Honours even in fourth game

Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand played out an easy draw with black pieces against Magnus Carlsen in the fourth game of the ongoing World Chess Championship here on Wednesday.

After a crushing win over Carlsen in the third game, Anand gave nothing away and was a completely different player from the first two games in which he had looked quite vulnerable.

The scores are now level at 2-2 after four rounds. There was pressure from Carlsen yet again but Anand was hardly intimidated as he tackled the Norwegian move for move.

Anand changed gears in the opening in the fourth game, shifting to the Sicilian defence, from the Berlin wherein he lost badly in the second game while playing with black pieces.

Carlsen went for the closed set-up, livening things up at his own will when he wanted and put Anand under some pressure in the middle game.

Anand, however, did not buckle and found out a resourceful defence and then the pieces got exchanged in a heap.

The Norwegian was playing against a slightly vulnerable pawn structure but things did not go in his favour thanks to some perfect counter-attack that Anand produced after trading all the pieces except for the queen.

Carlsen used up some of his time in the second time control after move 40 but decided that there was nothing to play for.

The game ended vide perpetual checks after 47 moves, giving Anand a small psychological advantage ahead of the rest day before the fifth game.

Carlsen did not appear quite happy with the result as he said,"I thought I played terribly, it was a draw so that's ok."

"It was a difficult game. There was a lot going on based on this weak pawn in the centre. Towards the end, I found this important queen move after which its fine," Anand said in the post-game conference.

The tide seems to be turning in Anand's favour if the last two games are any indication.

The fifth game will be quite important for the Indian ace to continue in similar vein. More pressure from Anand could result in a much needed victory as Carlsen does not look the same invincible player he was in Chennai last year.

Moves (Carlsen-Anand, Game 4): 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. 0-0 Nf6 7. d4 Be7 8. Be3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg4 10. Qd3 Qd7 11. Nd2 0-0 12.

N2f3 Rfe8 13. Rfe1 Bd6 14. c3 h6 15. Qf1 Bh5 16. h3 Bg6 17. Rad1 Rad8 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. c4 Be4 20. Bd4 Nh7 21. cxd5 Bxd5 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Qd3 Nf8 24.

Nh4 Be5 25. Bxd5 Qxd5 26. Bxe5 Qxe5 27. b3 Ne6 28. Nf3 Qf6 29. Kg2 Rd8 30. Qe2 Rd5 31. Rxd5 cxd5 32. Ne5 Qf5 33. Nd3 Nd4 34. g4 Qd7 35. Qe5 Ne6 36. Kg3 Qb5 37.

Nf4 Nxf4 38. Kxf4 Qb4+ 39. Kf3 d4 40. Qe8+ Kh7 41. Qxf7 Qd2 42. Qf5+ Kh8 43. h4 Qxa2 44. Qe6 Qd2 45. Qe8+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Kh8 47. Qe8 Kh7. 1/2-1/2.