Sixth Gelfand-Anand match ends in draw

Israeli, Indian World Chess Championship contenders once again reach stalemate — this time after 29 moves

Chess master Boris Gelfand (left) plays a game of chess against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (far right) and Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky in 2010 (photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky/Flash90)
Chess master Boris Gelfand (left) plays a game of chess against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (far right) and Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky in 2010 (photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky/Flash90)

The sixth match between Israeli Grandmaster Boris Gelfand and defending World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship ended Friday in yet another draw.

The match, the sixth consecutive draw, ended after 29 moves.

The World Chess Championships, a three-week event, opened in Moscow last Friday. The title will be decided over 12 matches, and the winner will take home $1.53 million while second place will win $1.02 million.

This is the fifth time Anand defends his World Champion title, though he no longer holds the top world ranking, falling to number 4 recently.

Gelfand, ranked 22, was born in Minsk and immigrated to Israel in 1998, quickly dominating the local chess scene and capturing a number of world chess tournaments, including the Chess World Cup in 2009.

He is thought to be a classical player who often has tricks up his sleeve. He defeated the world’s top players in the 2011 Candidates Cup round, which earned him a spot at the board opposite Anand.

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