World champion Viswanathan Anand overpowered second- seeded defending champion Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2-0 to win the Corsica Masters knockout rapid chess title at Ajaccio, France, on Monday.
Anand, who overcame compatriot K. Sasikiran 3-1 in the semifinal by winning the two blitz games, outwitted Mamedyarov with white pieces in the first game after 43 moves of Grunfeld defence.
In the second game, that followed the opening moves of Queen's Gambit Declined, Anand won with black pieces in 40 moves to seal the title.
This was Anand's third rapid title of the year.
He won the Leon Masters in June and the Botwinnik memorial in September when he finished ahead of Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the four-player field.
