Viswanathan Anand looks all set to retain his world champion title when the battle against Russian Vladimir Kramnik resumes after a rest day here on Thursday.

The Indian, who started the 12-game match with black pieces, will play as white in the seventh game and it looks all over at the halfway stage with the score reading 4.5-1.5 in the favour of Anand.

When asked about his chances after the sixth game, Kramnik deflected the question, saying: “I just have to try to show good chess, to try to play better to win a game. If I do this, maybe I could get some chances at the end of the match...”.

The sixth game was opened by legendary world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia, who made the first move on behalf of Anand and it was only a coincidence that Anand won it in true-Karpov style: confusing Kramnik, probing his defences and making him suffer before the Russian finally resigned.

The stage was set in the third game that the Indian won with consummate ease, and another victory in the fifth game as black sealed Kramnik’s hopes almost decidedly.

Only Boris Spassky, in the 1972 match against Bobby Fischer, has been able to make a comeback after having trailed by a huge margin.

It looks like party time for Anand and Co already. As things stand, it will be a miracle if Kramnik can last till the final game.