[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.01"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2757"]
[ECO "C10"]
[WhiteElo "2742"]

1. e4 e6 { Anand has played the French Defense a few times, though it doesn't really seem ideal for his style. His 3rd round game with Kasparov was a Sicilian, but one where he was hunkered down and counter-attacking. Perhaps that's just his mood for this game too. The French Defense is one of the ideal defenses for that attitude (Alekhine's Def. and the Pirc/Modern/Gurgenidze Def. being others) . } 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 { This indicates a desire for a simple game with many exchanges, leading to a draw. Various methods have been created for White, but none has been a sure-fire way of generating an advantage; the position is too open and with no serious weaknesses, except the difficulty Black has developing Bc8. } ( 3... Nf6 { is probably ideal for provoking White forward, only to be met with a stiff counter-attack } ) 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ ( 6. Bg5 { has been played in the past, but recent games indicate it offers Black too many opportunities to exchange minor pieces with 6...Be7. } ) 6... Nxf6 7. c3 { I'm not sure why he'd give up on O-O-O so quickly. What's Black's threat? Yes, Pd4 needs defense, but even after Bf1-d3 it's fine. } ( { Another way of developing, with an eye toward O-O-O is } 7. Bd3 c5 8. dxc5 { keeping open the c3-h8 diagonal for a White bishop } 8... Bxc5 9. Bd2 ( 9. Qe2 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Bb4 { forces either a bishop trade or a weakening of White's queen-side, which ought to prevent O-O-O } 11. c3 Bd6 ) 9... Ng4 { forcing White to give up on the O-O-O idea unless he wants to try Rh1-f1 } 10. O-O O-O 11. h3 { White regains control of e5, so Black can't develop ...Bc8-d7 without Nf3-e5 to capture it } 11... Nf6 12. Qe2 { and White has a slight advantage with Bd2-c3 to bear down on Black's king-side. } ) 7... c5 8. Be3 { This is a very unusual square for the bishop; it's vulnerable to ...Nf6-d5 or ...Nf6-g4. But, moving Nf6 makes the a4-e8 diagonal even weaker. } 8... Qc7 ( 8... cxd4 9. Bxd4 { is good for White } ) 9. Ne5 { It seems odd this could be good, but the a4-e8 diagonal is weak. } 9... a6 { This prevents Bf1-b5, but not Qd1-a4+. It does force White to commit to one way of utilizing the queen, rather than waiting until Bb5+ forces Black into a rigid defensive position before Qd1-a4 or Qd1-f3 might win outright. } ( { Let's examine forcing variations: } 9... cxd4 10. Bxd4 Nd7 ( 10... Bd6 { weakens Pg7 and gives White a small chance to gain a significant advantage } 11. Bb5+ Nd7 12. Nxd7 Bxd7 13. Bxd7+ Qxd7 14. Bxg7 Rg8 15. Qd4 ) 11. Bb5 a6 12. Qf3 $5 ( 12. Qa4 { tries to fight directly through Black's pieces, but going around to Pf7 seems better } 12... Rb8 13. Bxd7+ Bxd7 14. Nxd7 Qxd7 15. Qxd7+ Kxd7 16. O-O-O Kc6 ) 12... axb5 ( 12... f6 $4 13. Qh5+ ) 13. Qxf7+ Kd8 $13 ) ( 9... Nd7 10. Bb5 a6 $2 { leaves Pc5 hanging after exchanges at d7 } 11. Bxd7+ Bxd7 12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13. dxc5 ) 10. Qa4+ Nd7 11. O-O-O { d4 becomes a crossroads square. White would like to have it open, so Rd1 can hit d7 and so Qa4 could move across to f4 (or g4) . But, Ne5 needs the support. White threatens Bf1-b5 to overwhelm Black's defenses at d7 and then using dxc5 to complete the crush. Black has to act fast to avoid all this. } 11... cxd4 12. Nxd7 ( 12. Bxd4 ) 12... Qxd7 13. Qc2 { This is an interesting move since he could have immediately captured Pd4, allowing a queen trade. He could have also used 13. Qb3 to keep an eye on Pb7 and square d5 (though that doesn't necessarily prevent 13...Qd5) . } 13... Bc5 14. Bxd4 Bxd4 15. Rxd4 Qc7 16. Bd3 { White's lead in development is significant and his Kc1 isn't terribly weakened by the early c2-c3. } 16... Bd7 17. g3 { I like this move. It blocks Qc7 and moves from a weak square (so Bd7-c6 can't threaten it) and might re-threaten Bxh7. } ( 17. Bxh7 O-O-O 18. Be4 Rxh2 19. Rhd1 Rhh8 ) 17... h6 18. Rd1 O-O-O { Black seems to have all his ducks in a row, except his king is weaker than Kc1. There's only two pawns around Kc8 and they're already on light squares. This would make White think it's possible to consider a piece sac to expose Kc8. } ( 18... O-O $4 19. Bh7+ Kh8 20. Rxd7 $18 ) 19. Rc4 Bc6 20. Be4 Rxd1+ 21. Qxd1 Rd8 22. Qf3 Rd6 23. h4 Kb8 { Black intends ...Bc6xe4 to simplify the position. } 24. Bxc6 Rxc6 25. Rxc6 bxc6 { One step closer to a draw because there's less material or one step closer to a win because there are many pawns and only one Black queen to defend them? I think the latter is likely -- especially since Pg7 and Ph6 aren't on secure squares (...g7-g6, ...h6-h5) . } 26. h5 $1 { And, now they can't move at all! } ( 26. Qd3 Kb7 27. Qd4 f6 ( 27... g6 $6 28. h5 gxh5 29. Qf6 { Black's pawns are split badly. That means there are more weak points which will need defense. } ) ) 26... Kb7 27. Kc2 ( 27. Qe4 e5 ) 27... f5 { I suppose Anand was tired of doing all the defending and feels it's his turn to do some offense. Of course, chess isn't that way. You sometimes just take what is served to you. 27...f5, by itself, isn't so bad. But, it indicates he wants more than to just connect the dots, defend everything, call it a draw and go home. It might be the first step toward a random outcome. } ( 27... f6 ) 28. Qd3 Qf7 29. Qe2 f4 { trying to lure Pg3 toward the center, so that after ...g7-g6 Black would emerge with a passed Ph6 (or Ph5) . } ( 29... Qf6 30. f4 { keeps Pe6 backward } ) 30. g4 g6 31. Qe5 $1 { prevents Black from gaining queen activity } ( 31. hxg6 Qxg6+ 32. Kb3 { and White still has one-on-one coverage of Ph6, with Qe2 and Pf2 to guard against the advance of Black's Pe6. } ) 31... g5 { Pe6 is backward. Imagine that! But, how did this happen? Black played 27...f5 and made it so. } ( 31... gxh5 $2 32. gxh5 { and Black's queen is nearly immobile } ) 32. Qh8 { Ph6 is amazingly without defense. } 32... e5 ( { No better is } 32... f3 33. Qxh6 Qf4 34. Qg7+ Kb8 35. Qd4 ) 33. Qxh6 e4 34. Qg6 { White has no time to capture Pg5. Black's advancing pawns are dangerous. } ( 34. Qxg5 e3 35. f3 ( 35. fxe3 f3 ) 35... Qd7 { and Black might be able to force the advance of Pe3 } ) 34... Qc4 35. Qg7+ Kc8 36. Qh8+ Kb7 37. Qg7+ Kc8 38. Qf8+ Kc7 39. Qe7+ Kc8 40. Qe8+ Kc7 41. Qe7+ { Many of these checks were to get to the time control safely, before committing to a specific plan. However, he had to have some idea of what he intended before he played Qh8 to capture Ph6. At e7 he guards square b4 to prevent Black's queen from perpetually checking along the b5-f1 diagonal. } 41... Kc8 42. h6 c5 43. Qe8+ { After Black's pawn move blocked the b4-e7 diagonal he had to switch to guarding b5 instead. Black has no perpetual check and Ph6 is impossible to stop. } 43... Kc7 44. h7 { This win puts Adams back into a tie for the lead with Kasparov and Vallejo Pons. } 1-0