Draw makes Kasparov champion

GARRY KASPAROV can no longer lose his chess match against Nigel Short. After drawing yesterday's 19th game at the Savoy theatre, London, he took his lead to 12- 7, with five games left to play.

Yesterday's game was a curious affair, ending just as it seemed to be getting interesting. After an early exchange of queens, Short's position looked comfortable. Kasparov, despite playing with the white pieces, was thinking for a long time over his moves, while Short's came quickly and confidently.

At move 23, Kasparov initiated a manoeuvre that let his rook in among Short's weak black pawns. It was clear that Short had either stumbled into a bad position, or had seen some deep idea of counterplay that nobody else in the hall had appreciated. Just as most of the spectators were despairing of Short's position, Kasparov, a pawn ahead, offered a draw which Short accepted.

Analysis after the game indicated that the position was considerably more complicated than had been apparent to the vast majority of those watching, and perhaps Short and Kasparov did understand it better than anyone else after all. Nevertheless, agreeing a draw at that moment was a very strange decision, perhaps only justifiable by Kasparov's position in the match.

The result means Kasparov will become the first PCA world champion, since Short, Kasparov and his lawyer, the only known members of the PCA, all agreed that he was world champion after they broke from the International Chess Federation (Fide).

In the Fide world championship, being played in Jakarta, Indonesia, Anatoly Karpov leads Jan Timman by 8 1/2 -5 1/2 .

Here are the full moves of the Kasparov-Short game.

White: Kasparov

Black: Short

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6

3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 d6

5 Bxc6+ bxc6 6 d4 exd4

7 Qxd4 Nf6 8 0-0 Be7

9 e5 c5 10 Qd3 dxe5

11 Qxd8+ Bxd8 12 Nxe5 Be7

13 Re1 0-0 14 Bg5 Be6

15 Nd2 Rfe8 16 h3 h6

17 Bh4 Rad8 18 Ndf3 g5

19 Bg3 Bd5 20 Rad1 Kg7

21 c4 Bb7 22 Rxd8 Rxd8

23 Nc6 Bxc6 24 Rxe7 Rd1+

25 Kh2 Ne4 26 Rxc7 Draw