China's Hou moves closer to World Chess Champion title with another draw

Hou Yifan from China is just one win away from clinching a 2016 golden chess crown after she played another draw against Maria Muzychuk from Ukraine in the Women World Chess Championship final on Friday.

The Game 7, which was held at the Pototsky Palace in Lviv in western Ukraine, lasted more than 5 hours and was the most spectacular round of the 10-game tournament so far.

Starting from the very beginning, the reigning world champion Muzychuk, who desperately needed a victory to stay afloat in the match, went into all-or-nothing battle with unpredictable attacks.

However, Hou has managed to stem the onslaught, playing slowly, but confidently.

The players agreed on a draw after 81 moves have been played.

Following seven games, Hou has accumulated 4.5 points in her tally with two wins, five draws and no defeats. Muzychuk has earned 2.5 points.

With only three remaining games, the Ukrainian grandmaster has very little chances to close a two-point gap and grab another half of a point to shift the match into a tie-break.

The eighth game will be contested on Saturday in Lviv and Hou will play black pieces.

If Hou wins, she would earn 5.5 points, thus becoming the next world champion ahead of the schedule. Endit