Chess

The latest issues of both Chess Monthly and the British Chess Magazine both give extensive coverage to the recent encounter between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue, though neither offers a completely convincing explanation of why the world champion lost to the incredible hulk of silicon. The bleary-eyed picture of Kasparov on the front of the BCM and the eye- witness account in Chess both confirm how exhausting an experience the match was for Kasparov - yet he had had to play only six games in nine days.

For Kasparov, there is something about losing to a machine that is particularly draining. When he is beaten by a human, you can be sure that he will come back the next day, furiously eager to avenge the defeat. In his PCA world title defence against Anand two years ago, it was only after losing a game that Kasparov seemed to begin playing at all. But when Deep Blue beat him in the second game in New York, it took all the fight out of him.

Next time, Kasparov assures us, things will be different and he is probably right - if there is a next time. The men at IBM would probably do well to avoid him for the next couple of years at least.

The British Chess Magazine (pounds 2.60 an issue, pounds 27 a year) is available from 69 Masbro Road, London W14 0LS (0171-603-2877).

Chess Monthly (pounds 2.95 as issue, pounds 29.95 a year) is available from 369 Euston Road, London NW1 3AR (0171-388-2404).

Meanwhile, back against humans, Kasparov has been showing his usual ability to bounce back aggressively from defeat. After losing to Kramnik in Novgorod, here is his next game.

Black's 15...b4, 16...b3 and 17...Nxe4 was a very energetic way to defend his d-pawn, of which the full point was revealed with 20...Nh5. After 21.Rxe4 Rxe4 22.Qxe4 Re8, White loses his bishop on f4.

37...Bf1! was a nice finish. After 42.Bf1 Qf2 it is all over.

White: Boris Gelfand

Black: Garry Kasparov

1 d4 Nf6 22 Nc3 Rab8

2 c4 e6 23 Rab1 Bxc3

3 Nf3 b6 24 bxc3 Rxb1

4 a3 c5 25 Rxb1 Bc4

5 d5 Ba6 26 Nd2 Nxd2

6 Qc2 exd5 27 Qxd2 f4

7 cxd5 g6 28 Re1 Re5

8 Nc3 Bg7 29 Re4 Rxe4

9 g3 0-0 30 Bxe4 Qxh3

10 Bg2 d6 31 Bg2 Qg4

11 0-0 Re8 32 Qe1 Ng7

12 Re1 Nbd7 33 f3 Qxg5

13 h3 b5 34 Qb1 Nf5

14 e4 Qc8 35 Qb8+ Kg7

15 Bf4 b4 36 Qxa7 Kh6

16 Na4 b3 37 Qf7 Bf1

17 Qxb3 Nxe4 38 Kxf1 Ne3+

18 Qc2 Ndf6 39 Ke1 Qh4+

19 g4 Qd7 40 Ke2 Qxh2

20 g5 Nh5 41 Kd3 Nf5

21 Bh2 f5 White resigns