10th Chess Game, Shortest of Match, Ends in a Draw

NEW YORK —  Defending champion Garry Kasparov and challenger Anatoly Karpov agreed to a draw Friday in the 10th game of the world chess championship.

The players agreed to the draw after Kasparov’s 18th move. The game lasted three hours and 12 minutes, the shortest so far in the match.

Each player had 4 1/2 points after they agreed to a draw Wednesday in the ninth game. Friday’s draw gave them each another half-point, bringing the match score to 5-5.

The first player to gain 12 1/2 points wins the championship and $1.7 million of a $3-million purse. In the event of a 12-12 tie, Kasparov will retain the title. The first 12 games are being played in New York and the rest will be played in Lyons, France.

Karpov had the advantage in Wednesday’s game but blundered on the 32nd move and lost a pawn. A few moves later, he offered a draw and Kasparov immediately accepted.

Grandmaster Maxim Dlugy called the Wednesday mistake “the most horrible blunder of this match.” It was the third game in a row in which one player or the other made a significant mistake.

Following are moves in the 10th game of the chess championship, with Kasparov playing white:

1. e4/e5; 2. Nf3/Nf6; 3. d4/exd4; 4. e5/Ne4; 5. Qxd4/d5; 6. exd6/Nxd6; 7. Nc3/Nc6; 8. Qf4/Nf5; 9. Bb5/Bd6; 10. Qe4+/Qe7; 11. Bg5/f6; 12. Bd2/Bd7; 13. 0-0-0/Qxe4; 14. Nxe4/Be7; 15. g4/a6; 16. Bc4/Nd6; 17. Nxd6+/Bxd6; 18. Rde1+/draw agreed.