Anand takes London Chess Classic title: Indian bounces back from Carlsen defeat

Former world champion Vishy Anand took control against England's Michael Adams to secure first place outright and win one of the world�s top chess events

Vishy Anand was declared the winner of the 6th London Chess Classic after he was the only victor in the final round.

Anand defeated England�s Michael Adams with the black pieces to join Vladimir Kramnik and Anish Giri on 7/15.

Anand won on tie-break, as the trio had all won one game, but his victory was with black.

London Chess Classic: Anand, Nakamura and Kramnik with all to play for on the final day

The London Chess Classic's football-style scoring system of three points for a win came into play in the final round of London's big event

When I was planning the first London Chess Classic, I took many soundings and thought long and hard about the scoring system.

I went for the three points for a win system because it can potentially keep so many players in the hunt until the very end.

The fifth and final round of the 6th London Chess Classic was a case in point.

14.12.14 - With one round to go (starting at 2pm on Sunday), the Classic is nicely poised with five of the six players still able to finish first. Round four featured just the one decisive result, with Hikaru Nakamura beating Mickey Adams, which makes the scores as follows: Kramnik and Giri 6, Nakamura 5, Anand and Adams 4, Caruana 3.

One of the great things about an international chess tournament is the exchange of ideas between people from different countries and cultures.

Pictorial round 4 annotated report by John Saunders

13.12.14 - In round three of the London Chess Classic all six players scored the full point. Everyone�s a winner! No, I�m kidding as usual, and taking a chance on some of you forgetting that the tournament uses three points for a win and one for a draw.

All three games were drawn, hence one point apiece. The scores are now Kramnik and Giri 5, Adams 4, Anand 3, Caruana and Nakamura 2. The third match game between Gawain Jones and Romain Edouard was also a draw, so Gawain still leads, by 2-1.

Round 3 report with detailed annotated games by John Saunders

12.12.14 - So to round two, with Britain�s Mickey Adams at the top of the table as the only winner in the first round. No distractions today, just straight down to business, with the only blonde mop-tops in sight being the children deputed to make the elite players first moves.

Today the number of decisive results doubled, as Vladimir Kramnik played what at least one of the spectating GMs described as �the perfect game� to defeat Hikaru Nakamura, and Anish Giri opened his Olympia account at the expense of the overnight leader. Birthday celebrant Vishy Anand had another fairly uneventful draw, this time with Fabiano Caruana.

Round 2 Scores: Giri, Kramnik 4, Adams 3, Anand 2, Caruana, Nakamura 1.

Report with detailed annotated games by John Saunders

Kramnik a happy man: Vladimir defeats Nakamura's King's Indian

Hikaru Nakamura played into Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik's hands at the London Chess Classic 2014 at Olympia in Kensington

Vladimir Kramnik played a model game against the King�s Indian to defeat Hikaru Nakamura, as Michael Adams lost to Anish Giri in the second round of the 6th London Chess Classic, being held at Olympia.

Kramnik explained that he had kept this opening idea "in his pocket" until the opportunity arose.

The 14th world champion is an expert at defeating the King�s Indian and made the audience laugh when he said: "I admit I am always happy to see a King�s Indian."

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11.12.14 - The host nation flew the flag on the first day of the Classic proper, with the only wins being achieved by three people from England: Mickey Adams, who won a real �up and downer� of a game with world number two Fabiano Caruana; Gawain Jones, who won the first game of his six-game match against Romain Edouard; and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, who won the hearts and minds of his audience at the opening ceremony.

It was a great boost for the prestige of the event, and for British chess in general, to have someone with the national profile of Boris Johnson pay us a visit. For those overseas readers who�ve never heard of him, he is a very famous politician here in Britain, and not just in London, with an approval rating in opinion polls which is the envy of all other British party leaders. He is often spoken of in the press as a future prime minister. Part of his charm is his ability to deliver an impromptu speech, full of imaginative allusions and classical references, not to mention occasional gaffes which don�t seem to bother him at all and from which he recovers effortlessly.

Report with detailed annotated games by John Saunders

10.12.14 - Mayor of London Boris Johnson was at Olympia today to open the London Chess Classic Super Six and to lend his support to the work done in the capital to boost children's chess. He made one of his trademark ebullient speeches, linking the role of the chess pieces to life, the universe and politics (he suggested controversially that one 'castle' for every four pieces on the board represented a housing crisis).

Boris sat down to play a quick game, assisted by Mayan Varsani, representing Chess in Schools & Communities, against Dave Chan of Barclaycard and Frankie Niland, also from a CSC partner school. After a few moves and a bit of diplomacy a �-� coalition was agreed. Many thanks to Boris - it was a great fillip for the tournament having the Mayor of London as our guest

More photos of Boris's visit here