The ninth game of the FIDE World Championship Match, sponsored by Tamil Nadu state and currently ongoing in Chennai, finished in Magnus Carlsen’s favour after 28 moves of play.

The defending champion Viswanathan Anand made the first move 1.d4, which was greeted with enthusiastic applause in the playing hall. The challenger and world’s top rated player responded with his trusted Nimzo-Indian defence.

Anand repeated the line that he already used in the match with Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn 2008. Black was obviously well prepared, as he made a rare recapture on move 7 (exd5 instead of more common Nxd5) and then immediately closed the queenside with 8…c4.

The experts from the Norwegian lounge claimed that this line was analysed among the members of the national team.

Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta said that the pawn structure demanded that players expand on opposite flanks.

Anand got an impressive pawn mass rolling towards the black king, while Carlsen created a passed pawn on b3, deep within opponent’s territory.

Anand spent around 30 minutes to calculate complicated lines before going all in with 23.Qf4.

White went directly for the checkmate and black promoted a new queen on b1. However, playing too quickly Anand erred with 28.Nf1, which effectively concluded the game after Carlsen’s reply 28…Qe1.

Carlsen is now leading 6-3 and needs only one draw in the remaining three games to claim the title of FIDE World Champion.

Replay: Live game G9 / All games with analysis

Videos: Live video G9 / All videos here

Photos: Gallery G9 / Gallery G8 / Gallery G7 / Gallery G6 / Gallery G5 / Gallery G4 / Gallery G3 / Gallery G2 / Gallery G1 / Gallery Opening

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