Fri, October 31, 2008
So quiet you can hear a pin drop.
Silence and concentration from the competitors and the audience at the World Chess Championships in the German city of Bonn.
The two contenders for the title, India's Viswanathan Anand and Russia's Vladimir Kramnik battled it out in the eleventh game.
But a draw was enough for Anand to clinch the championship and remain world chess champion.
UPSOUND
As Anand led with 6.5 points to Kramnik's 4.5, Kramnik wouldn't have been able to overtake him in a final 12th game.
Anand takes home one and a half million euros prize money.
But securing the title for the third time was more important for him:
SOUNDBITE: Viswanathan Anand, Chess world champion, saying (English):
"It is really nice to just have the title. Somehow, I mean half a point out of three games doesn't seem like such a big task, but your nerves come into play."
Kramnik wins 600 000 euros for second place.
He said he'd learnt a lot in the games.
But after a battle of nerves and skill - the trophy is going home with Anand once again.
Joanna Partridge, Reuters
