Chennai's super king!

The hallmark of Viswanathan Anand’s triumph in the World Chess Championship on Wednesday was his speed.

Often, his challenger Boris Gelfand was seen down to his last few seconds when Anand still had a few minutes left on his clock. Gelfand played white in game one and got nothing out of the opening.

 In fact, an inaccuracy by the Israeli gave Anand a huge advantage as the game progressed out of a Semi-Slav defense but it was Anand’s chance to go wrong if the battle had to unfold the way it did.

Anand made a return error, and Gelfand, instead of looking for his chances in a tactical position, found himself short of time. Soon it was time to restore parity where the Israeli and the game was drawn quickly thereafter.

The 42-year-old Indian ace played white in the second game and won an absorbing battle that saw fortunes fluctuating many a time. Anand was clearly in better position out of the Rosslimo Sicilian.

Gelfand took his chances when he could have objectively drawn and Anand was soon back in the game.

The ensuing endgame was also completely drawn, but Anand pressed on as Gelfand ran short of time and eventually blundered.

In what was practically his last chance for survival, Gelfand fumbled again in the third game. Attaining a winning position fairly quickly this time, the Israeli again saw his clock ticking away. Striking where it hurts, Anand confidently went into the endgame, this time showing that the position was completely drawn.

Anand yet again employed the Rosslimo as white with its solid reputation in the fourth game, exchanged the queens early and the position was already equal.

Gelfand had the Bishop pair but there were no targets for him to attack as white had no weaknesses. Gelfand stood slightly better for a long time but that’s where it ended. The position was never improved beyond that as Anand neutralised the initiative. The draw was what the champion needed and he achieved it after 56 moves.

The Indian ace won the 2007 crown in a tournament format among eight players. In 2008 and 2010, he beat Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria respectively after the format changed to championship match between the defending champion and a challenger.