WORLD : Kasparov Takes Lead in Chess

Defending champion Garry Kasparov defeated Anatoly Karpov today to take a one-point lead in the World Chess Championship after Karpov resigned on the 102nd move of the 16th game.

The marathon contest ended after almost 12 1/2 hours of play that stretched over four days. It was the fourth-longest game in final round history.

Kasparov has an 8 1/2-7 1/2 advantage in the match. The first player to gain 12 1/2 points wins the championship and $1.7 million of the $3-million purse. In the event of a tie, Kasparov retains the title. The players had three draws previously in Lyon after 10 draws in 12 games in New York. There had been eight consecutive drawn games before Kasparov won.