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]