Bonn: World Champion Viswanathan Anand held out for a tense draw in 45 moves in the ninth game of the 12-game World Chess Championship final against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia here on Sunday night.

Anand retained his 3-points lead following the draw with white pieces and is now just another draw away from retaining the crown he won last year in Mexico. Kramnik needs to win all three remaining games to send the match into a tie-breaker. The scoreline now stands at 6-3 in Anand’s favour.

If one goes by the rules of the world championship, the match is as good as over unless Kramnik is able to win the last three remaining games, an almost impossible task possible only if disaster strikes Anand.

The 9th game also saw the Queen pawn opening by Anand for the fifth time in the match. It was a bloody battle as Kramnik decided to give Anand a taste of his own medicine — the Semi-Slav’s sharp Moscow system.

Anand played under-par for some time according to the experts but played determinedly to steer the game to a draw.

For the records, Anand did not enter the main complexities of the system and went for a system relatively less-played these days. Kramnik, obviously under pressure to win the game, came up with a new idea on the 11th move and got the desired result as Anand came under pressure as the game progressed.

However, the position remained very complicated, which is typical of the opening set-up and Anand always had his chances. The Indian ace remained a pawn less for the major part of the game but got the opportunity to convert to a rook and opposite coloured Bishops end-game.

Kramnik figured out a temporary way to trouble Anand in the endgame by sacrificing his Bishop for two pawns on the 38th move.

Anand had to find a few defensive moves thereafter and when the Russian could no longer improve his position further he had to win the piece back and the players arrived at a double rook endgame with just a pawn each.

It was in the 19th move, Anand, suddenly realising that he was in a far inferior position with Kramnik’s bishops pairing giving the Russian an advantage, tried to manoeuvre his way out.

Anand’s gameplan for the next few moves proved again how strongly he had prepared and his desperation to save the game. Kramnik lost his tactical advantage but it was just a matter of time before time ran out for the players.

Once the first 120 minutes of the game were over, the players took a 15-minute break before resuming on the 41st move. But it was evident that neither of them was too inclined to go all out and risk any complications, and peace was signed on the 45th move.

Anand clearly emerged as the superior player in the match.

The 10th game on Monday is Kramnik’s last chance to make amends in what has been a dramatically one-sided affair thus far.

The two players will share a purse of euros 1.5 million regardless of the result.

(AGENCIES)