RUSSIAN grandmaster Peter Svidler, playing black, tried to force his way into the queenside backrank.
But, Filipino GM Wesley So managed to force a draw by perpetual check in 38 moves of a King’s Indian Attack in Round 9 of the 80th Tata Steel Chess Masters Tournament.
Svidler accepted the draw after he pushed his queen to the e4 file for the second time last Sunday at the Wijk Aan Zee, the Netherlands.
The draw put So in third spot, toting 5.5 points with Vladimir Kramnik.
So now braces for a big showdown with world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the next round.
Meanwhile, GM Anish Giri pulled off a 39-move triumph over Maxim Matlakov in 39 moves of a Reti Opening.
Giri took the solo lead with 6.5 points and later found his unofficial FIDE ranking move up from no. 15 to no. 9 in the world.
Matlakov’s dubious rook move in the 35th immobilized his passed pawn. This happened after Giri forced a bishop and knight exchange and had Matlakov in the edge on Giri’s passed pawn at the b4 file.
Carlsen and Shakh Mamedyarov fell behind after settling for draws with their respective rivals.
The 2837 ELO-rated Carlsen played a marathon encounter with Viswanathan Anand before they drew in 95 moves of a Ruy Lopez Closed.
Mamedyarov halved his point with Kramnik in 27 moves of a Guioco Piano.
With 6.0 points, Carlsen and Mamedyarov shared no. 2, and they are half a point in front of Kramnik and So.