World Chess Championship: Action-packed draw in the third game

The third game in the title match between Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Sergey Karjakin of Russia may have failed to produce a decisive result, but it was no dull draw, which was the case in the first two games.

The rest day seemed to have rejuvenated both the men as they fought hard for more than six hours.

The World Chess Championship is hotting up in New York.

The third game in the title match between Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Sergey Karjakin of Russia may have failed to produce a decisive result, but it was no dull draw, which was the case in the first two games.

The rest day seemed to have rejuvenated both the men as they fought hard for more than six hours. It was indeed a pretty intense game, setting the tone for the remainder of the match.

Another nine games — of classical time control — are still left. If the score is tied, rapid and blitz games will be played to break the tie.

In Game Three, Carlsen, the defending champion, had white pieces and he opted for Ruy Lopez. The challenger employed Berlin Defence, which had featured prominently in Carlsen’s last two World title matches, both against Viswanathan Anand.

The queens had disappeared from the board pretty early on in the first two games of this match. Game Three proved hardly any different, as the queens were traded off on the 15th move. But, unlike the previous games, a much bloodier battle followed in the rook-and-minor-piece end-game.

Karjakin sacrificed a pawn in the centre for active play, but it was Carlsen who began to create chances of a victory, even forcing Black to give his bishop.

The Russian then, on the 70th move, made an unwise king move, which put him in considerable trouble, but his opponent returned the favour right away, squandering his chances of a victory. Eight moves later, the two men agreed to split the point.

The score now is 1.5-1.5.