Chess

After six rounds in Linares, Spain, Alexander Belyavsky leads with 41/2 points, followed by Karpov, Topalov, Ivanchuk and Khalifman on 4. Nigel Short languishes at the other end of the field with 2 points.

Short showed a glimpse of his powers in round four with the following convincing win. Taken by surprise by 10.f4 and 11.e5, Ljubojevic over- reacted by going on a hunt for the white a-pawn. After 22.c5! (22...Bxc5 loses to 23.Qc4) Black must lose material. At the end 31...Ba5 loses to 32.Rg3+ Kf8 33.Qd6+.

White: N. Short

Black: L. Ljubojevic

1 e4 c5 17 Rb1 Qc7

2 Nf3 e6 18 c4 h5

3 d4 cxd4 19 Bc3 Rh6

4 Nxd4 Nc6 20 Qh4 Be7

5 Nc3 Qc7 21 f5 e5

6 Be2 a6 22 c5 Ra3

7 0-0 Nf6 23 Qb4 Rxc3

8 Kh1 b5 24 Qxc3 Qa7

9 Nxc6 dxc6 25 Rb6 Bd8

10 f4 b4 26 Rb3 Bc7

11 e5 bxc3 27 Be4 Qa8

12 exf6 gxf6 28 Qf3 Kf8

13 Qe1 Qa5 29 Bxc6 Qa7

14 bxc3 Rb8 30 Qd5 Kg7

15 Bd2 Rb2 31 Be8 resigns

16 Bd3 Rxa2

The following day was less happy for Short, when he met Karpov at his remorseless best:

White: A. Karpov

Black: N. Short

1 d4 d5 27 Re3 Rd8

2 c4 dxc4 28 f3 Rc7

3 Nf3 a6 29 Rae1 Nh5

4 e3 Nf6 30 Qxe7 Rxe7

5 Bxc4 e6 31 Kf2 Ng7

6 0-0 c5 32 g4! Rc7

7 Bd3 cxd4 33 Rc1 g5

8 exd4 Be7 34 Ree1 h5

9 Nc3 b5 35 h3 fxg4

10 a4 b4 36 fxg4 Rf8+

11 Ne4 Bb7 37 Ke3 Rf4

12 Qe2 0-0 38 Rf1 Rxf1

13 Rd1 Nbd7 39 Rxf1 Nc6

14 Ned2! a5 40 Bxc6 Bxc6

15 Bb5 Nb6 41 Rf6 hxg4

16 Nb3 Bd5 42 hxg4 Bd5

17 Nc5 Nbd7 43 Rg6 Rc8

18 Be3 Ra7 44 Rxg5 Rf8

19 Ne5! Nb8 45 Ncd3 Kh7

20 Bf4 Ne8 46 Nf4 Bb3+

21 Rd3 Bg5 47 Nd7 Rf7

22 Bxg5 Qxg5 48 Nc5 Bd1

23 Rg3 Qe7 49 Ne4 Rf8

24 Qh5 f5 50 Nf2 Bxa4

25 Rh3 Nf6 51 Rxa5 Bc6

26 Qh4 g6 52 Ra7 resigns