After three games of the current World title clash between World Chess Champion Viswanthan Anand of India and challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel, the two players are locked on one and a half points each following three straight draws, FIDE website reported.
In Monday’s third game of the series, played in the Engineering Building of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Gelfand, playing with the black pieces, was saved from possible defeat by perpetual check. He had sacrificed a pawn on move 14 in an effort to mobilize his pieces but precise play by Anand saw him being able to rebuff all of the challenger’s threats and gave Anand a favourable position.
By move 32 Anand had arrived at a position where his extra passed pawn was dangerous but he allowed both of Black’s rooks to penetrate which allowed Gelfand a perpetual check.
Monday’s drawn game follows the pattern of the two previous games. In the second game played on Saturday saw the players playing a solid variation of the Slav Defense.
Anand was playing with the Black pieces and after his 14th move Gelfand, after much thought, chose a line which led to an endgame with a slight edge for White but on the 25th move, the challenger offered a draw, which the champion accepted.
In the opening game played on May 11, the two players had also battled to a draw. The fourth game will take place tomorrow.
