Kasparov Concedes 7th Game; He and Karpov Are Tied at 3 1/2

Defending champion Garry Kasparov on Saturday conceded the seventh game of the World Chess Championship to challenger Anatoly Karpov, leaving the pair deadlocked in their $3-million showdown.

Kasparov--acknowledged by chess experts to be at a disadvantage in the game at the point it was adjourned for the night Friday--opted to resign rather than resume play, said Phyllis Arnold, spokeswoman for the championship.

Kasparov submitted his capitulation in writing to chief arbiter Geurt Gijssen without appearing to see Karpov’s sealed 44th move.

The championship is tied at 3 1/2-3 1/2. A player gets one point for a victory, and each player gets a half point for a tie. Each player has now won once, with the other five games ending in draws.

The first player to reach 12 1/2 points wins the championship. Kasparov, who dethroned Karpov in 1985, would retain his title if the match ended in a 12-12 tie.

The first 12 games are being played in New York and the remainder will be played in Lyons, France. The winner will receive $1.7 million and the loser will get $1.3 million.

The seventh game was adjourned Friday night when Karpov wrote down his 44th move and sealed it in an envelope.

Karpov appeared to have a significant advantage over Kasparov when the game adjourned because he had an extra pawn and was thought to be in a superior position on the board.