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Khalifman scores on day of draws

Paul Eriksen in Las Vegas

For a man who has come through the tie-breaker in three of the four matches so far, Alexander Khalifman must be a relieved man after the first game of the quarter-finals.

He was the only winner of the day as the FIDE World Chess Championships entered a crucial phase. Khalifman beat Judit Polgar, the Hungarian player and the only woman left in fray.

The other games between Vladimir Kramnik and Michael Adams, and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and Alexy Shirov, and the one between Sergei Movsesian and Vladimir Akopian ended in draws.

As the number of tables have gradually reduced to just four, the Emperors' Ballroom is becoming quite big as a playing hall. But many of the eliminated players are still around and hang around the press room analysing moves and games. For instance, Vassily Ivanchuk, stunned in the previous round, was around watching the games with the world famous trainer Mark Dvoretsky.

In recent years, Judit Polgar has worked together with Jan Timman and there was enough evidence of that as she played the Vienna defense, a favourite of Timman. Against Khalifman, Polgar got a slightly poorer position after the opening, but she was game enough to look for counters. But she was unable to do that and tried to go back. By move 29...Qc8 Khalifman was in a strong position. The wily veteran, at 33, the oldest in the field left, was not one to fritter this chance of a good win. Polgar also overlooked a tactic and lost a pawn and Khalifman wrapped up the game.

A relaxed Michael Adams was up against Vladimir Kramnik, in what is possibly the tightest match-up of the round. At one stage Kramnik ran up an advantage with two bishops and had a sharp position. But Adams, black, did not really have any problems. The game approached a drawn ending and the two agreed to split the point for the time being. In the next game, Adams can go for more attacking play with white pieces.

The 23-year-old Romanian Nisipeanu, the youngest in the field is pitted against Shirov, the strongest in the field. The duo reached a well-known theoretical position and despite Shirov's best effort in trying to think up of something new, nothing came out. The players played exactly into a theoretical line which produced a perpetual check and a draw was agreed. It was copybook Najdorf Defense.

Shirov admitted he was not familiar with Bxb5 and though he felt black was fine, he wanted to make sure, hence the one-hour think to re-confirm that. After that a draw was inevitable.

Akopian and Movsesian was also a well-known theoretical duel where both players started off quickly and finished it off quickly. A draw in a 22 moves and a little over two hours of playing time. The final position was favorable for Akopian but he had 28 minutes to his opponent's one hour and six minutes.

Results of the quarter-finals, Game 1:
Kramnik drew with Adams
Akopian drew with Movsesian
Khalifman beat Polgar
Nisipeanu drew with Shirov