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.