Neck and neck: Another draw for Gelfand in World Chess Championship
Israeli player couldn't bounce back from his last loss and use white pieces to gain advantage over his opponent, the reigning world champion. Two agreed to a draw, and result now stand at 4.5-4.5
Game 9 of the World Chess Championship ended in a draw Wednesday, leaving the score between Israeli player Boris Gelfand and reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand tied at 4.5-4.5.
Gelfand was playing white, and managed to achieve an advantageous position over Anand. But later in the game Anand managed to build a strong defensive position around the king that Gelfand couldn't break through to win. The players agreed to a draw.
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- Gelfand faces setback in Chess Championship
Earlier this week, after six straight draws in the championship, Gelfand – considered the underdog – won Game 7 and gained an advantage of 3:4 in the series. But a day later he lost the eighth match of the championship to Anand, who chalked up his first victory of the championship and brought the score to 4:4.
Anand and Gelfand face off in an earlier match (Photo: EPA)
Four games remain, unless the draw holds.
"Boris is feeling fine. There's not a lot of time in this competition and he is only looking as far ahead as the next game. We speak very little, only a few minutes a day," Gelfand's wife, Maya, said shortly before his loss in Game 8.
