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Former World champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine held top seed Boris Gelfand to yet another draw in the second game of the final of the World Chess Cup now underway in Khanty Mansisysk, Moscow.
After a draw in the first game as well, the score in the four-games final is 1-1. There are two more games under normal time control and if the deadlock continues, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.
The white pieces played the 'Catalon' opening. Ponomariov played a rare move on his 12th turn. The position transposed to a set up akin to the Stonewall structure.
It was in fact a very short affair as just after 20-moves Gelfand decided against taking any undue risks and settled for another half point.
The tournament started off with 128 players, including seven Indians, on a knock-our basis. Out of the seven Indians in the fray, four - Parimarjan Negi, Sriram Jha, Abhijeet Gupta and Abhijit Kunte -- had bowed out in the first round itself while the trio of Krishnan Sasikiran, Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Sandipan Chanda lasted one more round.