Kasparov, Karpov Adjourn 10th Game

LONDON — Champion Gary Kasparov and challenger Anatoly Karpov adjourned the 10th game of the world chess championship Friday, and experts said the game is likely to end in a draw. The game is to be resumed today, but some commentators said they thought the players would agree to a tie without playing further.

Kasparov, playing white in the 10th game, holds a 5-4 lead.

The champion arrived at the board first, and Karpov was more than three minutes late. In a gesture of sportsmanship, however, Kasparov did not play a move when his clock was started, but allowed his own time to run until Karpov arrived. Kasparov then pushed his queen’s pawn forward two squares.

The opening followed a well-known variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, until Karpov played a new move on his 13th. Kasparov thought for 14 minutes about his reply, and later established a strong knight in the center.

The winner of the match will be the first player to score six victories or 12 1/2 points. Winning a game is worth one point; a draw is worth half a point.