After seven games of the World Chess Championship, a breakthrough: Boris Gelfand leads Vishy Anand by the score of 4-3. (If they are even after twelve matches, there is a tie break.)
Boris had come close to a breakthrough in Game Six, and surprisingly Anand may have been rattled by that, as his play in Game Seven was below his previously high standards. He made one slip and Boris took full advantage.
Boris is now firmly in control. If he draws all the remaining games, he will be World Champion. On the other hand, Vishy has to take some risks because he badly needs a win. This should mean Game Eight is a cracker, but it will probably end up a damp squib given the high level of expectations. Nevertheless, if Boris can weather the inevitable counterattack in the next game, I would imagine he will be quietly confident of keeping on track for the prize. Fascinating.
Come on Boris!
| Game | White | Black | Opening | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anand | Gelfand | Gruenfeld | ½ – ½ |
| 2 | Gelfand | Anand | Semi-Slav | ½ – ½ |
| 3 | Anand | Gelfand | Neo-Gruenfeld | ½ – ½ |
| 4 | Gelfand | Anand | Slav | ½ – ½ |
| 5 | Anand | Gelfand | Sveshnikov | ½ – ½ |
| 6 | Gelfand | Anand | Slav | ½ – ½ |
| 7 | Gelfand | Anand | Slav | 1 – 0 |