Third draw in a row at Moscow
After two quick draws, the world chess championship gained momentum with Indian GM Viswanathan Anand and Israeli GM Boris Gelfand playing an exiting third game at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow on Monday.
While the game also ended on a draw after 37 moves, the two players were engaged in an engrossing battle for most part of the game. Also, for once, the Indian GM was behind on time. The 12-game series is now tied at 1.5-1.5.
While Gelfand employed the Grunfeld defence for the second consecutive game with black pieces, Anand chose a different variation that ensued a competitive play.
After castling queenside, Anand played a waiting move on the 16th turn. Trying to gain initiative Gelfand quickly manoeuvred his pieces to the queenside posing threat to Anand’s king.
In the bargain Gelfand lost a pawn in the centre, which Anand freely pushed till the sixth rank. Meanwhile, the Indian simplified the position by exchanging queens and one set of knight and bishop.
While Gelfand had an opportunity to reach a drawish position, he misplayed on the 23rd turn but finally succeeded in forcing a draw by doubling his rooks on the second rank and cornering Anand’s king.
“I probably came closer to a win today,” noted Anand at the press conference. Gelfand admitted that he had misjudged a few moves of Anand.
“The position was dangerous and I underestimated his moves. In the end, I had to fight for a draw. I was on quite an edge for sometime,” he added.
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