25 May 2012, Kuala Lumpur – Chess.com reported that Vishy Anand opted for 1.e4 for his penultimate turn with the white pieces, and Gelfand once again replied with 1...c5.
This time the champion avoided the Sveshnikov by choosing 3.Bb5, but Gelfand proved to be just as well prepared in this variation. Even when Anand chose the relatively rare continuation 5.b3, Gelfand immediately responded with the even rarer (almost-novelty) 5...e5!
The challenger's pawn structure looked a mess, but his bishop pair proved ample compensation and Anand conceded a draw after only 25 moves.
Chess statisticians may wish to check whether this world championship match has the fewest moves (and lowest average game length) in history!
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The psychological battle is now at fever pitch. With just 2 standard time-control games left in the match, there are still more questions than answers. Will the adversaries now play it safe or go for broke? Will someone crack - and if so, who will it be? Or are we destined to see the fate of the world chess championship decided by rapid tie-break games?
Tomorrow is another rest day, so game 11 is on Saturday 26 May when Gelfand will have the white pieces.
To read more, please visit chess.com or click here.
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