Defending champion Levon Aronian of Armenia beat Indian grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand on Friday to retain the Chess 960 World Championship in Mainz, Germany.

Both the players scored 2 points in rapid games to finish 2:2. The Chess960 World Rapid final concluded with Aronian winning the tiebreak blitz 1,5:0,5.

After losing the first game and drawing the next two, Anand came back strongly in the final game to equalize the score.

In the tie break, however, Anand could not defend the Aronian's onslaught of and surrendered in the first game.

In the 2nd, despite having the white pieces, Anand agreed for a draw, to hand the title to the Armenian.

Anand, Aronian, Kasimdzhanov and Bacrot will now play in the main Grenke Leadsiung World Rapid Championship for next three days. Anand is the defending champion and has won the title a record nine times.