Chess

Independent Pursuits

WHEN DID Garry Kasparov last start a tournament with two losses? As a Rapidplay event, the Frankfurt Chess Classic does not have the importance of a major tournament, but Kasparov's defeats by Kramnik in round one and by Anand in round two show how much the balance of world chess power has shifted in the last year or two.

In the first round, Kramnik calmly refuted a pawn sacrifice by Kasparov in the opening, rebuffing his opponent's attacking attempts and winning the endgame, while in the second round, Anand kept impressive control of the White side of a Sicilian to deny Kasparov the sort of counterplay that he usually seems to create automatically. Kasparov finally got going in the third round, with a win as White against Ivanchuk.

The most thrilling game of the early rounds, however, was this extraordinary battle between Ivanchuk and Kramnik. After bewildering complications, White emerged with the better endgame, but threw it all away as his time began to run out.

White: Vassily Ivanchuk

Black: Vladimir Kramnik

1 e4 e5 31 Kf3 Qh5+

2 Nf3 Nf6 32 Ke4 Qg4+

3 Nxe5 d6 33 Kd3 Qxd4+

4 Nf3 Nxe4 34 Qxd4 cxd4

5 d4 d5 35 g3 Rg2

6 Bd3 Nc6 36 Bc5 Rxf2

7 0-0 Be7 37 Bxd4 Rf3+

8 c4 Nb4 38 Ke4 g4

9 Be2 0-0 39 Nf5 h5

10 Nc3 Be6 40 b4 Ra3

11 Ne5 f6 41 Bxf6+ Kh7

12 Bg4 Bc8 42 b5 Rxa2

13 Bxc8 Rxc8 43 c5 Rc2

14 Nf3 c5 44 c6 bxc6

15 Qe2 Re8 45 Nd4 Rf2

16 Nxd5 Bd6 46 Be5 cxb5

17 Nxb4 Ng3 47 Nxb5 a5

18 Qd3 Nxf1 48 Nc3 Kg6

19 Nd5 Nxh2 49 Bc7 Rf3

20 Nxh2 Re1+ 50 Bxa5 Rxg3

21 Nf1 Qe8 51 Ne2 Ra3

22 Bf4 Rxa1 52 Nf4+ Kh6

23 Bxd6 Qe1 53 Bd8 Ra4+

24 Ne7+ Kh8 54 Kf5 g3

25 Nxc8 Rd1 55 Bg5+ Kh7

26 Qf5 Qxf1+ 56 Bh4 g2

27 Kh2 Qh1+ 57 Nxg2 Rg4

28 Kg3 Rg1 58 Nf4 Rxh4

29 Qd5 g5 White resigned

30 Ne7 Qh4+