Players Take A Free Day
By Arvind Aaron
An expected draw came up in match game five with Kasparov staying quiet with the white pieces, thereby regaining some of his lost energy in the previous days for the rest of the eleven games. When it was time to expect a surprise from Kramnik, Kasparov varied on the first turn as white and tried to say that he is in control of the match, not the challenger.
There was not much danger for black and Kramnik equalised by ...a6 when Kasparov threatened to swap queens. The white knights had room but not say on the black position. Black's draw offer on move 24...e5 was accepted by Kasparov. Kramnik went for the sharp 3..d5 line but Kasparov's side line took teeth out of the encounter showing no urgency in the 16-game series to level scores. He has five more whites to nullify the one point deficit and keep his title. He needs 8-8 to keep his title, Kramnik needs 8.5 to wrest the title.
Kasparov did not miss telling the press that in a world championship in London there should be atleast one English opening!