Chess Classic Mainz 2006

On site report by John Henderson - final day

Anand turned on the style with two classy wins to take the match and title by a score of 5-3. In game seven, Radjabov fell into an opening trap that left him clinging to the wreckage as Anand, whose reputed to be the world’s best rapid player, sacrificed a piece in return for a clutch of pawns and an active position. The pawn phalanx soon had Radjabov in trouble though, and despite finding a clever escape of sorts, his position was doomed being unable to hold the rook vs. knight ending.

With the Beast from Baku II needing to go all out to win with black to try to take the match into a playoff, he again found himself struggling by move ten as he mixed his opening lines, allowing Anand to sacrifice a piece on f5 that netted five pawns for the piece. Radjabov’s big drawback this time was that he was also hampered by the bad bishop on b6 and couldn’t make use of his pieces. As tradition has it in this event, Anand, apart from the winners check, also donned another black jacket to go with the other eight he already has in his wardrobe!

Meanwhile, there was a more traditional offering of a trophy for Armenia’s Levon Aronian, as he routed defending champion Peter Svidler 5-3 to take the Clerical Medical Chess960 World Championship. During the post-match press conference, Peter admitted that he went wrong on move one. “When I opted to play 1 c4, it just allowed a transposition into a bad Exchange Slav of sorts for white.” From there, Svidler tried to complicate the game but it all backfired in dramatic fashion as Aronian went on to win the game. Things then went from bad to worse for a dejected Svidler – who remember yesterday warned us that you have to be doubly careful in the opening to avoid losing in three moves? – as he blundered in the opening, was lost by move two and then was forced to resign by move 12! Not a good day at the office for Peter.

Meanwhile, back in the real world of standard chess, the Ordix Open ended in a tie between Rustam Kasimzdhanov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who both finished on 9.5/11 – however the bragging rights to the title and a match-up next year with Anand went to the Uzbek GM who had a slightly better tiebreak score ahead of the young Azbai.

Photo Gallery - final day

Annand donned another black jacket to go with the other eight he already has in his wardrobe!

The Chess960 trophy for Armenia’s Levon Aronian

Anand turned on the style with two classy wins to take the match and title by a score of 5-3

Aronian take the Clerical Medical Chess960 World Championship 5-3

Kasimdzhanov took the Ordix Open title on tiebreak over Mamedyarov

Great tournament of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with 9.5/11