World champion Vishy Anand will defend his title against Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November in a $5 million match in the Hyatt hotel in Chennai. Continuing my series on former World Championship matches, this week’s game is one where Vishy came horribly unstuck after forgetting his preparation in a critical line of the Grünfeld Defence. Although the Grünfeld remains popular with many players, including Peter Svidler, its record in championship contests is abysmal. Offhand, I can only think of three games won by Black in World Championship matches since the Grünfeld was invented in the 1920s. In contrast, I can recall a mass of losses, including the following game.
Topalov–Anand: World Championship, Sofia (Game 1), 2010; Grünfeld Defence
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 Anand must have prepared the Grünfeld Defence especially for this match. The theme of the defence is to encourage an imposing White pawn centre and then demolish it from the flanks.
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