FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 9, 1999

Press Release #13

SHIROV AND SHORT PROVIDE FIREWORKS AT THE WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Alexei Shirov, the brilliant Latvian chessplayer who now represents Spain, defeated England's Nigel Short today in an exciting seesaw battle. By the end of the game, both players were down to their final seconds on the clock.

Short is down but not out: he will tie the match if he can beat Shirov tomorrow.

Today was the start of Round 4 of the World Chess Championship, held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, July 30 to August 29. The prize fund is $3 million, with the winner getting $660,000. The World Chess Federation, called FIDE, has organized the event.

Shirov, whose book of best chess games is titled Fire on Board, lit a brushfire on the chessboard today that could have consumed either player. Pieces darted here and there, possibilities abounded for sacrificial attacks, and not even the grandmasters commenting on the game could be sure what would happen next. "In other words, it was a typical Shirov game," as one grandmaster wryly said afterward.

All of Shirov's games so far in the championship have been wins or losses, except for one draw in a quick-play tiebreak game.

In contrast to today's Shirov-Short contest, all the other Round 4 games were draws. Ending peacefully were the contests Adams-Dreev, Georgiev-Akopian, Khalifman-Gelfand, Kramnik-Sokolov, Movsesian-Fedorov, Nisipeanu-Ivanchuk, and Polgar-Zvjaginsev.

The Ukrainian Ivanchuk, who is considered capable of making any opponent in the world look bad, had won all four of his previous games. Today he was tortured at length by the Romanian Nisipeanu before the game was agreed drawn.

On a humorous note: Peter Leko of Hungary, who was eliminated yesterday, announced that he would now have time to enjoy a little gambling in the Caesars Palace casino. But Leko didn't get to roll any dice. At 19, he is too young to gamble according to Nevada law.

Chess fans around the globe are following the moves live on the U.S. Chess Federation Web site, uschess.org.

CONTACT: Timothy Hanke, Press Officer for the World Chess Championship, at 702-731-7110, extensions 5913 through 5927.