Karpov’s Rally Ties Match Up

Anatoly Karpov stormed back from the brink of defeat to win his third straight victory today over champion Gary Kasparov and tie the World Chess championship with a remarkable comeback.

Just 10 days ago, the 35-year-old former champion looked finished. The flamboyant Kasparov was in command, outplaying the man he won the title from and leading by three points, 9.5-6.5.

But Karpov, the solid, unspectacular player, turned on his 23-year-old rival and reeled off three victories in a row, something chess experts crowding the hall said had never before happened to the jaunty Kasparov.

With just five games left to play--the 20th game is Friday--Kasparov still holds some advantages. He plays white three times in the remaining five games and will retain his title if the contest ends in a 12-12 tie.

The question is whether Karpov has dealt Kasparov a psychological blow from which he cannot recover. Kasparov also has no more timeouts left.