Xie Jun keeps crown

By P.K. Ajith Kumar

NEW DELHI, DEC. 15. She shook her head gently, and almost smiled. She gave another queen check. Her rival extended her hand. Xie Jun smiled broadly now. She had defended her World title.

She got the draw she needed, quite effortlessly, in the fourth game of the women's World chess championship final against fellow-Chinese Qin Kanying at Hyatt Regency on Friday. ``It was a game she could have won if she wanted to. But I did not want to exert myself when I only required a draw,'' said the champion later.

This is the fourth title for the 30-year-old. She had won her first World championship in 1991, creating a sensation. She was the first and the only Asian, of either sex, to become the World chess champion, beating five-time champion Maia Chiburdanidze of Georgia. She retained her title in 1993, and after losing to Zsuzsa Polgar of Hungary in 1996, she became the champion again last year with a hard-fought win over Alisa Galliamova of Russia.

For the fourth successive day it was Ruy Lopez. But Jun, playing black, had done her homework well and did not have much trouble to equalise. Helped by some dubious moves from Kanying, she even had a winning position before settling for a draw by perpetual checks.

A minor piece exchange move on the king-side on the 22nd move had left white worse off. She overestimated the doubled pawn weakness on the `f' file, and allowed to solve white's problem on the queen-side. On the 23rd move, Jun gave up her `b' pawn temporarily and worked herself into a strong position.

On the 26th move white inexplicably took her queen to `h6', before bringing it back almost immediately to `d2', and found herself in considerable trouble. ``My `Qf6' was really a useless move,'' admitted Kanying. ``After that there was nothing for me to play for. And I shouldn't have allowed black's `b4' either,'' she said.

Jun now broke through the king-side and won the light- squared bishop on the 36th move. The white king was in a tight spot, up against Jun's queen, bishop and knight. But on the 38th move, she chose to capture the `b4' pawn with her rook. Kanying now captured the `e5' pawn with knight, and the game headed towards a draw.

Jun gave up her knight on the 40th move and forced the perpetual checks. The game was drawn after 45 moves.

Kanying didn't look too shattered by her loss. ``She has really played well in the tournament. You require some luck also sometimes. But I never had it, and yes, I am still happy that I was able to do well in my first World championship. I am more confident now, and I think I will be able to do better in the next championship,'' she said.

Jun won $120,000 in prize-money and Kanying $80,000. Indeed, there is no stopping the Chinese women on the chess board.

The result (final, game four): Qin Kanying (Chn 2501) 1.5 drew with Xie Jun (Chn 2568) 2.5.

The moves: White: Qin Kanying (Chn); Black: Xie Jun (Chn). Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nd7 10.d4 Bf6 11.a4 Bb7 12.d5 Ne7 13.ab ab 14.Rxa8 Qxa8 15.Na3 Ba6 16.Nh2 Ng6 17.Ng4 Be7 18.Ne3 Rb8 19.Bd2 Bg5 20.Bc2 Nf6 21.Ng4 Bxd2 22.Nxf6 gf 23.Qxd2 b4 24.cb Qb7 25.b5 Bxb5 26.Qh6 Qc8 27.b4 Bd7 28.Qd2 Kh8 29.Kh2 f5 30.Rc1 f4 31.Bd1 Qd8 32.Bh5 Nh4 33.f3 Qg5 34.Bg4 f5 35.ef h5 36.Rxc7 hg 37.hg Bxf5 38.Nc4 Rxb4 39.Nxe5 de 40.Qxb4 Nxf3 41.gf3 Qh4 42.Kg1 Qg3 43.Kh1 Qh3 44.Kg1 Qg3 45.Kh1 Qh3 0.5-0.5.

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