Adams's latest victory confirms his strength

MICHAEL ADAMS, 22, confirmed his position among the world's strongest chess players by reaching the last eight in the series of eliminators for the Professional Chess Association world championship.

The PCA, founded by Nigel Short and Garry Kasparov early this year, is running its own championship to rival the official competition of the International Chess Federation, Fide. Adams is one of only four players who remain in both competitions.

Since competing in adult events, aged seven, Adams, from Truro, Cornwall, has closely shadowed the career of Nigel Short. It was Short's record that Adams broke when he became the youngest British Champion at the age of 17. He also became Britain's youngest grandmaster.

In the latest rating list of the British Chess Federation, Adams has even edged above Short to take the top position.

The PCA qualifier, which finished yesterday in Groningen, the Netherlands, comprised 54 grandmasters competing to join Nigel Short in eliminating matches to determine a challenger for Garry Kasparov in 1995.

Yesterday, Adams agreed an eight-move draw with Gata Kamsky (US) which took them both into the qualifying zone. The other qualifiers are Viswanathan Anand (India), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Boris Gulko (US), Sergei Tiviakov (Russia) and Oleg Romanishin (Ukraine).

Results in the first round of the Hastings International Tournament were as follows:

Nunn 1 2 - Gurevich 1 2 ; Sadler 1 - Sherbakov 0; Hebden 0 - Rogers 1; Arakhamia 1 2 - Hennigan 1 2 ; Barua 1 2 - Krasenkov 1 2 .