Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand Sunday became world champion defeating Spain's Alexei Shirov in the fourth of the six-game World Chess Championship final in Teheran.

The Indian Grandmaster got a perfect Christmas and New Years gift as well as a slightly belated birthday gift for his 31st birthday when he defeated the desperate and reckless Spaniard Shirov.

Anand had drawn the first game with black pieces and then won the next one with white. In the third game Anand registered another win with black, his first with the black pieces, in the Championships, and finally sealed the title with another win with white pieces. It was his sixth win in eight games with white pieces in these Championships. The only two players who avoided defeat when Anand had white in classical games were Khalifman and Michael Adams.

The championship ended Anand's great quest for the World title. He also completed an incredible Grand Slam in the process. He had won the World Blitz Cup in Warsaw early this year and that was followed up with wins in the World rapids in Haifa and then the World Cup in Shenyang. The World Championships in New Delhi and Teheran completed an incredible year for Anand. It also ended years of Russian monopoly on the title.

Though, this victory comes only after two close misses. He had lost in the finals in 1995, to Garry Kasparov in the parallel PCA World Championships final in New York. Then in 1998 he was beaten in the first FIDE World Championships in the new knock out format by Anatoly Karpov. While Anand won through six matches in the qualifying, Karpov was seeded straight to meet the winner of the qualifiers in Groningen. Since then the format has been changed and only the top 28 players are seeded into the second round while rest begin from first round.
So in a fair and square manner, Anand has emerged as the world champion.

Anand was flooded with congratulatory messages from all round the world after his victory. The people who wished him included the President, Mr. KR Narayannan, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Sports Minister, Ms. Uma Bharati. NIIT, who have sponsored the tournament, are also planning an elaborate function to felicitate Anand on his early but victorious return home.

Terming his World Championship win as "so very special" Anand has said he would always play for India. Anand, who stays for three months in a year in Spain, said: "It is for operational convenience that I stay there. Spain is no moon for me. I will always play for India." Asked about the plans for his New Year celebrations, Anand said the World Championship win "is yet to sink in. I'd like to enjoy it."

Well, we all would like you to enjoy it as well, Anand! After a hatric in worldwide beauty pageants, Anand has proved that India has world class Beauties and Brains.
Way to go guys.!!