Candidates Final, Game 6

The sixth game of the standard control part of the Candidates Final match between Boris Gelfand and Alexander Grischuk is under-way. This is the last game with standard time controls. The winner of this game 6 will proceed to challenge World Champion Anand for the title in 2012. In case it is a draw, the players still proceed....to the rapid tie-breakers, that is.

Last night, I thought Grischuk might finally win a game here (all his regular games against Aronian and Kramnik were draws). Playing White, he had a space advantage against Gelfand. But an inaccuracy - just one - allowed Gelfand to break out of the tight spot and trade pieces to a draw.

Tonight Gelfand has the white pieces. He will try to win but if we look at the trend, this will be another draw. Out of the total 21 regular games that both have played in Kazan, only one has been decisive. I predict they will roll the dice in the rapids ( four games ), and maybe the blitz as well.