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.  

After a fierce battle in round eight, both players appeared to dial down the intensity for game nine, which lasted for nearly six hours and 80-odd moves as Nepomniachtchi, a pawn up, probed Ding’s defence.

But Ding has maintained his aggressive approach at the start of each game as he tries to level the score, and today’s game 10 was no exception, with the Chinese player opting for the English opening.

Game 10: Ding Liren (white) v Ian Nepomniachtchi.

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bc5 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. d4 Bb4 7. dxe5 Nxe4 8. Qf3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bc5 10. Qg3 Kf8 11. Be2 d6 12. Bf4 Qe7 13. Rd1 h5 14. 0-0 h4 15. Qd3 g5 16. exd6 cxd6 17. Bxd6 Qxd6 18. Qxd6+ Bxd6 19. Rxd6 Be6 20. f4 Ke7 21. Rd4 gxf4 22. Rfxf4 h3 23. g4 Rac8 24. Kf2 Rc5 25. a4 Ra5 26. Bd1 b6 27. Kg3 Rh6 28. Rfe4 Kf8 29. Rd8+ Kg7 30. Ra8 Rc5 31. Rxa7 Bxc4 32. Rae7 Rhc6 33. R7e5 Rxe5 34. Rxe5 Bb3 35. Bxb3 Rxc3+ 36. Kh4 Rxb3 37. Rb5 Ra3 38. Rxb6 Rxa4 39. Kxh3 f5 40. gxf5 Rf4 41. Rb5 Kf6 42. Kg3 Rxf5 43. Rxf5+ Kxf5 44. h4 Kg6 45. h5+ Kxh5 (draw agreed)