The seventh match at the World Chess Championship ended in a draw - just like all of the previous matches. Challenger Sergey Karjakin was unable to capitalize on a mistake by the champion, Magnus Carlsen.
After Magnus Carlsen, pictured above, had made his 16th move on Sunday, the world champion shook his head slightly, and it was clear to all of the chess experts gathered in New York that something was not going to plan.
"That was a big mistake," Carlsen said later, describing the moment when he had carelessly moved his rook two squares to the side. "I don't know how I overlooked that," he added.
It was a move that even amateurs could easily see through and the perplexed Karjakin was suddenly in a position to force a favorable exchange. "Sloppy play," is how former World Chess Championship finalist Nigel Short put it.
Carlsen rescues a draw
But Carlsen was in luck on Sunday. Despite his mistake, all was not lost. The champion from Norway sacrificed a pawn and gained a position that could hardly be lost.
"Nothing had really gone wrong, the position was relatively easy to hold," a relieved Carlsen would say later.
His Russian opponent saw things the same way.
"I just could not improve my position," Sergey Karjakin explained.
And so the seventh match of this 12-match World Championship ended with the 33rd move.
Karjakin: "I will try to take my chance when I get it."Image: picture alliance/dpa /P. Foley
By Sunday, a few of the chess enthusiasts in New York were showing signs of becoming restless. However Karjakin, the challenger, was unimpressed.
"No one wants to lose a game," was how he explained the seven consecutive draws.
"So many draws are a little unusual," Carlsen said, "but that will not continue."
Moving into the decisive phase
The champion now has a small advantage going into the final five matches. In three of the games he will be playing as white, meaning that he as the first move and can use this to try to put his opponent under pressure.
"This is a match over five games," Carlsen said confidently. "It will be very interesting." With the two players tied at 3.5 points earch, Karjakin can be expected to stick to his strategy of biding his time and waiting the always somewhat impatient Carlsen to make an error.
"I will try to take my chance when I get it," Karjakin said.
The players earn one point for a win and half a point for a draw. The first player to 6.5 points wins the title. Further matches will be scheduled if they are still tied after 12 matches.
10 strategy games that are good for your brain
From chess to StarCraft, here are 10 classic strategy games that will challenge - and strengthen - your brain.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Warnecke
Chess: King of games
The word chess is derived from the Persian "shah," which means king. The board was developed between the third and sixth centuries in India and is comprised of 64 small squares. Only two players can play against each other, using 16 pieces each. The aim is to checkmate your opponent by threatening their king in such a way that it cannot escape or be freed by another piece in the next move.
Image: MEHR
Go: Made in Asia
Go originated in China, but was largely developed in Korea and Japan. It's played with black and white stones on a board crisscrossed by 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines. Stones are placed on the intersections of the lines, with the aim being not to eliminate your opponent but to capture a majority of the board.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Shogi: Japanese chess
This Japanese variation of chess is played on a board divided into nine fields, though smaller or larger boards are also common. There's one important difference between shogi and chess: In the Japanese version, pieces are not assigned to a particular player, but can be used by both. Checkmate, however, is still the aim of the game.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Sasahara
Checkers: Jump and steal
A checkers board looks like a chessboard, but the rules differ greatly. In this case, players can only move their pieces diagonally across the darker squares, one square at a time, until they are able to capture their opponent's piece by jumping over it. The winner is the first to steal all of the other player's pieces. Checkers is also known as draughts and is called "Dame" ("lady") in German.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Bouys
Nine Men's Morris: Mill's the game
The board consists of three squares of gradually smaller size drawn within each other. Two players participate with nine tiles each. The aim is to get three of the tiles in a row, known as a mill, which allows you to remove one of your opponent's tiles. The winner is the first to reduce his opponent to two tiles, thereby hindering a three-tile mill.
Image: Imago/Schöning
Tic-tac-toe: Circle or square?
It's perhaps the best game for long car trips, because all you need is a pencil and piece of paper. Tic-tac-toe dates back to the 12th century. Two players alternate in drawing an X or an O on a nine-square grid. The first player to create a row - horizontally, vertically or diagonally - wins. Tic-tac-toe was one of the first strategy games played on computers.
Image: imago/J. Tack
'Connect Four': The vertical board
It's also considered a board game - but it's played vertically. "Connect Four" was introduced in 1974 and is a game for two players. The first to get four tiles of their color in a row - vertically, horizontally or diagonally - wins. It's similar to tic-tac-toe, except there are 42 open squares instead of just nine.
Image: imago/blickwinkel
'Civilization': From the board to the screen
Initially conceived as a board game, "Civilization" was introduced in 1980. The idea was complex: A civilization must survive hardships from antiquity to the Iron Age. Seven players can play simultaneously and one game can last up to 10 hours. In 1991, "Civilization" was launched as a computer game and became an international hit.
Image: 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
'Anno': Playing with people and resources
Another favorite resource-related game is "Anno," introduced in 1998. The idea behind it is to discover and populate fictional islands and then meet the needs of the new island residents. It's also possible for players to compete against each other - simulating attacks and trade.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Stratmann
'StarCraft': A national pastime
For some it may be a simple diversion, but in South Korea "StarCraft" is a national pastime. The real-time strategy game was introduced in 1998 and has remained one of the most popular computer games on the market. Player build a base, collect resources and acquire soldiers to fight their opponents. Online tournaments are of national importance in South Korea - and even open to spectators.
