Kasparov does a Houdini

Defending champion Garry Kasparov pulled off a Houdini-style escape, conjuring up a draw in the sixth game of his 16-match World chess championship series against Russian Vladimir Kramnik.

None of the watching experts could see a way out for Kasparov, already one game down in the series to his former pupil. But the man who has been champion for 15 years found one.

The result left Kramnik, who won the second match of the series, leading 3.5 to 2.5. All the other matches have ended in draws.

Kramnik attacked ferociously from the word go after his queen's gambit was accepted but Azerbaijan-born Kasparov retaliated with his usual precision and confidence.

Both players ran into time trouble as the first control loomed. Kramnik left himself only 11 minutes to make 14 moves.

A seven-hour duel ensued in which Kramnik, playing white, took a commanding position and seemed to have victory in the bag until the genius of the champion came into play.

The series, broadcast live on the Internet at www.Braingames.Net, carries two million dollars in prize money.