CHESS

On the third day of the Fide world championship semi-finals in Sanghi Nagar, India, yesterday, Gata Kamsky became the first player to win a game. Valery Salov resigned to him at move 70 of the resumed opening game of their match. The second game had already ended in an uneventful draw, leaving Kamsky ahead by 11/2-1/2.

Kamsky's father, Rustam - whose little contretemps with Nigel Short made the headlines in a PCA qualifying match last year - has already made his mark by sending home Gata's second, Alexander Shabalov, after another squabble.

In the other match, Boris Gelfand and Anatoly Karpov are level at 1-1 after two draws. The spirited nature of the play may be judged from the fact that both games ended in perpetual check.

The first game suggests that Karpov's Caro-Kann will be severely tested over the next two weeks. Playing the system that Nigel Short used with success against Karpov two years ago, Gelfand met a prepared response in 6...cxd4 and 7...Ne7.

Black's idea is that after 8...Nbc6 9.Nxf5 Nxf5 his game develops without problems. Gelfand's 9.Bb5! was the correct response, giving up White's bishop instead of taking Black's. After 11.c4! Black's position was looking cramped.

Karpov solved his problems imaginatively with the ugly looking 12...dxc4! freeing d5 for his knight. His 16...c5 precipitated a crisis by forcing Gelfand to sacrifice a piece.

At that stage, both players must have seen clearly to the end of the game. 19.e6! breaks open Black's defences and 22.Bc3! lures the knight offside. Black must take the draw since 23...Ke7 24.Rfe1+ Kd6 25.bxc3 leaves his king at the mercy of White's queen and rooks.

White: B. Gelfand Black: A. Karpov 1 e4 c6 14 Nxf5 exf5

2 d4 d5 15 Bd4 Rd8

3 e5 Bf5 16 Qf3 c5

4 Nf3 e6 17 Nxc5 Qb5

5 Be2 c5 18 a4 Qb4

6 Be3 cxd4 19 e6 Bxc5

7 Nxd4 Ne7 20 Bxg7 Rg8

8 0-0 Nbc6 21 exf7+ Kxf7

9 Bb5 a6 22 Bc3 Nxc3

10 Bxc6+ bxc6 23 Qxf5+ Kg7

11 c4 Qd7 24 Qg5+ Kf7

12 Nc3 dxc4 25 Qf5+ Kg7

13 Na4 Nd5 26 Qg5+ draw