Advantage Carlsen in chess duel with Anand

World number one leads by 4-2 in title fight against reigning champ.

CHENNAI: Norwegian sensation Magnus Carlsen resumes his quest for a maiden world chess crown on Monday after grabbing a formidable 4-2 lead at the half-way stage of his title duel with reigning champion Viswanathan Anand.

Carlsen tilted the scales in his favour with two consecutive wins in the fifth and sixth games of the 12-round world championship being played in Chennai after the first four games were drawn.

The Norwegian, the current world number one and pre-event favourite, needs two wins and a draw in the remaining six games to seal the title held by Anand since 2007.



With one point gained for a win and half a point for a draw, the pressure is on Anand as even five draws in the rest of the match will enable Carlsen reach the winning tally of 6.5 points.

If points are equal after the 12th game on November 26, the match will be decided by a tie-break or sudden-death on November 28.

“I wanted to capitalise on my victory in the fifth game and so pressed for another win in the sixth,” said Carlsen. “I am obviously in a good mood now. With six games to go, it is a healthy lead.”

Anand conceded it may need a miraculous turnaround to keep his chances alive.

“Losing the sixth game was a heavy blow, I won’t pretend otherwise,” said the Indian wizard. “I have just got to carry on. He has taken his chances, I have also got to do that.”

The total prize fund for the title clash is about $2.24 million with the winner getting 60% and the loser taking home the rest.

Anand, who is based in Spain with his wife and young son, trails the challenger by a whopping 95 rating points and his world ranking has tumbled from number one to eight.

aPublished in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2013.

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