World Chess Champion meets with Putin after holding title

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The world chess champion, Indian Viswanathan Anand , 42, met on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to tea at his country residence just outside Moscow. Also at the meeting was the runner-up, the Israeli Boris Gelfand, 43.

	Alexsey Druginyn / Reuters
	Vladimir Putin (left). Greets the world champion Viswanathan Anand, next to the deputy, Boris Gelfand

On Wednesday, Anand retained the world title in chess, he has held since 2007 by beating Gelfand in a tie-break of four games in the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow. A series of 12 regular games played since May 11 ended in a draw: a victory for each side and ten draws. Therefore, the World Chess had to be decided, for the third time in history, a tie-break for quick starts, with 25 minutes for each player. Of the four games, the Indian won the second, and the other three ended in a tie.

"Chess has always been a source of pride for our two peoples," Putin said Anand.

Russia is one of the major poles of the chess world since the early 20th century. Already the great Indian master is the greatest symbol of the recent rise of his country, which in recent decades, also became power in chess.

"During my childhood, I had a very close relationship with the Soviet Union because I learned to play chess in the Soviet cultural center of my city, India. I love coming to Russia," Putin said the champion.

World title, Anand won $ 1.5 million. Gelfand has already pocketed $ 1 million (about $ 2 million).