Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand turned 55 on Wednesday and his protege D Gukesh had the chance to give a befitting present to the legend while getting within touching distance of becoming the youngest-ever occupier of the throne. Having lost Game 12 to Ding Liren on Monday immediately after taking the lead, Gukesh ideally needed to make the most of his last game with white pieces if he wanted to settle the contest before the tie-breaks. As it turned out, the Indian’s efforts to squeeze water out of stone only resulted in a stalemate after 68 moves. The Chinese champion now has white pieces in the final game of classical chess and if it too ends in a draw, the two combatants will go into tie-breakers playing formats with quicker time control. It is said that chess legend Garry Kasparov received a call from one of his mentors, Mikhail Tal, the night before he became world champion. The latter, who had worn the crown previously, had said: “Tomorrow is my birthday. And I expect a …