CHESS #629

High error levels in matchplay have always been a puzzle. Typically matches feature two very strong players. They are integral to the candidates cycle and the world championship itself. Sometimes a match is a tiebreaker to decide a prize money split.

So there is always great tension and nobody is immune to that. Anand-Topalov added a new element. Every game was played out to the point of exhaustion. The last person to play in this fashion was Bobby Fischer and even he agreed to draws in less sterile positions during the 1972 title match.

On the surface, Sofia Rules made little apparent difference. Nobody lost an obviously drawn position. But it led to more draws than might otherwise have occurred! There were several games where reciprocal errors led to the point being split.

An underlying reason may have been fatigue caused by the extra 15-20 moves played in every encounter. The match was short in that it was a 12-gamer. But it had the highest average number of moves per game ever registered in any title match.

Unlike the old-style 24-game (or more) matches, there was little breathing space with no time-outs and rest days only after every pair of games. Also, most long matches have featured a number of very short agreed draws, when opponents tacitly agreed to a break.

The fatigue factor must have contributed to the errors in Sofia. There were few outright errors in Games 1-6 and those mistakes were duly punished. But things got much more messy in Game 7-12. In Game 8, Topalov let Anand off the hook and then Anand blundered — reciprocal mistakes. Again in Game 9, Anand missed clear wins in another tale of reciprocal error. Game 10 saw Topalov come close to a win before faltering and Game 12 was decided by two consecutive errors.

Sofia rules certainly added to the excitement and, in general, reducing agreed draws seems good for the fans. But on the evidence (admittedly one 12-game match isn’t much), if this becomes the norm, physical endurance will be more and more a determining factor for success.

The diagram WHITE TO PLAY, White: Anand Vs Black Topalov Game 9, World Championship Sofia 2010 is a case in point. White has a winning position but little time left for the control. 40.Rh8+? Anand thought a repeat was forced, missing 40. – Kd7, 41 Rd1+ Nd3! Instead, 40.Re2 wins – 40...b4 41.Nxe6 b3 42.Kh2! a5 43.Rc7 Qa1 44.Rb7 Qc3 45.Rb5 Nc4 46.Rb8+! Ke7 47.Rxb3! Qxb3 48.Nd4+ Qe3 49.Rxe3+ Nxe3 50.Nc6+ is one cited line. It seems 40. Re4 should also win. After 40...Kd7 41.Rh7+ Kc6 42.Re4 b4?! 43.Nxe6 Kb6 44.Nf4, it slipped away with Anand missing several subsequent wins (draw, 84 moves).