Confident Short leads in race for Kasparov match

NIGEL SHORT took the lead in the final eliminating match of the world chess championship by defeating Jan Timman in 59 moves yesterday in San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain. Short now leads by 2 1/2-1 1/2 with 10 games left to play. The eventual winner will qualify to challenge the world champion, Garry Kasparov, for the title later this year.

After tense and unconvincing play by both grandmasters in the first three games, Short's win yesterday was a tightly controlled performance. Giving up a pawn early in the game to preserve a potentially powerful bishop pair, the English challenger steered a confident path, balancing material disadvantage against unspecified future prospects. Timman's position became gradually more difficult until he was forced to give up rook for bishop just after the time control on move 40. Short's win was then only a question of patient technique.

In the first off-the-board incident of the match, the organisers have threatened Short with a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs ( pounds 8,700) for refusing to speak to the press on non-playing days. 'This is not the gentlemanly way to handle things,' Short's trainer, Lubomir Kavalek, said. 'It makes no sense to make threats.'

Here are the moves of yesterday's play:

White: Short

Black: Timman

----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 Be7 8 0-0-0 0-0 9 f4 h6 10 Bh4 e5 11 Nf5 Bxf5 12 exf5 Qa5 13 Kb1 Rfe8 14 Bc4 Qb4 15 Bb3 Qxf4 16 Qxf4 exf4 17 Rhf1 Nh5 18 Be1 Rad8 19 Nd5 Bg5 20 h4 Bf6 21 Nxf6+ Nxf6 22 Rxf4 Re2 23 g4 Rg2 24 g5 hxg5 25 hxg5 Rxg5 26 Bh4 Rh5 27 a3 Kf8 28 Bc4 Ne7 29 Rdf1 Rc8 30 Be2 Rh6 31 Bf2 Nc6 32 Rd1 Nd7 33 b3 Nde5 34 f6 Rd8 35 fxg7+ Kxg7 36 Bh4 Rdh8 37 Bf2 Rg6 38 b4 Rh2 39 Rf1 b6 40 Bb5 Rh3 41 Kb2 Nd8 42 Bh4 Ne6 43 Bf6+ Rxf6 44 Rxf6 Nd4 45 Bd3 d5 46 R6f4 Ndf3 47 Rd1 Rh2 48 Ba6 d4 49 Rf1 Rh3 50 Be2 Nd2 51 Rg1+ Kh7 52 Kc1 Ndc4 53 Bxc4 Nxc4 54 Rxf7+ Kh6 55 Rxa7 Rc3 56 Ra8 Kh7 57 Rd1 Ne3 58 Rxd4 Rxc2+ 59 Kb1 Rh2 Black resigned -----------------------------------------------------------------