IAN NEPOMNIACHTCHI goes into tomorrow’s 11th game of the World Championship match in Astana, Kazakhstan, needing just two points to clinch the title.

The Russian, who is playing under the neutral flag of Fide, the sport’s world federation, secured another draw with the black pieces in today’s game against opponent Ding Liren of China to lead the 14-match contest by 5.5 points to Ding’s 4.5.

While not offering the most perfect chess, the two rivals have provided plenty of thrills, with decisive results in half of the games so far, though the match has calmed a little in the latter days with three draws in a row.