Garry Kasparov's 15-year reign over world chess ended yesterday when he was trounced by his former pupil, Vladimir Kramnik, in the world chess championships.
Cradling his head in his hands after drawing the 15th game of the 16-match tournament, Kasparov - who failed to win a single game - looked exhausted and bewildered.
Kramnik (25) won by a two-game margin, with the pair drawing 13 games.
Kasparov (37), one of the most admired grandmasters in chess history, had earlier acknowledged he would probably lose his title as he needed to win the final two games of the championships to secure a draw and win by default.
Azerbaijan-born Kasparov's poor performance shocked experts, who said he had been out-prepared and out-played" by the young Russian.
Kramnik's new world title, like the crown previously held by Kasparov, is an informal one, but their contest was regarded as the ultimate showdown.