At Hotel Caesars Palace here, Romanian Grandmaster Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu continued his good showing by holding Russian Grandmaster Alexander Khalifman from the black pieces.

Gradmaster Adams opened the game confidently attacking Akopian's modern defence. He developed his pieces menacingly Adams' 9th move of a pawn push was a novelty. It imprisoned two of Akopian's pieces out of the game. On the 14th move, Adams played an imaginative sacrifice to destroy the black king side. Akopian had no choice but to run with his king on the other wing away from the menacing white pieces. All the white pieces occupied best possible squares and soon one white pawn appeared closer to coronation.

However, shortage of time took its toll on Adams.Instead of saving his bishop on 33rd move, the Englishman pushed a pawn overlooking a mating threat from Akopian's queen and bishop.

The tables then turned completely. Akopian with his queen and bishop plus renewed confidence sent back Adams' pair of rooks for defence. The spectators had an exciting tug of war to witness. Adams was trying to save the game while Akopian was bent upon utilising his battery of queen and bishop to checkmate the white king.

Akopian's technique was immaculate. He manoeuvered his queen and bishop on the long diagonal and forced the white monarch to flee its castle. The 1-1 favourite Englishman surrendered the battle after losing a rook to the rank outsider with 11-2 odds.

The Khalifman-Nisipeanu game opened with a quiet line of queen's Indian defence. Both players were following twenty-year-old game between Kasparov and Butnoris played at Moscow. Khalifman's bishops were detained inside his pawn chain while Nisipeanu's pieces had strategically important posts.

Khalifman hadto defend admirably to escape with a draw in the endgame after 42 moves.

The second game will be played with reversed colours.