Comments from Daily Telegraph Chess Correspondent Malcolm Pein.

All Photos © Eugeny Atarov ("64")

3Ks KOd

What a black day for Kasparov, Kramnik, Karpov and co. The first two rounds of the Alfa Bank Russia v Rest of the World match were disastrous for the Russians as the visitors raided the Kremlin and emerged with a 11.5-8.5 lead after two of the ten rounds. Surely there can never have been a day when three world champions scored 1.5/6 without a single victory between them.

Photo ©Eugeny Atarov ("64"). Garry Kasparov at the start of his game against Vassily Ivanchuk on day 1. Smyslov, Spassky, Seirawan and Campomanes are amongst those looking on whilst Kirsan Iljumzhinov plays the first move.

The first round started sensationally with Kasparov defeated by the unpredictable genius Vassily Ivanchuk who had seen an unusual counter to the Sicilian Defence initially backfire. Kasparov played quite ingeniously, undeveloping a piece in the opening, keeping his king in the middle and sacrificing a pawn to open up lines on the queenside where Ivanchuk's king looked quite uncomfortable and his knight was stranded. The game turned on a tactical point that put Ivanchuk right back in the game and Kasparov seemed unable to adjust to the idea that he might not be better. The queens came off and his position went steadily downhill. 'Chuky' finished the game by promoting a pawn, see below.

World number three Vishy Anand was in great form. He blanked out former Russian champion Alexander Motylev with black and although he was initially outplayed by Vadim Zviagintzev in round two he fought back and finished with a trademark combination. World champion Vladimir Kramnik started with a solid draw as black against Peter Leko (improving on Michael Adams' play against Leko at Dortmund by going back to a continuation first played in 1972) who he has to play in the Classical Chess World Championship final in April and then he found Ivanchuk's defence firm in round two. Motylev was a reserve but I understand that Alexey Dreev just refused point blank to play Anand and sent his compatriot into battle instead.

Photo © Eugeny Atarov ("64").

But Anatoly Karpov was the real villain for Russia. The twelfth world champion lost both games; the first to Ilya Smirin of Israel and the second to the teenage sensation Teimour Radjabov from Kasparov's home town of Baku. Radjabov, who reached the final of the Fide Grand Prix in Moscow earlier this year stormed the kingside with a series of sacrifices and gave the former darling of the Soviet state what Nigel Short would describe as ' a good tonking' and in the Kremlin Palace as well - he shows no respect. Short ended the day on 1/2 after escaping from a bad position against his good friend Peter Svidler with white but he was rock solid against Alexander Grischuk with black. Judit Polgar lost both games for the Rest of the World team.

Round 1 Russia 4.5-5.5 Rest of the World

* denotes Russian player

*Motylev  0-1 Anand
*Rublevsky draw  Ponomariov
Leko draw  Kramnik *          
Ivanchuk  1-0  Kasparov *
* Morozevich draw  Gelfand 
* Bareev  draw Shirov
Short draw  Svidler *
Polgar  0-1  Grischuk *
* Karpov 0-1 Smirin 
* Khalifman draw Radjabov 

Round 2

Russia 4-6  Rest of the World

Anand 1-0 Zviaginsev
Ponomariov draw Motylev
Kasparov draw Leko
Kramnik draw Ivanchuk
Gelfand 0-1 Bareev
Shirov 1-0 Morozevich
Grischuk draw Short
Rublevsky 1-0 Polgar
Smirin draw Khalifman
Radjabov 1-0 Karpov

Overall score Rest of the World 11.5-8.5 Russia

Ivanchuk,V (2711) - Kasparov,G (2838) [B90]
RUS vs. ROW Moscow RUS (1), 08.09.2002

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Rg1 g6 7.g4 Bg7 8.Be3 Nc6 9.f3 [ 9.Be2 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.g5 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qxd8+ Kxd8 14.0-0-0+ Ke8 15.Bd4 Kf8 16.Bc5 Be6 17.Bg4 Bd5 18.b3 f5 19.gxf6 Bxf6 20.c4 Bf7 21.Rge1 h5 22.Bh3 h4 23.Bg4 a5 24.Rxe4 a4 25.b4 Kg7 26.Bxe7 Rhe8 27.Rd7 Bxe7 28.Rexe7 Rxe7 29.Rxe7 Rd8 30.Be6 Kf6 31.Rxf7+ Kxe6 32.Rc7 Rf8 33.Rxc6+ Ke5 34.Kb2 Rxf2+ 35.Ka3 Rxh2 36.Rxg6 Rc2 37.c5 h3 38.Rh6 h2 39.Kxa4 Rxa2+ 40.Kb5 Kd5 41.Rh5+ Kd4 42.c6 Re2 43.Kb6 1-0 Balinov,I-Naumann,A/Dresden 2000/EXT 2001 (43)] 9...e5! 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Qd2 Be6 12.0-0-0

