CHESS

"I don't give a [expletive deleted] about their game," complained an elderly tourist at the opening game of the world chess championship. "I'm here for the view." While Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand are locked in battle in a soundproof glass dome on the 107th floor observation platform of the World Trade Centre in New York, admission prices have risen from $3.50 to $15. "Spend your money," Mayor Giuliani advised spectators at the opening ceremony. "We'll collect taxes on the money you spend."

For those who had paid $75 for the best seats at the match, the opening game - a cautious draw - worked out at around $1.40 (just less than pounds 1) a move. As expected, Anand opened 1.e4, though according to one agency report, "Anand moved his king's pawn four squares". The Americans have clearly not quite got the hang of the game. Even the Mayor apparently moved the wrong pawn two squares forwards and had his ceremonial opening move of 1.c4 retracted by Anand.

Against Kasparov's habitual Sicilian Defence, Anand opted for the cautious 6.Be2 and K-side castling in place of the more overtly aggressive systems he has used in the past.

White's 12.Qd2 is slightly unusual (the queen is generally developed via e1 to g3 in this variation) indicating slow restraint and Q-side pressure rather than direct attack.

After 14 moves, Anand had used only 8 minutes on his clock, but when he spent over an hour on the next five moves, it was clear that he was having difficulty formulating a plan.

The best move of the game was Kasparov's 25...a5! (though the champion later said it would have been stronger on the previous move). Apparently ceding the b5 square to White's knight and giving up any hope of playing b5 himself, it is just the sort of move you do not play in this type of position, yet here it was just right.

With White's knight tied to the defence of e4, and Black's now stabilised on c5 against any threat of b4, White's initiative has totally evaporated. Anand was happy to accept Kasparov's offer of a draw. A tentative start by both men.

White: Viswanathan Anand

Black: Garry Kasparov

1 e4 c5 15 Bf3 b6

2 Nf3 d6 16 Qf2 Nd7

3 d4 cxd4 17 Nd4 Bb7

4 Nxd4 Nf6 18 Bh5 Rf8

5 Nc3 a6 19 Qg3 Nxd4

6 Be2 e6 20 Bxd4 Bf6

7 a4 Nc6 21 Be2 e5

8 0-0 Be7 22 fxe5 Bxe5

9 Be3 0-0 23 Qf2 Nc5

10 f4 Qc7 24 Bf3 Rfe8

11 Kh1 Re8 25 h3 a5

12 Qd2 Bd7 26 Rfe1 Bc6

13 Rad1 Rad8 27 b3 h6

14 Nb3 Bc8 Draw agreed