Comments from Daily Telegraph Chess Correspondent Malcolm Pein.

A euphoric Judit Polgar: Photo © Eugeny Atarov ("64")

The Rest of the World retained a slender lead over Russia at the end of another remarkable day's play at the Kremlin Palace the highlight of which was the first victory for the highest ever rated woman Judit Polgar over the highest ever rated man Garry Kasparov. At the half way stage with five of ten rounds played the score is Russia 24.5-25.5 Rest of the World.

The Rapid chess time control of twenty five minutes plus ten seconds per move has created plenty of interesting and at times very high level games but it does not seem to suit the world champions present. The three ' Ks', having managed a miserable 1.5/6 between them on day one did nor fare much better in rounds three, four and five. At the end of day two only reigning champion Vladimir Kramnik was on 50%. Garry Kasparov had just 2/5 and Anatoly Karpov had to swindle Peter Leko from a horrible position to reach the giddy heights of 1.5/4.

There was a little light relief for Kasparov in round four when he faced his favourite 'client' Alexei Shirov and despatched him with his customary ease. Then he faced Judit Polgar against whom he had a career score excluding blitz games of nine wins and three draws. Kasparov, the thirteenth world champion, whose lucky number is thirteen must have been looking forward to playing Polgar for the thirteenth time. The world's top female player had even lost her first two games. If I had been the tournament bookie I think I would have made myself scarce.

Kasparov decided he wanted to play like Kramnik and defended the Ruy Lopez with the Berlin Defence instead of his customary Sicilian. Polgar went into the main line that Kasparov employs against Kramnik to see what the world number one could come up with 'playing against himself'. Kasparov's new plan did not impress and she just slowly improved her position.

As opposed to Kramnik who is a master of constructive inactivity, Kasparov only looks half the player when he has no piece play and in the Berlin Defence Black usually has to grovel around on the back two ranks. Played developed along lines not too far removed from one of the seminal games of the Berlin Defence played in 1896 when three amateur players defended it without success against world champion Emmanuel Lasker.

After ignoring a possibility to simplify, Kasparov found his king uncomfortably placed on the central files as Polgar's rooks took a full part in the battle with her opposite numbers bystanders. Two pawns fell and with the prospect of more to follow Kasparov resigned. Polgar's victory came in an amazing eighth round in which the odds looked stacked against the Rest of the World but after eight decisive games honours ended even 5-5.

"It was a great feeling to beat Kasparov - especially since I don't have a good score against him," said a euphoric Polgar. Before the game, world team captain Yasser Seirawan had given her a choice between playing in round four against Morozevich or Kasparov in round five. She didn't hesitate for one moment - "I want to play Garry," was her determined reply.

Judit Polgar vs. Garry Kasparov rd 5: Photo ©Eugeny Atarov ("64")

Polgar,J (2681) - Kasparov,G (2838) [C67]
RUS vs. ROW Moscow RUS (5), 09.09.2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6 10.Rd1+ Ke8 11.h3 Be7 12.Ne2 Nh4

A new plan in this position but loses more time. This knight on f5 is usually a good piece for Black and often retreats to e7 and then goes to g6.

12...a5 followed by a4 has been played in conjunction with h5. Lasker's opponents in 1896 and others 100 years later played 12. ..Bd7 and tried a plan with ...g5 but found the Nf5 forced back to g7 after g2-g4. 12. ..Bc5 followed by ...Be6 looks best. eg.

1) 12...a5 13.Nf4 h5 14.Ne2 a4 15.Bg5 ( 15.Bf4 Be6 16.Ned4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 g5 18.Bd2 Rg8 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.g4 hxg4 21.hxg4 Kf7 22.Kg2 Rad8 23.Be3 Kg6 24.c4 Rh8 25.b3 axb3 26.axb3 Bb4 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Ra7 Bc3 29.Rxb7 Bxe5 30.Kf3 Bd6 31.Ke4 Rf8 32.f3 Rd8 33.b4 Rf8 34.c5 Bg3 35.Ra7 Rb8 36.Bd2 Rd8 37.Bc3 Rd1 38.Ra6 Rc1 39.Kd3 Rf1 40.Ke2 Rf2+ 41.Ke3 Rc2 42.Kd3 Rf2 43.Ke3 Rc2 44.Bd4 Rc4 45.Rxc6 Bf4+ 46.Kd3 Rxb4 47.Rxe6+ Kf7 48.Rf6+ Ke7 49.Rh6 Kf7 50.Ke4 Rb3 51.Rf6+ Ke7 52.Rh6 Kf7 53.Kf5 Rxf3 54.Rh7+ Ke8 55.Ke6 Bg3 56.Rh8+ 1-0 Benjamin,J-Almasi,Z/New York 1993/TD (56)) 15...Ra5 16.Bd2 Rc5 17.Rac1 Nh4 18.Nxh4 Bxh4 19.Nd4 Be7 20.c4 Rxe5 21.Bf4 Re4 22.Bxc7 Rh6 23.b3 g5 24.c5 g4 25.hxg4 hxg4 26.Rc4 axb3 27.axb3 Rh5 28.Nxc6 Rxc4 29.Nxe7 Rcxc5 30.Bd6 Be6 31.Ng8 Rcf5 32.Be7 f6 33.Rd8+ Kf7 34.Rf8+ Kg7 35.Nxf6 Rh6 36.Rb8 Re5 37.Bf8+ Kxf6 38.Bxh6 Rb5 39.Be3 Rxb3 40.Kh2 b5 1/2-1/2 Wang Zili-Galego,L/Macau 1996/EXT 2001 (40);

