After seven draws in a row, there’s finally been a result in the World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin – with the latter pulling off a remarkable result on Monday.

The Russian, who is underdog against Norway’s Carlsen, finished his 40 moves in 100 minutes with just ten seconds left on the clock, but capitalised on the reigning champion’s blunders in passing up chances to draw again.

After seven games that ended in draws, suspense was mounting – experts say Carlsen was put in difficult positions during the two matches held Friday and Sunday, but Karjakin was unable to capitalize and convert his advantage into a checkmate.

“The last two games have not been so interesting,” Carlsen had said after the 7th draw before adding: “anything can still happen.”

The tournament is being followed in-person by hundreds of fans, many of whom have traveled to New York specially for the matches.

With every draw, the players earn 0.5 points, and the score is 4.5-3.5 in favour of Carlsen now.

The first to reach 6.5 points will be declared world champion and will take home 600,000 euros ($636,000). The loser will walk away with a consolation prize of 400,000 euros.

If there is still a tie after the 12th game on November 30, new matches will be scheduled.

The tournament is remarkable for the youth of the two players: Carlsen is 25 and Karyakin is 26.  

It is also the first between players who came of age in the computer era, representing a generational shift in the game.

The battle has prompted comparisons with the 1972 showdown between American Bobby Fischer and the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky, two rivals in the Cold War-era whose showdown was dubbed the “Match of the Century.”

With inputs from AFP