Former world champion Viswanathan Anand defeated Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik in the first game of their four-game match for the Sparkassen Trophy here. 

Playing with white pieces, Anand needed 66 moves to beat Kramnik late on Wednesday in a match played as part of the “No-Castling” Chess devised by the Russian GM. Castling is a special move to protect the king and activate the rook. It’s the only time in chess a player can move two pieces in one move.