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Anand takes Credit Suisse title

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand of India wrote his name in the history by winning 30th - and final - edition of the Credit Suisse International Grandmasters Chess tournament which concluded at the Congress Centre in Biel, Switzerland.

Anand needed a draw to take the title. His opponent and FIDE world champion Anatoly Karpov needed a win. Which was why it shocked the audience here today when Karpov offered the draw after their game, the tenth and final round of the tournament, was just 11 moves old.

Anand, by winning one of the most prestigious events on the chess calendar, has now staked his claim for the world championship to be held in the month of December 1997-January 1998. Interestingly, last year Anand on the selfsame day won the Credit Suisse Masters rapid chess tourament defeating rebel PCA world champion Garry Kasparov in the finals in Geneva.

Anand dominated the entire tournament by leading it from start to finish. He suffered a shocking loss in the middle of the tournament from to Swiss grandmaster Milov, and trailed behind Karpov just for one round. Otherwise he was in total command of the situation, right from his brilliant first round victory over Lautier.

Karpov must have prepared well against Anand's first move of King's pawn four. Lautier had beaten the world champion with the same move in the eighth round. However, Anand crossed Karpov's plans by opting for a surprising first move - a push of the pawn in front of his queen. Karpov promptly went into a deep think.

Finally the world champion, who won his first international tournament before Anand was born, appeared to resign himself to his fate and replied with his tried and trusted Queen's Indian Defence. Anand was well prepared to counter Karpov's line. He started playing rapidly, putting the world champion under more psychological pressure.

Both players took their own kings into the safety of their castles on the tenth move, and the spectators expected Karpov, who needed a win desperately to pocket his fourth title at Biel, to go on the offensive. After playing his eleventh move, Anand looked at Karpov as if to ask him whether he wanted to fight till the end. Karpov thought for a minute, shrugged and extended his hand to offer a draw and to congratulate his successor.

Anand had won the 30th and the final edition of the flagship event of the Biel Chess festival.

Grandmaster Vadim Milov (4) of Switzerland celebrated his birthday by surviving against Joel lautter's terrific oslaught in the Nimzo-Indian defence. Boris Gelfand's (5.5) valiant attempts to overcome tailender Yannik Pelletter (2.5) were frustrated by the stubborn defence put up by the 20 year old Swiss international master. Gelfand finally declared a truce after 66 moves and six and half hours of play.