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My play in the match was a big disappointment: Anand
Dethroned five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand said defeat in the fifth game was the turning point of the World Chess Championship match against Magnus Carlsen.
Admitting that newly-crowned World champion Magnus Carlsen dominated the duel, five-time title holder Vishwanathan Anand said losing the fifth game of the World Chess Championship match turned out to be a "heady blow" for him.
Anand's reign as the World champion came to a heart-breaking end on Friday after Norway's Magnus Carlsen was crowned champion following a hard-fought draw in the 10th game in Chennai.
Carlsen, who will turn 23 on November 30, closed the championship with two games to spare by taking his tally to the required 6.5 points out of a possible 10, winning three and drawing seven games.
"The fifth game was a heady blow. I had really hoped not to be afraid of him in the long games and simply to try and match him. It was not to be. After that it got worse and worse.
“Yesterday, at least, it was a nice game, and today again... I guess when it rains it pours," a disappointed Anand said, at the post-match press conference.
"It’s clear that Magnus dominated. At the start of the match I thought my chances depended on my ability to last long games without making a mistake.
“This year I have had problems with mistakes creeping in to my play. I tried to pay some attention to that. But, in the end, it was in vain, because the way I lost the fifth game is exactly I thought I could not afford to lose. A fine position in the opening and slowly slip and so on," he noted.
'I made a wrong queen move'
Anand might have lost his crown to someone 21 years junior to him but the Indian was a picture of composure while admitting that he committed mistakes.
"I think today I was just trying to keep playing and at some point started to make mistakes. I made a wrong queen move. I simply don't know the evaluation after the match, the knight ending is pretty dangerous," Anand said about the final game that ended in a draw.
'Carlsen managed to provoke the mistakes and full credit to him'
Anand was gracious in defeat and congratulated Carlsen for his splendid victory.
"It’s enough to just congratulate him (Carlsen). My mistakes did not happen by themselves. Clearly he managed to provoke them and full credit to him," Anand said.
Asked about the third game, where he had chances to go one up, the Indian ace said he did not attach much significance to it.
"Things look different with hindsight. At that moment I did not attach any excessive significance to it. Obviously, I was disappointed I did not call the position right. It was a little bit disappointed then. With hindsight you can exaggerate anything. As far as I am concerned game five was when it started to go wrong," Anand elaborated.
'Game five was the real low point for me'
Anand also said that he could not execute his plans in the match.
"I had a feeling this match will be about execution. Holding at the board and seeing it through was really what it’s about. Game five was the real low point for me. Till then nothing had really happened. I was simply not able to execute my strategy," he said.
Asked about his future plans and possibility of a comeback, Anand said he would think about it.
"Well that's getting a bit ahead. I want to first get some rest and take stock of what has happened... come to terms with everything here. At the end of the day, my play in the match was a big disappointment. I didn't manage to any of the things I tried to aim for. I assume I will play the candidates (In March 2014 to qualify for next World Championship match)," he added.