2) 12...Bd7 13.b3 Rd8 14.Bb2 Rg8 15.Rd2 Bc8 16.Rad1 Rxd2 17.Nxd2 g5 18.g4 Ng7 19.Ne4 Ne6 20.Bc1 Rg6 21.Be3 c5 22.N2g3 b6 23.Nh5 Ng7 24.Nhf6+ Kf8 25.Nh7+ Kg8 26.Nef6+ Kh8 27.Nf8 Bxf8 28.Rd8 Ne6 29.Rxc8 Kg7 30.Nd5 h5 31.gxh5 Rh6 32.Nf6 Rh8 33.Kg2 Kh6 34.h4 Bg7 35.hxg5+ Nxg5 36.Rxh8+ Bxh8 37.Ne4 1-0 Lasker,E-Herz/Lewitt/Keidanski/Berlin 1896/EXT 2001 (37)

3) 12...g5 13.b3 Be6 14.g4 Ng7 15.Ng3 c5 16.Ne4 Rd8 17.Ba3 Bd5 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.exf6 Ne6 20.Ne5 b6 21.c4 Bb7 22.Rxd8+ Nxd8 23.Rd1 Nc6 24.Bb2 Nb8 25.Ng6 Rg8 26.Ne7 Rh8 27.Be5 Nc6 28.Nxc6 Bxc6 29.Bxc7 Bd7 30.f3 h5 31.Kh2 hxg4 32.fxg4 Rh6 33.Rd6 Rg6 34.Kg3 Rh6 35.a3 Rg6 36.b4 Rh6 37.b5 Rg6 38.a4 Rh6 39.Bb8 Be6 40.Bxa7 Rxf6 41.a5 1-0 Yudasin,L-Rogers,I/Manila 1990/CBM 19 (41)

13.Nxh4 Bxh4 14.Be3 Bf5 15.Nd4 Bh7 16.g4! Be7 17.Kg2 h5 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.Kf3 Bg6 [ 19...Rd8 20.Rxd8+ Kxd8 21.Rd1+ Kc8 22.Bg5 is very strong.] 20.Rd2 hxg4+ 21.hxg4 Rh3+ [ 21...Bxf5 22.gxf5 Rd8 23.Rxd8+ Kxd8 24.Rd1+ Kc8 and sit tight was possibly preferable but not pleasant.] 22.Kg2 Rh7 23.Kg3 f6? When Black plays ...f6 in this line it is a sure sign things have gone wrong. The opening of the central files proves fatal. 24.Bf4 Bxf5 25.gxf5 fxe5 26.Re1 Bd6 [ 26...Be7 27.Bxe5 Rd8 28.Rxd8+ Kxd8 29.Bxc7+ Kd7 was a tougher defence.] 27.Bxe5

White is now winning. 27...Kd7 28.c4 c5 29.Bxd6 cxd6 30.Re6 Rah8 31.Rexd6+ Kc8 32.R2d5 Rh3+ 33.Kg2 Rh2+ 34.Kf3 R2h3+ 35.Ke4 b6 36.Rc6+ Kb8 37.Rd7 Rh2 38.Ke3 Rf8 39.Rcc7 Rxf5 40.Rb7+ Kc8 41.Rdc7+ Kd8 42.Rxg7 Kc8

After 43.Rxa7 Kb8 White can tidy up with 44.Rf7 or keep the two rooks on the seventh. 1-0

Round 3 (September 9, 2002) 16-00 (GMT+4)

Russia 5.5 - ROW 4.5 (14.0-16.0)

