Garry Kasparov loses crown to Kramnik

Garry Kasparov lost his world chess crown to young challenger Vladimir Kramnik in a stunning revolution in the game he has dominated for 15 years.

The giant of the chequered board had to win Thursday's penultimate game of the 15-match Brain Games World Championship staged in London in order to take it to a nail-biting final day.

But after 38 moves he could only manage a draw, giving Kramnik - a former pupil - an unassailable lead of 8.5 games to 6.5.

At the end they both stood up and shook hands over the board. Kramnik, 25, then punched the air twice in delight as the audience of about 200 clapped in appreciation.

Kasparov, 37, has dominated the game like no other since winning his first world title in 1985, but had been in surprisingly lacklustre form here.

"I didn't play at my best," he admitted, particularly with his openings.

Kramnik's preparation was so good, he added, that he was unable to put him in the kind of positions he likes to snare his challengers.

Kasparov did not want to go into detail on the personal problems which, he hinted Sunday after another listless draw, were affecting him both on and off the board.

However, analysts noticed that he seemed to have lost the powerful ambition and fighting spirit that had been his hallmarks to date.

AFP

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