Round 1. Tie-Breaks: An avalanche of sensation (30.11.2000)
Round 1. Game 2: Grandmasters produce draws (29.11.2000)
Round 1. Game 1 "Coming on..."  (28.11.2000)
A few words about the regulations (27.11.2000)
What can be done with this, there will be fights, and wounds, too (23.11.2000)
100 Challengers. (21.11.2000)
There are still crowns to be won. (18.11.2000)

Round 2. Game 1
The race at the second hurdle (01.12.2000)

There are still many players on the arena, and round two is by order stronger than the previous one. All grandmasters are well known. 19 games were drawn. Morozevich defeated Milos, and Bareev won his game against Vaganian. Tregubov and Rublevsky lost their first games. Other Russian players, and the fourteenth World Champion among them, made draws. By the way, the Russian delegation is the largest at this stage of the event. We shall show the game, played by the Armenian grandmaster Lputian. He conducted an irreproachable attack, even though it may not become an example from tactical manuals. Too many games since Nimzowitsch’s time have had a similar end. Lputian demonstrated his taste for classics.

Lputian, Smbat - Rublevsky, Sergei
Round 2. Game 1

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 cxd4 5. O-O Nf6 6. Nxd4 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Bg5 Nbd7 9. e3 h6 10. Bxf6 Nxf6

Black has the advantage of two bishops, but it’s not easy for him to hold d5. An old story repeated again: any knight can take any bishop, and the resting bishop can potentially control only half of squares. White’s plan is clear: a straight attack of the central pawn d5 with all his forces. If the pawns fall, then Black has real problems.

11. Qe2 Be7 12. Nc3 Qc8

Most likely Black made not the best move. Well, we don’t know which one was the best here but now the queen locks the rook. This is no good, even for a short while.

13. Rad1 e4

The first unpleasant continuation. Otherwise Black cannot defend the d5-pawn.

14. Nd4 Bd7 15. f3

Lputian takes care of the g2-bishop. It must work.

15... Bb4

This time Black made a really bad move. He had to give up the e4-pawn and castle promptly.

16. Ndb5 a6 17. a3 Bc5 18. Nd4 Bxa3 19. fxe4 Bxb2

The king is in the centre… No good of this move.

20. e5

Black’s position is not at all enviable. His kingside goes to pieces.

Bxc3 21. exf6 g6 22. Bxd5 O-O 23. Qd3

A mate is threatening. Only 3 or 4 moves will be made until the final.

Kh7 24. Rf4 Rb8 25. Rh4 b5 26. Qe4

This is all. There is no defence against Rxh6+.

1-0

By women the situation got already simpler, their number was halved. GM Seats from Russia defeated Crumbling. Galliamova and Zhukova won each. Irina Krush made a draw. There was an interesting game Cmilyte – Khurtsilava with a vigorous attack.

Cmilyte, Viktorija - Khurtsilava, Inga
Round 2. Game 1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. Nf3 Bb7 4. Nc3 Ne4 5. Qc2 Nxc3 6. bxc3 g6 7. e4 Bg7 8. e5 O-O 9. h4 h5 10. Bd3 Qe8 11. Be3 e6 12. Ng5 d6 13. f4 Nc6 14. Rg1 Ne7 15. g4 hxg4 16. h5

This way. White wants to arrange a mate as soon as possible.

Nf5 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Qh2 Nh6 19. Rxg4 Rf5 20. Rh4 Rxg5

Black is forced to part with the exchange.

21. fxg5 Nf5 22. Bxf5 exf5 23. Bf4 Bf3 24. Kf2 Bg4 25. Rh1

White has three major pieces on the h-file, and Black’s defence is evidently insufficient.

25... Bh5 26. Re1 Qa4

Oh, Black also arranged some threats to his opponent’s king. At least he threatens with checks.

27. Qh1

This move decides. White’s attack continues, and illusions, created by Black, are dispelled now.

Qc2+ 28. Kg1 Re8 29. Qd5+ Kf8 30. Rxh5 Qxc3 31. Kf2 gxh5 32. g6 Re7 33. Bg5 Bf6 34. Bxf6 Qd2+ 35. Re2 Qf4+ 36. Qf3 Qxd4+ 37. Kg2 Re8 38. Qxh5 Qg4+ 39. Qxg4 fxg4 40. e6

1-0