Norwegian Wins World Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen, 22, dethrones Viswanathan Anand

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Babu / Reuters

Norway's Magnus Carlsen reacts during a news conference after clinching the FIDE World Chess Championship in the southern Indian city of Chennai November 22, 2013.

Magnus Carlsen defeated Viswanathan Anand on Friday to become the new world chess champion.

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Over the course of ten games, Carlsen, a 22-year-old chess prodigy from Norway, won three times and drew seven, BBC reports. The final game — which lasted a grueling four hours and 45 minutes — ended in a draw between Anand, who has held the title since 2007, and Carlsen. But overall, the young player had earned enough points throughout the championship to snag the title.

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The world championship is a 12-game tournament held over 20 days, and the first player to reach 6.5 points wins the series. For Anand, this is the first time he has failed to win a single game in a world championship. This year’s championship was held in Chennai, India and began on Nov. 9.  In a news conference immediately following his victory, Carlsen was asked how he enjoyed playing in Anand’s hometown. “It’s just been beyond my expectations and anything I’ve experienced anywhere else,” he said.

[BBC]

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