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World Champion Viswanathan Anand [Images] played out an easy draw with black against Vladimir Kramnik [Images] of Russia [Images] in the first game of the World Chess Championship in Bonn, Germany [Images] on Tuesday.

Playing with white, it was a rather insipid approach by Kramnik that led to the dull draw.

The Russian, well-known for his safety first approach, in fact did not trouble Anand at all.

However, this could also be termed as checking the scales. In the past many world championships, such approaches have been common to guage what the opponent has prepared and in all likelyhood, Kramnik will show his prepared ammunition against the Slav defense, the preferred choice by the Indian ace in the first game of the 12-games match.

It was a well-rehearsed opening theory in the Exchange variation. Something that gives the white player a surely level position with some chances in case black makes a mistake.