Anand, Gelfand Draw in 11th Game for Chess Crown

© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Fedorenko / Go to the mediabankBoris Gelfand and Viswanathan Anand
Boris Gelfand and Viswanathan Anand - Sputnik International
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India's defending world champion Viswanathan Anand drew with Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand in the 11th game for the World Chess Championship at Moscow's State Tretyakov Gallery on Saturday.

India's defending world champion Viswanathan Anand drew with Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand in the 11th game for the World Chess Championship at Moscow's State Tretyakov Gallery on Saturday.

It takes the best-of-12 series down to Sunday's decider.

Playing as white, Gelfand used the Nimzo-Indian defense but used much of his time allowance in the opening, forcing him to play more quickly as the match went on.

Anand offered a draw after the 24th move, which Gelfand accepted.

The series score is level at 5.5-5.5, with each competitor getting half a point per draw.

Gelfand took the lead Sunday after the first six games all ended in a draw, registering his first win against Anand in 19 years. Anand then won Monday's game when Gelfand surrendered after the 17th move.

If the score remains level after Sunday, a tie-breaker will be held Wednesday, with the grandmasters playing four matches with a shortened time limit of 60 minutes per player.

If that fails to determine a winner, the next stage is Armageddon, whereby the white gets five minutes while black gets just four but is named the winner in the event of a draw.

Regardless of how the result is decided, the winner will receive $1.5 million, while the loser will earn $1 million.

Anand, 42, has held the undisputed World Chess Champion title since October 2008, when he defeated Russia's Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn, Germany. He defended his title in 2009 by beating Bulgarian opponent Veselin Topalov 6.5–5.5 in Sofia.

Gelfand, 43, gained the right to become the world title contender after a win last May against Russia's Alexander Grischuk at a contenders' tournament in Kazan, Russia.

Russian billionaire and Gelfand’s school friend Andrey Filatov paid $7 million from his own pocket to hold the event in one of the halls of the renowned State Tretyakov Gallery before the eyes of some 400 spectators.

Many others follow the matches on the huge electronic board hanging outside.

 

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