the important thing is that he did get the victory.

Anand gained ground, too, exploiting what looked like Kasimjanov's lack of familiarity with Anand's 13.Na5. This would have been understandable if the move had been a novelty, but it had been played in the important game Bologan-Gelfand earlier this year. Whatever the true story, Kasimjanov didn't find the solution and was lost in a hurry.

Finally, Polgar-Leko was a dull draw from the get-go, foreordained by the variation of the Caro-Kann chosen by the players.

Standings after Round 11:

Topalov 8.5
Svidler 7
Anand 6.5
Morozevich 5.5
Leko 5
Kasimjanov 4.5
Adams 4
Polgar 3

Pairings for Round 12:

Topalov-Svidler
Leko-Anand
Morozevich-Polgar
Kasimjanov-Adams

Predictions:

This is it: the end of the line. If Svidler wins, it's total chaos with two rounds to go; if he loses, Topalov clinches at least a tie for first (Anand would have to win out and Topalov lose his last two for a tie to result); finally, a draw almost surely guarantees the title as well. As motivated as I'm sure Svidler is, though, it's hard to see Topalov losing with White. So if Svidler tries something lively - and he should - I expect Topalov to rise to the occasion and win.

Anand needs a win, but doing so with Black against Leko is a tall order, so I'll predict a draw.

Morozevich's streak has come to an end, but I don't know what it means. Is it time for him to start tanking again, or was it just a blip? For me, it's a toss-up - between a Morozevich win and a draw. I'll opt for the former.

Finally, I think Kasimjanov and Adams will find a draw agreeable - expect an early handshake.

UPDATE: MY ANALYSIS IS UP: Click here.

On the verge...

Topalov-Svidler was drawn, with Topalov making dead sure that nothing interesting could possibly happen. A wise strategy, leaving 1.5 points ahead of Svidler with just two rounds to go. With Black against Kasimjanov next round and White with Polgar in the finale, it's hard to see Topalov not scoring (at least) 1 out of 2 and gaining the title.

But it's not impossible, and Anand brought himself back within a point and a half with a second consecutive win, this time at Leko's expense. Anand played the Petroff, presumably amenable to a draw, but Leko produced a novelty on move 17 that enlivened the position. Anand rose to the occasion, Leko got nothing, and by move 27 was clearly worse and lost by move 31. A bad day for Leko, but the occasion for renewed hopes for Anand, who might be kicking himself for the quick draw with Topalov in round 9.

In the other games, Kasimjanov won a pawn against Adams but was unable to convert; ditto for Morozevich against Polgar. Both games were drawn.

Standings after Round 12:

Topalov 9
Anand, Svidler 7.5
Morozevich 6
Kasimjanov, Leko 5
Adams 4.5
Polgar 3.5

Pairings for Round 13 (On Thursday):

Kasimjanov-Topalov
Anand-Morozevich
Polgar-Svidler
Adams-Leko

Predictions:

Unless Kasimjanov has a nuclear bomb of a novelty up his sleeve, I think Topalov will find his way to the draw once again, leaving him just a draw (with White against the tournament tailender) away from the title. And he'll need these half points, as I think Anand and Svidler will beat their respective opponents. Finally, I think Adams and Leko will euthanasize their tournaments and agree to a draw.

ANALYSIS UP: Click here.

We have a champion!

At one point, about 2.5-3 hours into the round, it looked like Topalov might be in trouble: Anand offered a sac that looked promising at first glance, while Topalov's position looked critical against Kasimjanov. As it turned out, Anand's sac was only good for a draw, while a combination of Kasimjanov's inaccuracy combined with a brilliant counterattacking idea by Topalov turned the tables, leaving the defending, outgoing champion needing to hold the game. He did, but that game, together with Anand's draw, clinched the title for Topalov. (Svidler also drew, but once Topalov drew Svidler's results were irrelevant to the first-place battle - in case of a tie, Topalov wins without a playoff, based on their head-to-head score.)

The other two games were drawn quickly: Polgar-Svidler went straight to an endgame, and although Polgar had a nominal edge, the draw was rapidly agreed. Adams-Leko was even less inspiring, but understandably so, as the players' ambitions in this event were dampened long ago.

So here are our quasi-final standings (they're not the final standings because there's one round to go, but as the event has been decided and four quick handshakes tomorrow are likely, it's as good as done):

Topalov 9.5 (out of 13)
Anand, Svidler 8
Morozevich 6.5
Kasimjanov, Leko 5.5
Adams 5
Polgar 4

Pairings for Round 14

Topalov-Polgar
Svidler-Anand
Morozevich-Adams
Leko-Kasimjanov

Predictions:

Draw, draw, draw and draw. All in less than three hours.

Non-analytical update: Svidler wins second on tiebreak if he draws tomorrow vs. Anand. (Hat tip: Brian Karen)

UPDATE: ANALYSIS IS POSTED! Click here.

And now it's official: Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria is the new FIDE World Chess Champion, and deservedly so! After many years as a top player but not one of the absolute best, he has completely broken through. His 2004 was a real success, and he has been by far the dominant figure in chess in 2005. Let's hope he continues to play this same, aggressive brand of chess now that he's champion.

That said, there was nothing aggressive about his last-round game, with Judit Polgar, but under the circumstances there was no reason to fish: a quick draw suited both players, and that's just what happened.

A little more surprising, but only a little more, was the last round draw between good friends Peter Svidler and Viswanathan Anand. Something more was at stake here: the second-place finisher is automatically seeded into the quarter-finals of the next cycle's elimination matches. Svidler, as far as I've been able to tell, trailed Anand on tiebreaks, so he had some motivation to make something happen with the White pieces. Whatever his pre-game ambitions, Anand's Petroff was a complete success, Svidler got nothing, and the game wound up a quick draw. Anand and Svidler split 2nd-3rd place money, and as Svidler qualifies into the eighth-finals of the aforementioned event anyway, third place is no failure.

I expected tame draws from the other players as well, given the minimal remaining competitive and financial incentives, but I was wrong! Leko gradually outplayed outgoing FIDE champion Kasimjanov, while Adams' last chance to win a game fell through, as Morozevich's dogged defense saved a draw.

Final Standings:

Topalov 10
Anand, Svidler 8.5
Morozevich 7
Leko 6.5
Adams, Kasimjanov 5.5
Polgar 4.5

UPDATE: THE ANALYSIS IS UP! Click here.