Our web reporter is spending the week with the Kasparov team, bringing back an exclusive look at the mood and the moments inside the world champion's camp.

Frederic Friedel was devastated. "It's terrible. Garry was battered very badly," said Kasparov's technical adviser in the wake of Deep Blue's dramatic game 2 victory.

What appeared to make the defeat worse was that Kasparov seemed to make no glaring errors during the game. "The computer just played a superb game," said Friedel.

But there was Kasparov's manager, Owen Williams, with a grin that lit his face like a jack-o-lantern. "Garry's not going to be happy," he said. "But it's the best thing to happen to chess. It will be front-page news: `The Computer Fights Back!'"

Andrew Page, of Club Kasparov, the champion's web site, agreed. "We'll get two million (dollars) for the rematch next year," he said in a vain effort to console Friedel.

Kasparov entered the match wearing the same suit he wore yesterday. "It's his lucky suit. He wore it back in '95 when he defeated (Vishy) Anand" to defend his world championship, said another of Kasparov's aides.

Kasparov doesn't always rely on luck to gain his advantage. His aides note that physical conditioning is integral to maintaining a mental edge. Kasparov gets most of his exercise swimming and lifting weights. "He is built like a bull, which gives him an advantage over his human opponents," said Friedel, "especially those grandmasters I see smoking and walking around with glasses of Jack Daniels in their hands."

The champion also runs, and he had to do a bit of it Sunday morning on his jaunt in Central Park when he and his aides were nearly run over by joggers when they accidentally wandered into the middle of a road race.

Bits and Pieces: Before he begins play, Kasparov takes all the pieces of the board and resets them, a habit one of his aides likened to a violinist practicing his scales just before performing. He likes to arrange the knights so they face the middle of the board... Speaking of superstitions, Kasparov believes the number 13 is his lucky number. He was born on the 13th day of the month, and he is the 13th world champion, notes Friedel... The press room waiter, who before Game 1 predicted a Kasparov win, said prior to Sunday's match he thought the champion would be tired and therefore would lose. That makes him 2-0 as a handicapper. Let's see what he says Tuesday.

-- Jeff Kisseloff