Another Super K claims Chess Championship

Alexander Khalifman clinched the World Chess Championship title Saturday with a draw against Vladimir Akopian.

After 40 moves and almost four hours of play, Akopian stared at a position where he had no chance to win, shrugged his shoulders, and offered his opponent a draw.

Khalifman, 33, thus became chess' 14th world champion. He joins fellow Russians, Anatoly Karpov, who he just replaced, and Garry Kasparov as the only champions of the last quarter century.

"I don't claim to be the best chess player in the world," Khalifman said after the game, "but it is fact that I just won the World Championship, and it is the only world championship that the chess world has."

Akopian, 27, of Armenia tried for a complicated game where he would have some disadvantage but would also have serious winning chances if his opponent made a slip.

Since the Russian grandmaster only needed a draw, experts were surprised when he allowed the complications sought by his opponent. Khalifman explained that he thought about making a move that entailed much less risk but then said to himself: "Come on. This is the final game. I must play the best move."

The new champion managed to solve all of the problems posed by his adversary and end the match with a score of 3 1/2-2 1/2.

The Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) provided the $3 million prize fund for the 100 participants in the seven-round, month long event at Caesars Palace.

Khalifman earned $660,000, while Akopian settled for $396,000.

Seeded 36th, Khalifman won six matches, including upsets of American Gata Kamsky, Israel's Boris Gelfand, whom he called his toughest opponent, and Judit Polgar of Hungary, to reach the finals.

In each of the first two rounds Khalifman came through in must win situations after dropping the initial game.

Khalifman said he didn't take his chances to win the tournament seriously until he won the first game of the finals. He blamed this attitude for his bad form early, but also credited it for much of his success, since he felt little pressure.

Khalifman previously won the championship of Russia, the world's top chess power, but he had never been considered among the world's elite.

Kasparov, generally recognized as the world's top player, has demeaned the knockout format of the tournament, and most of the players who made it to the semifinals, calling them "tourists" on his Web site.

Neither Karpov nor Kasparov participated here due to disputes with FIDE.

Khalifman has had poor relations with Kasparov since 1992. The new champ admires Kasparov's play, but has little respect for him otherwise.

In contrast to Kasparov's notorious ego, Khalifman no longer even considers himself a professional player.

His first love and top priority is the Grandmaster Chess School that he founded in St. Petersburg and on the Web.

Khalifman says he will play "from time to time" and will definitely defend his crown in the elimination championship in 2000.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, president of FIDE, said Khalifman will only be seeded into the second round of that tournament. The champion said that he expects no special treatment.

Results of the sixth game in the finals of the World Chess Championship, including the players' last names, seed numbers, and nationalities. The player of the white pieces is listed first: Khalifman (36, Russia)-Akopian (31, Armenia) 1/2-1/2; Khalifman wins 3 1/2-2 1/2.

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

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 a6 7. a4 g6 8. Nd2 Nbd7 9. e4 Bg7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Re8 12. Qc2 Rb8 13. Ra3 Qe7 14. h3 h6 15. a5 g5 16. Nc4 Ne5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. f4 Qd4+ 19. Kh2 b5 20. axb6ep Rxb6 21. e5 dxe5 22. fxg5 hxg5 23. Bxg5 e4 24. Na4 Rd6 25. Rg3 Nxd5 26. Bh5 Rf8 27. Nc3 Kh8 28. Rxf7 Rxf7 29. Bxf7 Be5 30. Nxd5 Rxd5 31. Bxd5 Qxd5 32. Qd2 Qxd2 33. Bxd2 Kh7 34. Bc3 Bf4 35. Be1 e3 36. Kg1 Bxg3 37. Bxg3 a5 38. Bf4 e2 39. Kf2 Bb7 40. Kxe2 Bxg2

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