Khalifman leads again in chess finals

The win for Khalifman, 33, of Russia, helped him rebound from a tough loss in the previous game.

Needing only one point in the remaining two games, he is now a strong favorite to claim the title and $660,000. The loser will take home $396,000. Prizes for the 100 participants will total $3 million.

If the score is tied after six games, tie-breaker matches Sunday will determine the new champion.

Regardless of the outcome here, one tradition will endure: since World War II no one from outside the former Soviet Union has played a game as World Champion.

America's Bobby Fischer took the title in 1972 but never played another game before retiring when the Federation Internationale des Echecs wouldn't meet all of his demands three years later.

Each finalist scored six victories to qualify for this match.

Akopian, 27, of Armenia was undefeated while eliminating the highly seeded Michael Adams of England and Russia's Evgeny Bareev.

Top players knocked out by Khalifman included Gata Kamsky of the United States, Israel's Boris Gelfand and Judit Polgar of Hungary.

Thursday's game followed a known path through 16 moves, but Khalifman was able to gain what he called a "comfortable advantage" shortly thereafter.

By the time 40 moves and four hours were completed, the Russian had won a pawn. Most grandmasters believed he also had a winning position.

Akopian defended well and managed to reach a complicated position where many experts thought he could manage the draw.

Khalifman, however, played confidently, countering all of the Armenian's tricks to force the win after six hours and 61 moves.

The federation is sponsoring this monthlong, knockout event, the second championship decided in this manner. The organizers plan to hold such tournaments annually.

Historically, the world title has been decided by the champion playing a long match against a challenger decided by three years of qualifying events.

The federation doesn't believe such a system is feasible anymore.

Garry Kasparov, the world's top player, has criticized the new system, saying it promotes inferior chess and a less worthy champion.

Grandmaster Walter Browne, a six-time champion of the United States, and many other elite players believe this format provides more excitement and is "more human," being a contest between two players rather than teams of analysts.

Browne believes the winner will be a legitimate champion since, despite the absence of Kasparov and the current champ, Anatoly Karpov, most of the world's top players participated.

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

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. Be3 exd4 8. Nxd4 Re8 9. f3 c6 10. Bf2 d5 11. exd5 cxd5 12. O-O Nc6 13. c5 Nh5 14. Qd2 Be5 15. g3 Ng7 16. Rfd1 Be6 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. f4 Bf6 19. Nb5 Be7 20. Rac1 a6 21. Nd4 Bf6 22. Nf3 Qa5 23. Qxa5 Nxa5 24. b4 Nc6 25. Rb1 h6 26. a4 g5 27. fxg5 hxg5 28. g4 Ne5 29. Nxe5 Bxe5 30. Be3 Rf8 31. Rf1 Bf4 32. Bxf4 gxf4 33. Bf3 Rf7 34. a5 Rd8 35. Rbe1 d4 36. Re4 d3 37. Bd1 d2 38. Rfxf4 Rxf4 39. Rxf4 Ne8 40. Kf2 Nc7 41. h4 e5 42. Rc4 Nd5 43. Kf3 Rf8+ 44. Ke2 Rd8 45. Kf3 Rf8+ 46. Ke2 Rd8 47. Rc2 Nf4+ 48. Ke3 Nd5+ 49. Ke2 Nf4+ 50. Kf3 Kf7 51. c6 bxc6 52. Rxc6 Rd3+ 53. Ke4 Ke7 54. h5 Rd4+ 55. Kxe5 Rxb4 56. Rc7+ Kf8 57. Rd7 Ng2 58. h6 Kg8 59. g5 Ne3 60. g6 Rb5+ 61. Ke4 1-0

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