chess

Pastimes

This weekend, the PCA world championship between Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand will have its formal opening in New York. The first game will be played on Monday, and hostilities continue for five weeks with a maximum of 20 games.

If you cannot wait for the next day's Independent, the moves will be carried, with half-hourly updates, on Channel 4 teletext, or super-highwaymen may follow them almost live on the Internet chess club.

Kasparov is certainly taking the threat to his title seriously, as he showed by missing the Intel Grand Prix in London last weekend in order to acclimatise himself to New York.

Anand preferred to get back into the swing of competition after months of preparation. He lost in the semi-finals, but not before producing this nice effort. Black's 13th move (see diagram) sets problems, since 14.Nb3 loses to 14...Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Nfg4+, but 14.Na4? was not the answer. After 14...Bg4! White was lost. 15.f3 Bxf3! 16.gxf3 Bxd4+ wins everything for Black.

White: J Lautier

Black: V Anand

1 d4 Nf6 11 Re1 exd4

2 c4 c6 12 Nxd4 Ne5

3 Nc3 d5 13 Bf1 Bc5

4 e3 e6 14 Na4 Bg4

5 Nf3 Nbd7 15 Qd2 Bb4

6 Bd3 Bd6 16 Nc3 Rad8

7 0-0 0-0 17 Be3 c5

8 e4 dxc4 18 Nf5 Bxf5

9 Bxc4 e5 19 Qc2 Bg6

10 Bg5 Qe7 White resigns