Gelfand, Boris         -  Kasparov, Garry        1/2   76  
Shirov, Alexei         -  Kramnik, Vladimir      1-0   45  
Morozevich, Alexander  -  Akopian, Vladimir   *  1-0   34  
Bareev, Evgeny         -  Short, Nigel D         1-0   41  
Radjabov, Teimour      -  Svidler, Peter         0-1   55  
Anand, Viswanathan     -  Khalifman, Alexander   1/2   45  
Dreev, Alexey          -  Leko, Peter            1/2   21  
Ponomariov, Ruslan     -  Zvjaginsev, Vadim   *  1-0   24  
Motylev, Alexander     -  Ivanchuk, Vassily      1/2   29  
Smirin, Ilia           -  Grischuk, Alexander    1/2   29  

[Substitutions Vladimir Akopian in for Judit Polgar
and Vadim Zvjaginsev in for Anatoly Karpov]

Round 4 (September 9, 2002) 18-00 (GMT+4)

Russia 5.5 - ROW 4.5 (19.5-20.5)

Karpov, Anatoly         -  Anand, Viswanathan      1/2  114
Leko, Peter             -  Motylev, Alexander      1-0   73
Khalifman, Alexander    -  Ponomariov, Ruslan      0-1   59
Short, Nigel D          -  Morozevich, Alexander   0-1   53
Grischuk, Alexander     -  Radjabov, Teimour       1-0   46
Svidler, Peter          -  Smirin, Ilia            1/2   35
Kasparov, Garry         -  Shirov, Alexei          1-0   30
Kramnik, Vladimir       -  Gelfand, Boris          1/2   31
Ivanchuk, Vassily       -  Dreev, Alexey           1/2   29
Azmaiparashvili, Zurab* -  Bareev, Evgeny          1/2   22

[Substitution Zurab Azmaiparashvili in for Judit Polgar]

Round 5 (September 9, 2002) 20-00 (GMT+4)

Russia 5.0 - ROW 5.0 (24.5-25.5)

Dreev, Alexey           -  Shirov, Alexei          1/2   29
Grischuk, Alexander     -  Ponomariov, Ruslan      1/2   28
Akopian, Vladimir     * -  Kramnik, Vladimir       0-1   26
Svidler, Peter          -  Anand, Viswanathan      1-0   33
Motylev, Alexander      -  Gelfand, Boris          0-1   29
Morozevich, Alexander   -  Smirin, Ilia            1-0   35
Bareev, Evgeny          -  Radjabov, Teimour       0-1   38
Leko, Peter             -  Karpov, Anatoly         0-1   55
Polgar, Judit           -  Kasparov, Garry         1-0   42
Ivanchuk, Vassily       -  Rublevsky, Sergei    *  1-0   64

[Substitutions Vladimir Akopian in for Nigel Short. 
Sergei Rublevsky in for Alexander Khalifman.]

Overall score: Rest of the World 25.5-24.5  Russia

Individual Scores after 5 of 10 rounds
 1 Grischuk, Alexander     g RUS 2702 3.5 / 5  2827
 2 Ivanchuk, Vassily       g UKR 2711 3.5 / 5  2871
 3 Morozevich, Alexander   g RUS 2716 3.5 / 5  2837
 4 Ponomariov, Ruslan      g UKR 2743 3.5 / 5  2820
 5 Svidler, Peter          g RUS 2690 3.0 / 4  2873
 6 Shirov, Alexei          g ESP 2697 3.0 / 5  2824
 7 Bareev, Evgeny          g RUS 2726 3.0 / 5  2747
 8 Anand, Viswanathan      g IND 2755 3.0 / 5  2746
 9 Smirin, Ilia            g ISR 2676 2.5 / 5  2697
10 Radjabov, Teimour       g AZE 2610 2.5 / 5  2699
11 Gelfand, Boris          g ISR 2710 2.5 / 5  2744
12 Kramnik, Vladimir       g RUS 2807 2.5 / 5  2703
13 Leko, Peter             g HUN 2722 2.5 / 5  2728
14 Kasparov, Garry         g RUS 2838 2.0 / 5  2632
15 Dreev, Alexey           g RUS 2676 1.5 / 3  2710
16 Rublevsky, Sergei       g RUS 2658 1.5 / 3  2711
17 Khalifman, Alexander    g RUS 2690 1.5 / 4  2609
18 Karpov, Anatoly         g RUS 2687 1.5 / 4  2603
19 Polgar, Judit           g HUN 2681 1.0 / 3  2607
20 Short, Nigel D          g ENG 2682 1.0 / 4  2515
21 Motylev, Alexander      g RUS 2634 1.0 / 5  2488
22 Azmaiparashvili, Zurab  g GEO 2676 0.5 / 1  2726
23 Akopian, Vladimir       g ARM 2678 0.0 / 2      
24 Zvjaginsev, Vadim       g RUS 2673 0.0 / 2