Before the game starts, Anand comes first into the playing hall, and a series of quick photos take place.

The moment Ivanchuk enters, he sits down, bows his head at the board and holds it with two hands - a position into which he will return many times during the game.

He plays ...d4, a pawn not to be taken, and it's possible to smell the danger from this fierce attacker.

Then Anand manages to liberate himself through a surprise 'ambush' against the white king with R and N lined on the same file. He blows the entire Ivanchuk set-up to pieces.

An amazing game indeed.

I didn't expect Carlsen to lose pawn after pawn in that ending, and then the ending...

But aside from that, you can't help sympathizing with the old warrior (Ivanchuk). Not that he's old in years - I think I'm 3 years younger than him - but old in the sense that I remember him fighting in top level chess ever since I'm into it myself - which is a good 20 years.

His emotional pattern is so demonstrably visible during his game (I saw him play yesterday for the first time), that one really cannot stay indifferent.

It's amazing how much involved he is in the game, despite having played it at that level for so long. You really never get a sense of detachment on his part, such as, for example, when watching Aronian, or even Carlsen. You can SEE his effort and his joys, hopes and (yesterday against Anand) disillusion.