Viswanathan Anand wins Leon Masters for record 10th time

Viswanathan Anand, the distinguished five-time world champion, emerged victorious at the 2024 Leon Masters, a prestigious four-player international chess tournament, held annually in Leon, Spain.

Anand concluded the tournament with a win against Jaime Santos after beating him 3-1.

Anand's triumph in the Leon Masters marked a pivotal milestone in his illustrious career.

At the age of 54, he became the oldest player to win the tournament title. Additionally, he extended his record as the most accomplished participant in the Leon Masters, having secured an impressive ten titles to his name.

After a sluggish start in the first two rounds, that ended in a draw, Anand bounced back winning the last two rounds and sealed his victory.

It seemed Santos succumbed to the pressure of playing against the legend, making slew of unforced errors.

However, Santos previously won the semi-final against Arjun Erigaisi, where he beat Arjun after trailing by one point with two rounds to go.

In a series of mistakes and blunders committed by both players, Santos won the match 2.5-1.5.

Anand faced his challenger from the world championship match of 2010, Veselin Topalov in the other semifinal. 

The stalwarts played out three draws and a sole win for Anand took him to the finals, which he later won.

In the final, Anand still exhibited remarkable precision and tactical acumen, eventually emerging securing the Masters tournament.