Adams, Anand draw first game

GRONINGEN, December 26: Viswanathan Anand and Englishman Michael Adams settled for half-a-point each today in the first of their four-game Fide World Chess Championship match at Groningen.

The winner will go on to challenge Fide world champion Anatoly Karpov over six games in Lausanne, Switzerland starting January 2.

Adams, playing white, responded to Anand’s Sicilian defence by sacrificing a central pawn on move seven for a slight advantage in space and a kingside attack.

But Anand (Elo rating 2765) defended diligently and though