Quiet draws mark World Chess semifinals

All four players in the semifinals of the World Chess Championship at Caesars Palace made quiet draws in the second game of these four-game mini-matches.

Fifth-seed Michael Adams of England drew with Armenia's Vladimir Akopian in only 16 moves Monday. Liviu Nisipeanu and Alexander Khalifman agreed to a draw after 28 moves.

Adams, who lost the first game Sunday, had said he was tired after playing for seven straight days. He now must win at least one of the next two games if he is to reach the finals. Round three is Tuesday.

If a match is tied after four games, tie-breaker sets will be held Thursday.

The month-long tournament began with 100 players. It is sponsored by the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) and features prizes of $3 million.

Chess has had a tradition of the current champion playing a challenger every three years.

In 1997, FIDE decided to have the championship decided annually by an elimination tournament. This seven-round event is similar to that of a major tennis tournament.

Akopian and Adams have similar histories. Both are now 27 and were considered prodigies in their youth.

Adams became a grandmaster and won the British championship at 17. He made it to the semifinals in 1997 at the initial knockout world championship in the Netherlands. Here he has played steady chess and became the favorite by upsetting the top seed, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, in round five.

Akopian was World Junior Champion in the under 16, under 18, and under 20 divisions. He has become a strong grandmaster, but has not been able to imitate Adams and make it to the very top echelon.

Nisipeanu's success here was totally unexpected, even by himself. He is little known outside of his native Romania and was seeded 46th.

Before this tournament, the 23-year-old had had few opportunities to play against the game's elite and had never beaten any of them.

Here Nisipeanu has eliminated three of the top 15 players, No.14 Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia, sixth-seeded Vassily Ivanchuk and the second-ranked Alexei Shirov of Spain.

Khalifman of Russia is the oldest remaining competitor at 33. He has been considered a very strong grandmaster for more than 10 years, but has never been rated as a superstar.

The 36th seed struggled mightily to defeat India's Dibyendu Barua, ranked 72nd, in the first round. He appeared on his way home when he lost his first game in the next against the fourth-seeded Gata Kamsky of the United States.

Khalifman won that match in the tie-breakers and has since scored mild upsets over Boris Gelfand of Israel and Judit Polgar of Hungary.

The score of the second game of the semifinals between Nisipeanu, playing white, and Khalifman:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nf6 9. h3 O-O 10. Nc3 Nb4 11. Be2 Bf5 12. a3 Nc6 13. Re1 Be6 14. Ng5 Bf5 15. Bf1 h6 16. Nf3 dxc4 17. Bxc4 Bd6 18. d5 Ne7 19. Nd4 Bh7 20. Ndb5 Nf5 21. Bd3 Qd7 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 23. Nxd6 cxd6 24. Qd4 Rfe8 25. Bf4 Ne4 26. Bh2 Nxc3 27. bxc3 Qd3 28. Qxd3 1/2-1/2

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