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| Round 1 (Thursday,
February 19, 2004) |
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| Francisco Vallejo |
½-½ |
Kramnik, Vladimir |
| Alexei Shirov |
½-½ |
Garry Kasparov |
| Teimour Radjabov |
0-1 |
Peter Leko |
The opening ceremony. You will recognise Leko, Kasparov, Radjabov and Topalov
holding on to their porcelain chess bishops. Kramnik is the sky-scraper behind
the lady, Paco Vallejo the blond third from right. Alexei is hiding between
Radjabov and Topalov.
That's better, just the players, all lined up for the photographers. That's
local boy Paco Vallejo, Hungary's top GM Peter Leko, eight-time Linares winner
Garry Kasparov, classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik, the boy-from-Baku
part 2 Teimour Radjabov, fire-on-the-board Alexei Shirov and the Bulgarian
rocket Veselin Topalov.
Kasparov and Kramnik, not the greatest of friends these days.
Or are they? Peter, Garry and big Vlad seem to be having a great time here.
Young Teimour seem to have a premonition of what is in store for him
You have to know that for a few years now Kasparov and Shirov have not been
on speaking terms, and have not been shaking hands at the start of a game.
As Mig Greengard tells
it: "There had already been bad blood after their aborted 1998 world
championship match. Then Shirov intimated in an open letter that the close
relationship between Kasparov and Kramnik made any result in their 2000 match
suspect. Kasparov accused him of accusing him of cheating (umm, potentially
cheating) and the handshake boycott had begun." Or as the Spanish
web site describes it: "Shirov y Kasparov llevaban cuatro años
sin estrecharse la mano y hoy han decido que ya era hora de restablecer relaciones
protocolarias."
Here is clear photographic evidence that the boycott is over. Kasparov has
offered the shake, Alexei is going for it.
Let normal relations begin, let us battle it out on the chessboard.
Kasparov has a pathologically good score against Shirov, something that cannot
be explained in chess terms alone. The two fought a pitched battle, the
analysis of which will go on for some time yet.
Chess, as these guys know better than anyone else, is hard work.
How cool and relaxed can you look when you are facing the world's number two
player?
Okay, now Paco is taking his daunting task more seriously
Pictures by Jesús J. Boyero Gabarre
