SOFIA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian chess star Veselin Topalov and U.S. chess champion Gata Kamsky finished with a tie at the 37th move in the third match of the World Chess Challenge in Sofia on Friday, local press reported.

    Topalov, who played white on Friday, is leading to Kamsky 2-1 after two ties and one victory for him in three matches.

    There are at least five more matches to go, and if their points are even then, Kamsky and Topalov will meet in a tie-break.

    The fourth game will be played on Saturday, and Kamsky will have the white pieces.

    Topalov, currently ranked number one in the world, is a former world champion and a fiery competitor. He has been among the world's best players for years, but it was only after the retirement of Garry Kasparov in 2005 that he broke through to the top.

    Kamsky, No. 17 in the world, was a prodigy. He rose as high as No. 4 by the time he was 21, played a match for the title in 1996 and then abruptly quit for eight years.

    The World Chess Challenge Sofia 2009 will continue until February 28 in the National Palace of Culture. The winner will compete for the world title against the current world chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India.