Moscow: World champion Viswanthan Anand played his fourth draw in the World Chess Championship against Boris Gelfand of Israel as the deadlock continued in the prestigious contest in Moscow on Tuesday.
Playing black for the second time in the match, Anand continued his faith in the Slav defence and yet again did not have much difficulty equalising.
It was a continuation of the discussion in the second game of the match wherein Anand had gone for a fifth move surprise and yet again the world champion went for it, emphasising that it was not an opening gamble he had gone for in his first game as black.
The fact that Anand went for something new that has obviously been home-cooked a long time and that Gelfand could not find any way to break is a good sign for the defending champion, but as Anand himself mentioned, "I cant tell you much about what was around unless I have a deeper look at it."
The five-time champion was referring to a question in the post-match conference when he was asked if Gelfand could have done better.
As it happened in the game, there were some striking similarities to the second game if one looked at the material balance as Gelfand found a way to win a pawn and it seemed secured for some time.
However, in the last game when Anand had played, he was close to attaining the decisive edge, something that Gelfand could only hope for without coming really closer to it any time.
The first real move in the game yet again came from Anand when he went for the development of his rook on his 16th turn and by move 21 it was a perfect balance with level material on board.
Gelfand fought in the vain hope of attaining what was proving to be an elusive advantage and Anand nullified all white's attempts with some perfect maneuvers. Gelfand made it clear with his 26th move that he was satisfied with a draw as the Israeli went for trading of the queens signaling his peaceful intentions. Soon after Anand pushed his pawns on queenside to a safer square away from the glares of Gelfand's Bishop and on move 34, the draw was agreed to.
Eight games still remain in the battle for the highest crown in world chess and also for the prize fund of $2.55 million out of which 60 per cent is reserved for the winner. With every game, Anand gives the impression that he is pushing, equalising easily as black and pushing for something, except in game one, as white.
In the third game the Indian ace was tentalisingly close to a victory, something that might have given a big advantage in a short match like this. However that did not happen and now in the fifth game after another rest day, the battle begins afresh.
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