Playing white, Leko had better positions in the Spanish opening. Anand gave up castling and did not develop his King bishop. The Indian Grandmaster missed a likely win after Leko came under time pressure. But Leko managed his 40th move under the allotted two hours and the two decided to split the point after 44 moves.

Kasparov's domination of the tournament was apparent in his game against Ivanchuk. Ivanchuk accepted the queen's gambit offered by Kasparov, improving the latter's position. A good bishop move on the 12th bc2 followed by 13.D5 put kasparov in firm control.

With Kasparov's bishops dominating, a tense Ivanchuk, though he could have managed a draw, resigned on the 36th move to everyone's surprise.

Svidler, playing black, could not break Kramnik's stranglehold on a grunfeld game. After attempting to salvage it bysacrificing a rook for a bishop, he resigned after the 33rd move.

The result made Kramnik the only player apart from Kasparov to have scored more than one win, while for Svidler, it was the fourth successive loss.

Michael Adams, not his usual self in the earlier rounds, drew with Veselin Topalov in 24 moves of a Sicilian-Najdorf. In the tenth round, to be held after a rest day, Anand will play with white pieces against Kasparov, who has won all his four games with black pieces.

Ivanchuk will meet Kramnik, Svidler takes on Adams and Topalov will be up against Leko.

Results (ninth round):Kramnik (5.5) bt Svidler (3), Kasparov (7) bt Ivanchuk (3), Leko (4) drew with Anand (5), Adams (4.5) drew with Topalov (4).