Game Three: October 12 Slugfest!
Game three was the kind of full-blooded battle that one associates with a finely balanced title match. Both players were stretched in a ferocious battle, and Kramnik maintained his one point lead by tightroping in to safety after Kasparov emerged from first session complications with what looked like a clear advantage.
The opening was a repeat of the stodgy variation of the Ruy Lopez/Spanish that was a snooze in game one, but this time people who think you need queens on the board to guarantee action learned otherwise.
As time pressure arrived both players obliterated one half of the board, and Kasparov seemed to finally gain the upper hand thanks to his powerful bishop in a simplified but still unbalanced ending.
Both sides will now retire to the drawing board to determine if any finesses were missed in the excitement, and if Kasparov's lasting pressure today means it is time for the challenger to take up a new defence.
A full weekend of action awaits, and it is now Kasparov's turn to try and weather the storm that has battered the black pieces in the recent days of this match.
White Gary Kasparov (2849) 1/2-1/2 Black Vladimir Kramnik (2770)
Current score: Kramnik 2 - Kasparov 1
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