The 2013 FIDE World Chess Championship match will take place 07-26 November in Chennai, India. It is a match for the highest crown in chess between the Defending Champion Viswanathan Anand (India) and the Challenger Magnus Carlsen (Norway)

Magnus Carlsen, the Challenger

Magnus Carlsen won the Candidates Tournament 2013 after the thrilling finish to become the official challenger of reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand.

In the last round of the event both Carlsen and the other leader, Vladimir Kramnik, unexpectedly lost their games and remained tied on the first place with 8,5 points each. Carlsen won on the second tiebreak rule – higher number of wins – to qualify for the World Championship Match.

The same evening World Champion Viswanathan Anand wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to Magnus! He always comes through. Vladimir made a huge impression with his play, but what can you do about this tiebreak?”

The FIDE Candidates’ Tournament took place March 14th-April 1st, 2013 at IET London, Savoy Place. It was sponsored by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and organized by AGON and the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

Final standings after 14 rounds:
1. Carlsen 8,5 points (5 wins); 2. Kramnik 8,5 (4 wins); 3-4. Svidler and Aronian 8,0; 5-6. Grischuk and Gelfand 6,5; 7. Ivanchuk 6,0; 8. Radjabov 4,0.

Viswanathan Anand, the Defending Champion

Viswanathan Anand (India) retained the title of the World Champion after defeating the challenger Boris Gelfand (Israel) in the FIDE World Chess Championship Match in 2012 in Moscow, Russia.

The match was held on 10-31st May, 2012, at the Engineering Building of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

With equal score in the classical games (1 win for each and 10 draws) the match outcome was decided in a rapid tiebreak. Anand won one rapid game and drew the remaining three to defend the title he holds from Mexico 2007, Bonn 2008, and Sofia 2010.

Anand was also World Champion in 2000 after the knock-out tournament and he won the FIDE World Rapid Championship in 2003.