Author: Charles Unruh
Date: 21:03:24 08/19/99
Malcolm Pein writes daily for Britain's leading broadsheet newspaper the Daily Telegraph. Las Vegas Michael Adams went out of the 3million dollar FIDE World Championship KO when he lost the third game of his semi final to Vladimir Akopian of Armenia at Caesars Palace Hotel Las Vegas Nevada. Three players remain in the competition but Alexander Khalifman of St Petersburg seems likely to join Akopian in the final after defeating Romanian Liviu Nisipeanu to take a 2-1 lead with one game to play. Adams was one down with two to play and in his last game with the white pieces he had to go for the win. In an attempt to rectify the problems arising from an unfavourable opening he only compromised his position further and lost the match 0.5-2.5. The curse of the bookies' favourites struck again. Each time Victor Chandler has installed a new player as the best prospect they have promptly been eliminated. Adams was even money going into the semi finals. Adams ducked out of a theoretical confrontation after Akopian offered to contest one of Adams' favourite lines. Fearing some home preparation from the Armenian Adams played another move but it gave him no advantage and he ended up a tempo down on a previous game he played against the same opponent. Adams had to seek his chances in the endgame but inevitably overpressed and lost in 65 moves. This was a tragedy for English chess, Adams seemed on course to be the first ever English FIDE World Champion and a match to unify the world title between Adams and Garry Kasparov would have been a real possibility. The idea of Adams losing twice with the white pieces was unthinkable but he can look back on the championships with pride - the England no1 eliminated Vladimir Kramnik who had appeared impregnable and had not lost a serious game in 1999. It appears that the gargantuan effort Adams made in defeating the world no3 in a match that went to six games exhausted him and the next day he lost his first match game to Akopian and was always struggling after that. Adams can console himself with his prize money of $142,400 Akopian has already secured $316,800. Overall the performance of the English quintet was slightly disappointing if only because it was nearly so much better. Matthew Sadler was eliminated in his first match, also by an Armenian Karen Asrian. Jon Speelman played one great match and then blundered his queen against Boris Gelfand. After coming back from a hopeless position in round one Tony Miles lost in round 2. Miles won with black and then played a poor game to let the Pole Michal Krasenkow back in. Nigel Short looked to be in great form reached the last 16 with ease but foundered in the complications created by a sacrifice from Alexey Shirov that was unsound. Short lost rather than won with black and there was now way back. The whole competition is now rather flat with the last big name grandmaster having been eliminated. The winner will not even be rated in the world's top 50. FIDE World Championship semi finals (best of four) Game 3 Adams 0-1 Akopian, French Defence Tarrasch 65 moves; Akopian wins 2.5-0.5; Khalifman 1-0 Nisipeanu, Queen's Indian Defence, 42 moves; Match score Khalifman 2-1 Nisipeanu;
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