Karpov’s Rally Ties Match Up

LENINGRAD, Soviet Union — 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.