Chess

The New York leg of the Intel World Chess Grand Prix was won by Garry Kasparov with an imperious performance in the final against Vassily Ivanchuk, after a close shave in the semi-final against Vladimir Kramnik.

After two tense draws in the Kasparov-Kramnik match the issue had to be resolved by a five-minute shoot-out. Kramnik, playing White, needed to win to go through to the final but missed several chances before the game was finally drawn after 66 moves. By the rules, Kasparov went through by virtue of having had the black pieces in the play-off.

The final was almost an anti-climax. Ivanchuk, impressive in the earlier rounds, was strategically outplayed in the first game and the risks he took trying to win the second never looked like paying off.

In the opening game, Kasparov gave a beautiful demonstration of the advantages of a pair of bishops over even two well-placed knights. Beginning with 20...f5! he shifted the emphasis to the K-side. When Ivanchuk had to play 32.h4 to prevent Bxh3, the end was near, and when he found that 33.Ra1 would lose to 33...Qd3, it was time to give up.

Ivanchuk-Kasparov

1 e4 c5 19 b4 Ra8

2 Nf3 d6 20 Nb3 f5

3 d4 cxd4 21 Na5 Rc8

4 Nxd4 Nf6 22 Qh3 Rf7

5 Nc3 a6 23 Rfe1 Qe8

6 Be3 e5 24 Qh4 Qf8

7 Nf3 Be7 25 exf5 Bxf5

8 Bc4 0-0 26 f3 Bc2

9 0-0 Be6 27 Ra1 Bf5

10 Bb3 Nc6 28 h3 Qe8

11 Bg5 Na5 29 Qf2 Qe6

12 Bxf6 Bxf6 30 Rad1 Qg6

13 Nd5 Nxb3 31 Kh1 Rcf8

14 axb3 Bg5 32 h4 Bc2

15 Qd3 Bh6 33 Rd2 Bxd2

16 Rad1 Rc8 34 Qxd2 Qg3

17 Nd2 b5 35 Nb7 Rxb7

18 c3 Kh8 White resigned