Sofia match was toughest challenge for Anand

RG: Will you rate your rivalry with Topalov as the most intense of your career so far - given the frenzy and the hype around the match?

Anand: That would be a difficult question to answer but yes the Sofia contest was the toughest match I've ever played. In my earlier contests, things did not last that long but Topalov is a fighter and a great player and he makes chess interesting. He is the kind of player who forces you to take risks and forces you to respond and as a competitor, I could have never lost focus against him.

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