Kasparov downs Shirov to book the top spot

Kasparov downs Shirov to book the top spot
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LINARES (SPAIN), March 5: The world’s top ranked chess player Russian Garry Kasparov ground out a superior endgame to defeat Alexei Shirov of Spain in the eighth round of the Linares Chess tournament. Kasparov’s victory yesterday gave him an unassailable two game lead with two rounds to go.

In other games, former world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia beat Hungary’s Judit Polgar, while Hungarian Peter Leko drew with Russian Alexander Grischuk.With the black pieces, Shirov played the open defence variation of the Ruy Lopez, apparently for the first time in his career. After a long think, Kasparov played a temporary knight sacrifice that was first introduced by Karpov in his 1978 World Championship match against Viktor Korchnoi, and has been extensively analysed since.

They followed the main line of the variation, in which black sacrifices a piece and gets two connected passed pawns as compensation.

After the game, Kasparov said that Shirov’s 30th move was the final error, though the experts in the press room felt that Shirov was already lost at that point. Kasparov blocked Shirov’s passed pawns and then, starting on move 32, they began to fall.

After winning both passed pawns, Kasparov gave back his extra material to force simplification into a winning endgame. Shirov resigned on move 38.

Shirov defeated Vladimir Kramnik in 1998 in what was supposed to be a match for the right to play Kasparov for the championship. But sponsorship for the match fell through and it never took place.

When Kasparov lost a championship match to Kramnik last year, Shirov sued claiming that Kasparov was obliged to play him first. He has also claimed that the match between Kasparov and Kramnik was fixed.

When the two players met last month at Wijk Aan Zee in The Netherlands, Kasparov refused to shake hands with his opponent for what he said afterwards was the first time in his life. He then proceeded to crush Shirov.

Kasparov and Shirov did not shake hands today or in their game from round three of this tournament, which was drawn.

Karpov meanwhile, grabbed a pawn in the opening against Polgar, but her superior development gave her lots of compensation. Gradually, however, Karpov was able to stifle her play and convert his advantage in a marathon lasting 80 moves and nearly seven hours.

Leko obtained the bishop pair against Grischuk’s two knights. But Ljubojevic called this “a symbolic advantage” and predicted a draw. Leko was able to make Grischuk squirm a bit but Ljubojevic’s prediction came true on move 48.

The tournament is a double-round robin with each player playing every other player twice, once with White and once with Black.

Standings after eight rounds: Kasparov 6; Polgar 4; Grischuk, Karpov, Leko, Shirov 3.5.