Khalifman gains early lead in chess finals

Alexander Khalifman of Russia gained a significant edge when he defeated Vladimir Akopian with the black pieces Sunday in the first game of six in the finals of the World Chess Championship.

The loss was Akopian's first of the tournament, despite the apparent upperhand he had by playing with white. White always moves first in chess and is considered a large advantage at this level

The game was the seventh round of the monthlong tournament that started with 100 players. The Federation Internationale des Echecs organized the event at Caesars Palace and provided the $3 million prize fund.

The first player to score three points will become chess' 14th world champion and will receive $660,000. The loser will get $396,000.

Akopian of Armenia began the game with an unusual sequence of moves. Both players used much of the two hours they were allotted for the first 40 moves to make only a dozen moves.

The position soon became very complicated, but several grandmasters believed Khalifman was gaining the edge.

Akopian must have agreed, for he sacrificed one of his pieces for two pawns and some attacking chances. Most strong players believed Khalifman had the only winning chances, although it was possible the Armenian could draw.

As the players became short of time, Khalifman made some errors and Akopian developed some chances to win.

Once the players received some additional thinking time, Khalifman played very well, neutralized Akopian's chances and finally forced the win.

Neither player was originally expected to reach the finals.

Akopian, 27, was a prodigy winning world championships in the under 16, under 18 and under 20 divisions. Before this event, he had never fulfilled that promise, however.

Khalifman, 33, has been a solid grandmaster for many years but never reached the very top level.

This is the second time that the world title has been decided in a knockout-style tournament. Anatoly Karpov, the World Champion, won the first event in 1997. The chess world was upset because he was seeded into the finals. There, a fresh Karpov defeated a tired Viswanathan Anand of India.

The world championship traditionally had been decided by the current champion playing a long match with a challenger every three years.

The federation now plans to determine a new champion annually using the elimination format.

Garry Kasparov, generally recognized as the world's top player, has tried to discredit the event. He has pointed out that many of the best players, including himself, Anand, the world's second-ranked player, and Karpov did not compete here.

Most of the contestant's here, including top-seed Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, Alexey Shirov of Spain, the second seed, and Michael Adams, the English fifth seed, disagreed.

All said, after they were eliminated, that the winner of this event will be a worthy world champion, since many of the world's elite had competed here.

They also pointed out that the players cited by Kasparov had the opportunity to participate here.

The score of the first game of the finals between Akopian, playing white, and Khalifman:

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. b4 Bg7 4. Bb2 O-O 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 e5 7. d3 Nh5 8. Nc3 f5 9. O-O Nc6 10. b5 Ne7 11. e4 c5 12. bxc6ep bxc6 13. c5 d5 14. exd5 cxd5 15. Qb3 e4 16. dxe4 fxe4 17. Nxe4 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 dxe4 19. Ng5 Bf5 20. Nxe4 Rb8 21. Qc3 Nd5 22. Qa3 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 Nhf6 24. Bf3 Qc7 25. Rac1 Ne7 26. c6 Nf5 27. Qc3 Rbc8 28. Rfe1 Qg7 29. Rcd1 Rc7 30. Re6 h5 31. Qe5 Kh7 32. h3 Ng8 33. Qe4 Nf6 34. Qe5 Ng8 35. Qe4 Rf6 36. Rxf6 Nxf6 37. Qb4 Qe7 38. Qb8 Nd6 39. g4 hxg4 40. hxg4 Nf7 41. Kg2 Kg7 42. Re1 Qd8 43. Qb2 Ng5 44. Re3 Qd6 45. Qa3 Qxa3 46. Rxa3 Kf7 47. Be2 Ne6 48. Ra4 Nd5 49. Bf3 Ne7 50. Kg3 Kf6 51. Rc4 Ke5 52. Rc1 Nd4 53. Re1+ Kf6 54. Bg2 Nexc6 55. f4 Ne7 56. Bf1 Rc3+ 57. Kg2 Nc2 0-1

archive