BUDAPEST, Feb 1: Hungarian chess whiz Judit Polgar, the youngest grandmaster in history, and former world champion Boris Spassky fought to a tie in the 39th move of their first match In their 10-gamc series Sunday, reports AP.

"I gave it my best shot". Judit Polgar, 16, told the state news agency MT1. after the match.

Her father and manager, I-aszlo Polgar, called the match "interesting and good."

Playing white, Spassky opened with a King's Indian defence Samisch variation.

Spassky felt that he made the right ‘moves initially, but then the two positions became equal.

"Judit was more daring, while Boris was cautious at first, but then he started tak-ing risks," international Grandmaster and former US champion Paul Benko told the Associated Press.

After two hours of play, the positions were near equal. After three hours, a tie seemed likely, but then Polgar went on the offensive with her rooks.

Spassky sought to counter with his queen, and, as he attained a perpetual check, the two rose from the table and shook hands.

The current 10-game match, due to finish Feb 16, continues something of a comeback for Spassky. The 56 year-old Russian, once world champion but now ranked around 99th in the world, re-emerged to the limelight last fall in a match with Bobby Fischer in Yugoslavia.

Spassky lost his world title to Fischer in 1972.

Fischer had not played international chess in 20 years but defeated Spassky in Yugoslavia. He won dlrs 3.35 million, but Incurred the wrath of the US Justice Department, which deemed he flouted international sanctions imposed against the Balkan country for its part in fomenting the brutal war in Bosnia.

There were rumours Fischer would come to Budapest Sunday, but his Hungarian fiancee, Zita Rajcsanyi. told the AP he would stay away "for security reasons."

Fischer is now living in the Yugoslav and Serbian capital Belgrade and apparently is afraid to leave In case US authorities move against him.

"He'd like papers from someone that would guarantee his safety," Rajcsanyl said

The Polgar-Spassky "battle of the sexes' is being staged by Yugoslav entrepreneur Jczdimir Vasiljevfc. chairman of Yugoscandic bank, who financed the Fischer-Spassky rematch last fall.

In the current match, the winner gets 60 per cent of the dlrs 200,000 purse, the loser 40 per cent.

The next game Is scheduled for Monday.