Anand v Topalov Reaches Halfway Point

With 6 of the 12 scheduled games played at the 2010 World Chess Championship Vishy Anand leads by 3.5-2.5 points.

Game 6 was a fascinating psychological battle.  In another Catalan, Anand was the first to vary once again, but this time he failed to gain a significant advantage.

A classic two bishops versus two knights battle ensued, with Anand's knights dancing around deep in enemy territory keeeping Topalov's rooks fully occupied.

Finally it was Topalov's turn to sacrifice a pawn to break the bind and take the initative himself.  It was a clever move to guarantee a draw.

A strange end to the game then occured as Topalov initially refused a repetition draw, only to concede to the inevitable shortly thereafter.  Topalov's unilateral imposition of the "Sofia Rules" is a unique piece of psychological warfare in the history of the world chess championships.

The players now have another rest day, so game 7 kicks off on 3 May at 12:00 GMT.  Chess.com will have live coverage at Chess.com TV for Platinum and Diamond members.