THIS week we conclude the fascinating and controversial story of the World Championship match between Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov. I realise that this event has dominated the column lately, but given the continuing lack of activity at the Bermuda Chess Club there really has been nothing else of comparable importance to report.

We left the match last week officially tied at 5-5, although with Kramnik playing under protest at the decision to award the fifth game against him by default.

Neither player was able to break through with the white pieces in the last two full-length games, so a 6-6 score was reached and the match went to tiebreak.

This consisted of four rapidplay games, each taking a total of about an hour. Kramnik found himself playing Black in the first game, and held the draw fairly comfortably.

This turned out to be crucial, since White managed to prevail in all three of the remaining games. This is how the match ended.

White: V. Kramnik

Black: V. Topalov

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6

White plays the Queen's Gambit and Black responds with the Slav Defence, a feature of this match.

3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Be2 Bb7 9. O-O Be7 10. e4 b4 11. e5 bxc3 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. bxc3 c5 14. dxc5

This position has been reached in a number of master games, but until now Black has unsurprisingly always played 14. . . . 0-0.

Nxc5!? 15. Bb5+ Kf8

As has been observed before by this columnist, the current generation of top players do not seem to worry nearly as much as their predecessors about castling.

16. Qxd8+ Rxd8 17. Ba3 Rc8 18. Nd4 Be7 19. Rfd1 a6 20. Bf1 Na4

The game now heads into an exchange of tactical blows, but Kramnik maintains his small advantage throughout.

21. Rab1 Be4 22. Rb3 Bxa3 23. Rxa3 Nc5 24. Nb3 Ke7 25. Rd4 Bg6 26. c4 Rc6 27. Nxc5 Rxc5 28. Rxa6

White has won a pawn, and we must now see whether this can be converted into a win.

Rb8 29. Rd1 Rb2 30. Ra7+ Kf6 31. Ra1 Rf5 32. f3 Re5 33. Ra3 Rc2 34. Rb3 Ra5 35. a4 Ke7 36. Rb5 Ra7 37. a5 Kd6 38. a6 Kc7 39. c5 Rc3 40. Raa5 Rc1 41. Rb3 Kc6 42. Rb6+ Kc7 43. Kf2

Kramnik is making some progress, but the outcome is still far from clear.

Rc2+ 44. Ke3

Topalov, with about five minutes left on his clock, now makes a disastrous mistake.

Rxc5?? 45. Rb7+!

Suddenly it was clear that Black will lose one of his rooks or allow the pawn to queen. After a moment's thought Topalov resigned, and for the first time since 1993 we had an undisputed World Champion.

This will me my last column until Christmas, but I leave you in the safe hands of Nigel Freeman and Larry Ebbin.

I hope they will be able to report that the local club has returned to its recent vigorous existence, and must once again ask that anyone who is willing to help with the organisation of the Tuesday evening meetings call Larry Ebbin on 236-1622.