World Championship 2013: Carlsen – Anand
The 22-year-old Magnus Carlsen dethroned Anand in the champion's own home city, grinding out wins from the quietest of positions. He never trailed, conceded no losses, and clinched the match with two games to spare to become the 16th undisputed World Champion.
◈The grind begins
The match opened cautiously, both players hiding their preparation behind solid openings — Carlsen even trotting out 1.Nf3, a move he rarely used. The tension broke in game five, when Carlsen converted a wisp of an advantage in a rook ending into the first win.
Game six followed the same script: a small edge, relentless pressure, and an Anand collapse under it. Suddenly the champion was two down with the world watching from every corner of India.
◈The torch passes
Anand finally created real winning chances in game nine, but his attack misfired with 28.Nf1 and he lost on the spot — three games down with the match slipping away. A hard-fought draw in game ten ended it, 6½–3½, after only ten of the twelve games.
Carlsen's victory, achieved without losing a game, announced the arrival of a champion who would define the next decade. He had won not with fireworks but with a python's patience.
◈Cross Table
1 win · ½ draw · 0 loss — click a game number to replay it.