12...Bf8! Very calm. 13.Na4 h5 14.h3 Nd7 15.Qc3 hxg4 16.hxg4 d5!! 17.Qxc6 d4 18.Bd2 Rc8 19.Qb7 Rb8 20.Qxa6 Ra8 21.Qb5 Bxa2 22.Bc4 Bxc4 23.Qxc4 Qf6 [ 23...Rc8 24.Qd3 Qf6 is perhaps more accurate.] 24.g5! Qd6 Possibly Kasparov overlooked that: [ 24...Qxf3 25.Rdf1 Qxe4 26.Rxf7 is no fun to play for him.] 25.Kb1 Rh3 26.Rgf1 Be7 27.b3 Qa3 28.Bc1 Qb4 29.Qxb4 Bxb4 30.f4 Rh4 31.Rh1 Rxh1 32.Rxh1 Ke7 33.f5 Ra6 34.Rh7 Nc5 35.Bd2 Rxa4 36.fxg6 Bxd2! 37.bxa4 Nxe4

This loses immediately to 38. g7. However even the superior 37...Kf8 38.Rxf7+ Kg8 39.Ra7 Nxe4 40.a5 is almost certainly losing also. 1-0

Motylev,A (2634) - Anand,V (2755) [B12]
RUS vs. ROW Moscow RUS (1), 08.09.2002

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 c5 7.Be3 Nc6 8.dxc5 a6 9.Nd4 [ 9.f4 Qh4+ 10.Ng3 d4 11.Bg2 dxe3 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Qf3 Ne7 14.0-0-0 h5 15.h3 e2 16.Ncxe2 Nd5 17.c4 Bxc5 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.f5 Qg5+ 20.Kb1 Bh7 21.gxh5 Bxf5+ 22.Nxf5 Qxf5+ 23.Qxf5 exf5 24.Rxd5 Be3 25.Ng3 g6 26.hxg6 fxg6 27.Rd6 Kf7 28.Rhd1 Rxh3 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.Rd7+ Kh6 31.Nxf5+ Kg5 32.Nxe3 Rxe3 33.Rg7 Rc8 34.a3 Rb8 35.Rgxg6+ Kh5 36.Rxa6 Re1+ 37.Ka2 Re2 38.Rgb6 Re8 39.e6 Kg5 40.a4 Kf6 41.a5 1-0 Piepho,N-Gospodinow,N/GER 1997/EXT 2002 (41)] 9...h5! 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.g5 Ne7 12.Bh3 Rb8 13.Qd4 Bf5! 14.Bg2 Bxc2 15.Qd2 Bg6 16.Na4 Nf5 17.0-0 Be7 18.f4 Nxe3 19.Qxe3 Qa5 20.b3 Rb4! 21.Kh1 0-0 22.Rac1 Rfb8 23.f5 Bxf5 24.Rxf5 exf5 25.e6 Qc7 26.exf7+ Kxf7 27.Re1 Re4! 28.Bxe4 fxe4 29.Qh3 g6 30.Nb6 Rd8 31.Rf1+ Kg7 32.Qe6 Bxg5! 33.Rg1 Bf6 34.Rf1 Qe7 35.Qxc6 e3 36.Nxd5 e2

0-1

Leko,P (2722) - Kramnik,V (2807) [C42]
RUS vs. ROW Moscow RUS (1), 08.09.2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nf6 9.h3 Nb4 10.Be2 dxc4 11.Bxc4 0-0 12.Nc3 Nbd5 13.Bg5 c6 14.Re1 Be6 15.Qb3 Rb8

