LONDON - Champion Garry Kasparov and challenger Vladimir Kramnik ended game seven of the world chess championship Thursday by agreeing to a draw after only 11 moves.
The 48-minute session came after several exciting games in recent days, including two marathons of over six hours each. Kramnik has won one game in the 16-game match; the other six have ended in draws.
On Thursday, Kasparov, playing white, repeated the English Opening from game six. In that game, it was Kramnik who had the white pieces.
Kasparov, evidently upset at not gaining an advantage Thursday, offered a draw after his 11th move. Kramnik readily accepted.
The game was apparently the shortest of Kasparov's career, according to Michael Greengard of the kasparovchess.com Web site.
Kasparov said afterward that he was ''not happy with the result.'' Kramnik retorted that ''these things happen. I'm playing black and I have no reason to refuse.''
Kasparov was indignant at the suggestion that world championship contracts should contain provisions against short draws, as did the contracts for the elite Linares tournaments. ''That question is a mixture of impoliteness and ignorance,'' he said. ''No one asked Petrosian and Botvinnik, who played a world championship match with many such draws in 1963, about this.''
The sponsors of the match, braingames.net, are putting up a $2 million purse. Kramnik won game two of the series.
Game eight of the match will take place in London on Saturday.
On the Net:
http://www.braingames.net
http://www.kasparovchess.com