Viswanathan Anand played out an easy draw as black with Richard Rapport of Hungary to stay in joint lead on six points after the end of the ninth round of Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here. Tackling his first of the two back-to-back black games in a row with ease, Anand had a level position on board for the major part and is now in a three-way tie with four rounds still remaining in the first super tournament of the year. Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia joined Anand and world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the lead following a fine victory over Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi.

Ding Liren of China played out a draw with tailender Vladimir Kramnik to be joint fourth along side Dutchman Anish Giri who was held to a draw by compatriot Jorden Van Foreest. In the other decisive game of the day, Teimour Radjabov slipped against fellow Russian Vladimir Fedoseev and both are now at a fifty percent score with Duda Jan Krzysztof of Poland. For Anand, the Queen's gambit declined has been working well for a long time and the ninth round was no different. Rapport tried his hands at a variation that leads to early endgame and the queens got traded as early as on eighth move.