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Kasparov, Kramnik, Piket share lead

Vladimir Kramnik, Jeroen Piket and Garry Kasparov are still the leaders after round four in the Category 18 First Corus Chess tournament being played at the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk Aan Zee.

India's Viswanathan Anand, Hungarian Peter Leko and Russian GM Alexander Morozevich are joined second with 2.5 points each.

In the fourth round, Britain's Michael Adams came close to a sensational upset by taking top seed Garry Kasparov of Russia to the brink of disaster. Playing White, Adams thwarted his opponent's famous prepared lines by opting for an opening system that even the world's number one player seemed unfamiliar with. Kasparov reacted with an early pawn sacrifice but failed to make any headway against Adams's solid position and was about to resign after barely making it to the time control at his 40th move.

Jeroen Piket needed only eleven moves and just two hours of play to sign the peace with fellow Dutchman Loek van Wely. Russia's Vladimir Kramnik displayed more of an enterprising spirit. Playing Black, he long had an advantage against India's Viswanathan Anand. In the end, however, 'Vishy' managed to wriggle out with an unexpected exchange sacrifice that turned the position into a dead-drawn rooks' ending.

Britain's Nigel Short won his match against Judit Polgar of Hungary, the world's strongest woman chess player. Polgar's fellow Hungarian Peter Leko achived a fine victory with Black in an English Game against Armenia's Smbat Lputian.

Holland's Jan Timman was pitted with White against Dutch champion Predrag Nikolic in an unusual variation of the Nimzo-Indian, in which he held a clear advantage from as early as the eighth move but failed to convert his edge into a win.

Alexander Morozevich of Russia and Viktor Korchnoi of Switzerland also split the point.

Standings after 4 rounds:
1. Kasparov, Kramnik, Piket - 3 points

4. Anand, Morozevic, Leko - 2½ points

7. Korchnoi, Timman, Short - 2 points

10. Adams, Nikolic - 1½ points

12. Polgar, Van Wely - 1 points

14. Lputian - ½