London - If his form over the last three weeks is a reliable indicator, Garry Kasparov will be toppled today from his position as the world's chess number one.
As he prepares to take the stage at the Brain Games world championship in London, it is clear that for the first time in 15 years the Russian grandmaster faces defeat.
The championship's match director, Mr Raymond Keene, said in the Daily Telegraph: "We are watching an absolutely astonishing defeat here. Kasparov is going to lose, no doubt about it."
Kasparov, whose aggressive style and single-minded focus have allowed him to dominate the game since 1985, might have been expected to fight to the death to keep his title.
His challenger, Vladimir Kramnik (25), Kasparov's onetime pupil, is leading by eight points to six in the 16-game championship.