Could Darth Tyranus defeat Anakin in ROTS?

Actually, Lucas told Stover to write that. Lucas had come up with that scenario first, which he explained to the actors the week they filmed this scene.

"Palpatine has told Dooku. 'I have somebody who I think will be a great Sith Lord and I think we can get him to join us. But we need to test him. So we're going to setup a situation where you fight him. If he gets the best of you, then I'll stop the fight and he'll have passed the test. If you get the best of him, then we'll let him go, and we'll let him stew for a few more years until he's ready.' But behind it, obviously, is Palpatine's real intention: If Anakin is good enough, Anakin can kill Dooku and become Palpatine's new apprentice. But he didn't tell Dooku that."

--George Lucas, The Making Of ROTS; Page 41.

Stover just added the bit about Dooku's confidence, to tie-up all the loose ends from the Clones Wars material.

 

The problem with the "if you get the best of him, we'll let him go" part is that in the novel Dooku seems to assume he will spend the rest of the war in captivity... even if he wins the fight. The idea seems to be causing Anakin to fall, and at that point Dooku expects to play the captured-by-Anakin role.

 

It was true. There was the line that Lucas wrote, which Christopher Lee had him remove. The part about being offered amnesity (sp) and Palpatine says that he lied. Stover was explaining why Dooku would go with all of this, based off of what Lucas said. The difference is that with that one line removed, you don't realize how planned out this was in the film.

 

True that One Master Skywalker! *nod*

 

Yep. Christopher Lee felt that Dooku/Tyranus wouldn't be one to beg for mercy. He wanted his character to die with dignity. I would have said honor, but Bane already told us that belongs to the living.

 

I could also kill Sidious by poking him with my pinky finger 1,222,185,211,252,001 times. It all come down to skill and luck. Anyone could kill Sidious givin Sidious makes enough mistakes in a row.