Short stops rot but fails to profit

IN THE eleventh game of the world chess championship at the Savoy theatre, London, Nigel Short put an end to his disastrous run with the black pieces against Garry Kasparov with his most controlled play so far, writes William Hartston.

The game was drawn in 50 moves, leaving Kasparov 8-3 ahead with 13 games to play. In five previous games with Black, Short had managed only one draw and four losses.

This time, Short played with accuracy and ingenuity to hold together a position that seemed fatally riddled with weak pawns, eventually emerging two pawns ahead - but it was not enough to win.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Kasparov Black: Short ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Bc5 5 Nxc6 Qf6 6 Qd2 dxc6 7 Nc3 Be6 8 Na4 Rd8 9 Bd3 Bd4 10 0-0 Ne7 11 c3 b5 12 cxd4 Qxd4 13 Qc2 Qxa4 14 Qxa4 bxa4 15 Bc2 Bc4 16 Re1 Bb5 17 Be3 Nc8 18 Bc5 Nb6 19 Rad1 Rxd1 20 Rxd1 a6 21 f4 Nd7 22 Ba3 h5 23 Kf2 Rh6 24 e5 c5 25 Bf5 Rb6 26 Rd2 g6 27 Bc2 Re6 28 Kg3 Nb6 29 Bxc5 Nc4 30 Rd5 Nxb2 31 f5 Bc6 32 Rd2 gxf5 33 Kf4 Nc4 34 Re2 f6 35 Bxf5 Rxe5 36 Bd3 Bd5 37 Bd4 Rxe2 38 Bxe2 Ke7 39 Bxh5 Bxg2 40 Bd1 a3 41 h4 Bd5 42 h5 Ne5 43 h6 Bxa2 44 Bc5+ Kf7 45 Bc2 Bc4 46 h7 Kg7 47 Bf8+ Kh8 48 Be7 Bd3 49 Bxf6+ Kxh7 50 Bxe5 Bxc2 -----------------------------------------------------------------