World Chess Championship Game 10 Press Conference: Anand cracked under Pressure, says Carlsen

Chennai: Soon after completing the formalities of a draw to lift the World Chess Championship title, Carlsen said it was the pressure that did the trick on Anand.

Newly-crowned world champion Magnus Carlen on Friday said that five-time title holder Vishwanathan Anand crumbled under pressure in the World Chess Championship match here.

Soon after completing the formalities of a draw to lift the World Chess Championship title, Carlsen said it was the pressure that did the trick on Anand.

“I would like to take some responsibility for his mistakes that’s for sure. People crack under pressure even in the World Championship. That’s what the history shows. The blunders that he made are not the mistakes he usually makes. This is what I really wanted to do, make him sit at the board and play for a long time,” Carlsen revealed his strategy that gave him a stupendous 6.5-3.5 victory over the defending champion.
Carlsen, the current world number one, said he was delighted to win the title and become the first Western champion since 1975.

“It feels good. It’s been tough both here and in London (where Carlsen won the candidates to qualify here). I have been treated very well here in India. In general at some point I settled in and got the match to where I could play to my strength,” he said.

Speaking about the last game when he tormented Anand for a long time before a draw was reached, Carlsen said it was a worthy end to the championship.

“I was just trying to play solidly in the opening. I am pretty happy with what I got, very solid position no weaknesses. As the game went on he started to drift a bit and then I thought as long as there is no risk I should try and win it. At some point after the time control, the variations were getting too complicated so I decided to shut it down to force a draw,” said the Norwegian prodigy. — PTI