World Chess Championship game 10, as it happened

Welcome to Game 10, which could give Anand the decisive lead today. 

Praful and Prasad will be with us shortly to take us through the game as Anand plays white. 

Enjoy!

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Good afternoon and welcome to DNA's live coverage of the 10th Game of World Chess Championship 2012.

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: It was a hard fought draw yesterday, with White trying all that he possibly could have to breach Black's defenses and black emerging unharmed inspite of all white's efforts. The game at hand promises to be a cracker of a contest. Your views Praful?

FI. Praful Zaveri: Good afternoon, Prasad. Yes, we are witnessing two great gladiators of the game. From now on 'hand-to-hand' combat!

FI. Praful Zaveri: One interesting trivia about game-10 of the WCC right from 1995 - out of 7-games played - right from Kasparov - Anand in 1995 to Anand - Topalov in 2010, 7-games has been won by White and in the remaining two games, Black has managed a draw! The odds favours White! What do you say?

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Well, I hope and pray history repeats itself yet again

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Today's opening the Rossolimo Variation of  Sicilian Defence is named after Nicolas Rossolimo, who was a chess Grandmaster form Ukraine who defected to the U.S. He was many times champion of Paris, France, and after relocating to the United States won the  U.S. Open Championship somewhere in the 1950s. He won many brilliancy prizes, authored chess books, and ran a chess studio in New York.

 

FI. Praful Zaveri: Rossolimo is a good surprise weapon employed by White to steer the game away from the main line of Sicilian Defense.

FI. Praful Zaveri: The speed with which Gelfand had reeled off the opening moves, it appeared that he was expecting this surprise. The players were following Shaposhnikov - Bocharov until move 8 wherein Boris improved with 8...d5 as against the text move in the game 8...Qxe4+ played by Bocharov.

FI. Praful Zaveri:We are heading for an early end-game as the Queens are exchanged.

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: After an early exchange of queens the players are heading towards an endgame where white seems to have a minute but lasting structural advantage

FI. Praful Zaveri: Yes, as against the compensation of Bishop's pair, Black has structural weakness.

FI. Praful Zaveri: Prasad, what would be the approach of players in the remaining 3-games - Safety first or would they be taking risk?

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: I think it all depends upon what happens in today's game. If Anand manages to squeeze-out a win he obviously will play ultra safe and Gelfand will have to go all out but if it is a draw then we may see the match swiftly drift into the tiebreakers   

FI. Praful Zaveri: As far as tie-breaks are concerned, do you think that Gelfand would be happy to go to it in view of  Anand's dismal results in the rapid-games in the WCC cycles?

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: The player who is better prepared will have a huge edge in the tie-breakers and so far Gelfand has been that player. I think he will be looking forward to it despite the fact that Anand is a speed demon & a much better player in the shorter version

FI. Praful Zaveri: Don't you think that Anand would also be looking to set the records straight in the tie-breaks? Should be determined to break the jinx.

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: If one is forced to enter the water he has no choice but to swim, Anand better set the record straight

FI. Praful Zaveri: Peace treaty signed on move 25.

FI. Praful Zaveri: A dull affair in view of the fact that we are nearing the end of the match and neither players risking their chances.

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: Anand should look to finish the match in the classical encounters and not depend on the Tie-breakers, in my opinion.

FI. Praful Zaveri: Tie-breaks are akin to Penalty Shoot-out in football and it is never a fun to win in the shoot-out. It would be great for Chess to have a decisive result in the classical games.

FI. Prasad Deshmukh: More than fun, taking into account Anand's past record, I would fancy my chances in the tie-breakers if I were Gelfand.

FI. Praful Zaveri: Hope that we have a spectacular display of Chess in the remaining two games. With this, we take your leave for now. See you on 26th May, 2012 at 16.30 hours for live coverage of game-11.