Anand, Topalov still tied level after game 11

SOFIA - Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov drew their 11th game of the 12-game World Chess Championship match to leave the two rivals level at 5.5 points each with one more game to go. Anand, who had white pieces in the 11th game, will have black in the 12th game, and in case of a tie, the players will play a tie-breaker.

The penultimate game of the match was an English Opening and after considerable manoeuvring, Topalov equalized as black. Anand seemed to be left with an unpleasant ending, but he held out. Anand did make a last-ditch effort as he ambitiously jettisoned a pawn to give his opponent a chance to err. But Topalov defended and the game ended in a draw.

The game lasted 65 moves before the draw.

The game will be followed by a rest day and Tuesday shall see the 12th and final game. Topalov will have white and both need a victory for the title. In case of a draw, the title will be decided by rapid tie-break games on May 13th.

Anand drifted away from his queen pawn opening with which he had opened five times in this match and started with the English opening. The players followed the previously played line between Magnus Carlsen (Anand had a brief working stint with Carlsen before the World Championship at Bonn) and Ivan Cheparino (Topalov’s second for a long time now) for the first ten moves.

After a fair bit of manoeuvring from both sides during which neither looked in a advantageous position, the game went into a rook and knight each ending with equal number of pawns on board. Despite a draw looking logical the players continued.

Anand did make an attempt in the closing stages, and the position became razor sharp as he tried to barge into Topalov’s territory with his king and pawns. However just when Anand’s king and pawn started closing around his king, Topalov advanced his passed pawn on the queen side to gain counter play. Seeing no headway, draw was signed with Anand threatening perpetual checks with his rook.