The results of the second round are: all three Russian grand-masters have the equal points
Garry Kasparov - 1,5
Vladimir Kramnik - 1,5
Evgeny Bareev - 1,5

In the second round two winners of the first round played.

V.Topalov - G.Kasparov finished to play first. The debut of that game was easy to predict - Sicilian defence. Bulgarian grand-master playing white pieces tried not to risk much.For some time the game on the central table attracted much attention from the audience. That was a vivacious game . Kasparov offered a draw to Topalov.

In the game Yevgeny Bareev - Vladimir Kramnik the classical system of defence by Nimzovich was played .

The position was balanced and both grand-masters had the equal chances. Bareev waited for a long time trying not to lose his chance to win. But Kramnik compelled him to draw.

The game N.Short - B.Gelfand was a decisive one .

It began as the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence . In a complicated middlegame Gelfand made an interesting and correct exchange sacrifice. However, he later went astray and failed to generate enough counterplay allowing Short to win forcefully.