Chess stars all square in world title fight

The two chess stars vying for the world title ground out another draw on Tuesday, the fourth such result in as many matches and leaving the series all square one-third of the way through.

India’s title-holder Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand of Israel agreed to a draw after a tough game at Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery which is hosting the 12-game series, leaving the match level at 2 points apiece.

Gelfand — playing white — sought to test out Anand’s defences with a long endgame but the Indian showed no weaknesses to make a draw inevitable.

Both players conceded afterwards that the series was only just getting underway as they fence around for opportunities with the full knowledge that one mistake could cost the championship.

“We are still probing,” Anand told reporters afterwards. “It’s a pretty tough match.”

The Minsk-born Gelfand, known for his robust matchplay skills, added: “I take each game as it comes. You should be ready for anything.”

The winner is set to pocket $1.5 million, with the loser earning $1 million.