Anand wins Corsica Masters title

Viswanathan Anand won his fifth consecutive Corsica Masters Chess title beating Russian Sergei Rublevsky in the final in Bastia, France on Thursday.

Anand collected the winner's cheque of Euro 20,000 while Rublevsky got the runners-up cheque of Euro 12,000.

Earlier in the semi-final, the world number two had defeated French hope Etienne Bacrot 2-0.

Also Read Interview - Viswanathan Anand

Anand's win in the Euro 100,000 prize money tournament comes right on the heels of the biennial Chess Olympiad in Spain. Anand, leading the Indian team from the top board, had signed off with a fine performance and headed straight to Bastia.

Keeping a clean slate, Anand completed a 2-0 whitewash of Rublevsky making the score look no different from his earlier two rounds, where he defeated Bacrot and Gurevich.

Anand asserted his superiority with ease, as he took the first game of the final with black pieces.

Rublevsky known for his theoretical strength, chose the Scotch ending and was made to eat the humble pie in just 23 moves.

In the second game, Anand faced Rublevsky's Silican Paulsen and took control of the game early. Seizing the initiative, Anand completed a rout of the Russian.

The moves:

Sergei Rublevsky - Viswanathan Anand
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Qe2 O-O 8. Bg5 h6 9. h4 d6 10. f3 hxg5 11. hxg5 Ng4 12. fxg4 Qxg5 13. Qf3 Bxg4 14. Qg3 Ne5 15. Be2 f5 16. exf5 Qxf5 17. O-O-O Bxe2 18. Nxe2 Qf2 19. Qh2 Qxe2 20. Qh8+ Kf7 21. Rdf1+ Bf2 22. Qh7 Ke6 23. Kb1 Qg4 White Resigned.

Viswanathan Anand - Sergei Rublevsky
1. e c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. O-O Bc5 8. Nb3 Be7 9. a4 b6 10. f4 Bb7 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 Bxd5 13. Be3 O-O 14. c4 Bb7 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qh6 Re8 17. Rac1 Nc6 18. Rf3 Bf8 19. Qh4 Ne7 20. Rh3 h5 21. Qf2 Qc6 22. Bxb6 Qxa4 23. Na5 Nc8 24. Bc2 Qb4 25. Rb3 Qa4 26. N xb7 Nxb6 27. Rxb6 Qxc4 28. Nd6 Bxd6 29. Rxd6 Rec8 30. Rd2 Rab8 31. Rb1 Qa2 32. Bd3 Black Resigned.