Caution prevails in chess finals

Khalifman admitted to being tired and didn't wish to take any risks of losing. He was satisfied to preserve the one-game lead he acquired with a victory Sunday.

Akopian, playing black, was also content with the status quo. He is sure to make a big push with the white pieces in game three Tuesday.

Because white always moves first in chess, playing that color is a large advantage at this level.

This is 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 3 points will receive the $660,000 and the title of World Champion. The loser will earn $396,000.

Khalifman seemed to gain an edge at the beginning on Monday's game. He overestimated one of his moves, however, and the Armenian was able to improve his position. The players then quickly agreed to a draw.

The Russian now leads 1 1/2-1/2.

Neither player was expected to reach the finals here. Akopian was seeded 31st and Khalifman 36th. Both contestants are regarded as solid grandmasters, but neither had reached the top echelon.

Here Akopian has upset superstars Michael Adams of England and Evgeny Bareev of Russia.

Khalifman has beaten fourth-seeded Gata Kamsky of the United States, Israel's 12th-seeded Boris Gelfand, and Judit Polgar, the world's top woman player.

He believes Gelfand was his toughest opponent.

Akopian and Khalifman have met seven times during the last 13 years, and Akopian has never won a game. Four contests ended in draws.

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.

Khalifman stated that both formats have their advantages, but the knockout style encourages "one-on-one" play and results tend to be "more human." The long championship matches, he says, are often a battle between the contestants' teams of analysts.

Garry Kasparov, the world's best player, and Karpov are not playing here due to disputes with the federation.

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

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bxc5 7. g3 Qb6 8. e3 Be7 9. Bg2 a6 10. O-O Qc7 11. b3 d6 12. Bb2 Nbd7 13. Ng5 Rb8 14. Rac1 O-O 15. Rfd1 b6 16. Nce4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Bb7 18. Qc3 1/2-1/2

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