Defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India played to a 29-move draw with Russian challenger Vladimir Kramnik on Saturday in the fourth game of their world chess championship match. Anand leads the 12-game match 2.5-1.5. He won the third game in spectacular style on Friday after the two men drew their opening games. Saturday's draw was a tame affair in comparison with the previous day's game. Anand had the white pieces and the opening was the solid Queen's Gambit Declined. As often happens in this opening, Black wound up with an isolated d-pawn and White had only the slightest chance of an advantage. Kramnik summed the opening up after the game by saying that “White has to be very precise” to have an advantage. “One inaccurate move and it's a draw.” Indeed, Anand said that “Black was fairly comfortable” coming out of the opening. The position seemed to be headed for a draw almost from the beginning. There was the usual maneuvering around the isolated pawn as White tried to prove that it was a weakness and Black tried to liquidate it. Anand conceded that his 21st move, blockading the d-pawn, was “slightly inaccurate.” Kramnik concurred but added: “I'm incredibly solid; it wouldn't have changed the result.” The game got somewhat interesting beginning on move 22 when Kramnik pushed forward his kingside pawns to drive Anand's bishop to a less active position. While it seemed aggressive, Kramnik called it “a defensive move” preparing the advance of the d-pawn. He added that “it's not clear whose king is weaker.” On move 27, Kramnik advanced his isolated d-pawn to d4 and liquidated his only weakness. On the next move, Kramnik could have recaptured in the center with his knight, which would have maintained the tension a bit longer. “I was trying to play for a win but I couldn't see what I could do,” he said. Kramnik decided to take the simplest and clearest draw. He and Anand shook hands almost immediately afterward. Kramnik will have White in game five on Monday. The moves (Game 4): Anand-Kramnik, game four: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. a3 c5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 exd5 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Be5 Bf5 12. Be2 Bf6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Nd4 Ne6 15. Nxf5 Qxf5 16. O-O Rfd8 17. Bg4 Qe5 18. Qb3 Nc5 19. Qb5 b6 20. Rfd1 Rd6 21. Rd4 a6 22. Qb4 h5 23. Bh3 Rad8 24. g3 g5 25. Rad1 g4 26. Bg2 Ne6 27. R4d3 d4 28. exd4 Rxd4 29. Rxd4 Rxd4 draw agreed. - AP Game 3: Kramnik-Anand, game three: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. O-O Qb6 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. Bxb5 Bd6 16. Rd1 Rg8 17. g3 Rg4 18. Bf4 Bxf4 19. Nxd4 h5 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Rxd7 Kf8 22. Qd3 Rg7 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. gxf4 Rd8 25. Qe2 Kh6 26. Kf1 Rg8 27. a4 Bg2+ 28. Ke1 Bh3 29. Ra3 Rg1+ 30. Kd2 Qd4+ 31. Kc2 Bg4 32. f3 Bf5+ 33. Bd3 Bh3 34. a5 Rg2 35. a6 Rxe2+ 36. Bxe2 Bf5+ 37. Kb3 Qe3+ 38. Ka2 Qxe2 39. a7 Qc4+ 40. Ka1 Qf1+ 41. Ka2 Bb1+ White resigns. – AP __
