Defending champion Viswanathan Anand, playing with Black pieces, drew with Magnus Carlsen in the opening match of the world chess championship in Chennai today. Game one went on for one hour and twenty-two minutes and both competitors played 16 moves each before a draw was declared.

With every match worth a single point, both players take half point each. Both players Anand and the 22-year-old Carlsen will play 12 matches over 20 days to decide the winner. In head-to-head ahead of today’s clash, Anand leads the Norwegian 6-3.

Anand and Carlsen are playing for a 2.55 million dollar purse. The 43-year-old Grand Master is the undisputed world champion since 2008. He first won in 2000. Anand is favourite to retain his crown. Carlsen is the current world No. 1 and became the second youngest Grandmaster in the history of the sport when he was 13. The first to reach 6.5 points in Chennai will be the winner. A win is worth a point.