2013 CHENNAI: Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship Starts Soon!

The highly anticipated world championship chess match between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen is starting soon. 22-year-old Carlsen is the #1 rated player in the world, with an astonishing rating of 2862 while 43-year-old Anand has been at the top of the chess world for well over a decade, considered the world champion since 2007. Anand's current rating is 2779 and he is ranked #9 on the latest world chess rankings.

The 12-game match is happening in Chennai, India (the capital city of the state ofTamil Nadu) where Anand was born and raised. Most people, including former World Champion Garry Kasparov, believe that Carlsen will win, but everyone expects a tough, exciting contest.

CNBC reports:

"We have youthful energy and exuberance from one of the greatest chess prodigies of all time pitted against age and experience. Since I am considerably older than the defending world champion, there is a part of me who wouldn't mind seeing age and experience do OK," said [Wall Street financier Chris] Flowers, who is 56. 

Besides being so far apart in age, the competitors are also far apart in style. [Harvard Economics Professor Kenneth] Rogoff used a tennis analogy to compare the two. 

"Anand has the bigger serve, and Carlsen is more of the baseline, persistent player," he said. "Carlsen in particular just has an indomitable will to win. He aims for quiet positions where nothing seems to be going on and says, 'Well, nothing's going on, but you're going to lose.' Whereas Anand sparkles at everything, but particularly in very complicated positions, and he'll try to steer Carlsen into these messier things, where Carlsen maybe has less of an edge than in simpler positions."

Since I personally know Anand and used to play in similar tournaments with him decades ago I am rooting for him, but I think it will be hard for him to withstand the challenge from his youthful opponent.

You can follow the matches online at chennai2013.fide.com.