[ 15...Qb6 16.Qxb6 axb6 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Bb3 ( 18.Bd3 h6 19.Bf4 Rfc8 20.Nd2 Ne8 21.Nf1 Nd6 22.Ne3 Bf8 23.Be5 Ra5 24.Bxd6 Bxd6 25.Bf5 1/2-1/2 Grischuk,A-Gelfand,B/Biel SUI 2001/The Week in Chess 352 (25)) 18...Bb4 ( 18...Rfc8 19.Re2 Kf8 20.Ne5 Ne4 21.Nd7+ Bxd7 22.Bxe7+ Kxe7 23.Bxd5 Kd6 24.Bxe4 Re8 25.Re3 Bc6 26.Bc2 Bd5 27.a3 Rec8 28.Bb3 Ra5 29.Rae1 Rc7 30.Rg3 g6 31.Re8 Bc6 32.Rd8+ Ke7 33.Rh8 Rh5 34.Re3+ Kf6 35.Rd8 Bd7 36.d5 Re5 37.d6 Rc1+ 38.Kh2 Rxe3 39.fxe3 Bc6 40.Rc8 Rc5 41.Rc7 Rg5 42.e4 Bxe4 43.Rxf7+ Ke5 44.Re7+ 1-0 Svidler,P-Jussupow,A/Yerevan ARM 2001/The Week in Chess 363 (44); 18...h6 19.Bf4 Rfc8 20.Ne5 g5 21.Bh2 Bb4 22.Re2 Ne4 23.Nd3 Bf8 24.Rae1 Bg7 25.Be5 Bxe5 26.Nxe5 Kg7 27.Nd3 Rc7 28.Nb4 Rd8 29.g4 Nf6 30.Kg2 Rd6 31.f3 Bd7 32.Kg3 Kf8 33.h4 Bb5 34.Re5 gxh4+ 35.Kxh4 Bc4 36.Bc2 Bb5 37.a3 Rd8 38.Kg3 Kg7 39.Bf5 Kf8 40.Rh1 Kg7 41.Nc2 Re8 42.Ne3 Rce7 43.Kf4 Bc6 44.Bc2 Bd7 45.g5 1-0 Leko,P-Adams,M/Dortmund GER 2002/The Week in Chess 401 (45)) 19.Re5 ( 19.Rec1 Ne4 20.Bf4 Rfc8 21.a3 Bd6 22.Be3 Rc6 1/2-1/2 Motylev,A-Fridman,D/Mainz GER 2002/The Week in Chess 406 (22)) 19...Nd7 20.Re2 Rfc8 21.Ne1 Nb8 22.Nd3 Nc6 23.Nxb4 Nxb4 24.g4 h6 25.Bf4 g5 26.Be3 Bd7 27.a3 1/2-1/2 Kasimdzhanov,R-Fridman,D/Essen GER 2002/The Week in Chess 394 (27); 15...Re8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Bb5 Rf8 19.Nh4 Kh8 20.Bd3 Qd6 21.Nf5 Bxf5 22.Bxf5 Qf4 23.Rxe7 Qxf5 24.Qxb7 Rg8 25.Re3 Rab8 26.Qxf7 Rxb2 27.Rf1 Qg6 28.Qxd5 Rb5 29.Qc6 Rg5 30.Rg3 Rxg3 31.fxg3 Rf8 32.Kh2 f5 33.d5 Qg5 34.d6 Qf6 35.Qd5 Kg7 36.d7 Kg6 37.Re1 Qd8 38.Re6+ 1-0 Ornstein,A-Valkesalmi,K/Jarvenpaa 1985/MCD (38)]

16.Rad1 [ 16.Rac1 Nc7 17.Bxe6 Nxe6 18.Bh4 Nf4 19.Rcd1 N4d5 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Bxe7 Nxe7 22.Qa3 Nc8 23.d5 cxd5 24.Re5 Nb6 25.b3 a6 26.Qb4 Qf6 27.a4 Rfd8 28.a5 Na8 29.Re7 b6 30.Rde1 h6 31.Qd4 Qxd4 32.Nxd4 Rdc8 33.Ra7 Rc7 34.Rxc7 Nxc7 35.Re7 Na8 36.b4 bxa5 37.bxa5 Rb4 38.Nc6 Rc4 39.Ne5 Rc1+ 40.Kh2 Nc7 41.Nxf7 d4 42.Ne5 Re1 1/2-1/2 Matulovic,M-Kurajica,B/Umag 1972/MCD (42); 16.Ne5 Re8 17.Rad1 Qd6 18.Bh4 Qb4 19.Qc2 Rbd8 20.Bd3 h6 21.Bg3 Qa5 22.Nc4 Qa6 23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxe6 Nb4 25.Qe2 fxe6 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Bb1 Bf6 28.Qf5 Kg8 29.Qh7+ Kf8 30.Bd6+ Re7 31.b3 Ke8 32.Qg8+ 1-0 Hulak,K-Toth,B/Budva 1981/MCD (32)]

16...Re8 17.Bh4 h6 18.Ne5 Qb6 19.Qxb6 axb6 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21.Nxd5 cxd5 22.Bb3 g5 23.Ng4 Bxg4 24.hxg4 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Bxd4 26.Rd1 Bxb2 27.Rxd5 Rc8 28.Rd7 Rc1+ 29.Kh2 Rc7 30.Bxf7+ Kg7 31.Rxc7 Be5+ 32.g3 Bxc7 33.Bd5 Kf6 34.Bxb7 Ke5 1/2-1/2

The two teams of twelve include ten players plus two reserves who may be called in to replace any player for any one of the four days of competition. The match will be run under the Scheveningen System in which each player faces all the members of the opposing team once. There will be three more games on Monday and Tuesday and two on Wednesday.