All eyes on Kramnik-Anand tie

The onus to excel will be on World champion Vishwanathan Anand in the ten-game match against BrainGames champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, in the Mainz Classic Rapid chess festival, starting on Tuesday.

The much-hyped clash of the titans will be played on a 25-minute game basis, and an additional ten seconds will be added after every move is made.

This is the first time that addition in time is being applied in the traditional tournament that was earlier organised at Frankfurt. And this has been done on Kramnik's proposal, to which Anand readily agreed.

This could be the most important match ever since the World title match between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of Russia in 1972.

Both Anand and Kramnik have a long list of title triumphs at various levels and are considered the two most enigmatic individuals ever in the chess fraternity.

The event could not have come at a more opportune moment as the whole world is yearning for a reunification match between the FIDE World champion and the BrainGames match-winner.

For Kramnik there isn't too much at stake as he claims to have already done his best, by beating the world's highest rated player GM Gary Kasparov of Russia in the BrainGames match last winter.

Anand, however, will have psychological advantage going into the match as he has a terrific reputation in the rapid variety of the game.

GM Michael Adams of England, who is playing a match against GM Peter Leko of Hungry, rates Anand the favourite while Leko thinks it will be a tight match.

In head to head against Kramnik in Rapid, Blindfold and Blitz versions of the game, Anand has a healthy lead of 8:5, with as many as 25 games between the two ending in draws.

Taking into account all the disciplines of the game, Anand is just a shade ahead with 36.5:34.5 score in the 71 games played so far.

The first game between the two back in 1989 had ended in a draw in Moscow while the last two had the same result at the Amber Blindfold and rapid tournament earlier this year.

The prize-money and the starting fee is undisclosed and it is believed it runs into huge sums.