[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.02"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2742"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2717"]

1. e4 { Though this move isn't unusual for Ivanchuk he had played 1. d4 and 1. Nf3 earlier in this tournament. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 { No more Petrov's Defense, as he played against Kasparov! } 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 { an anti-Marshall Gambit idea } 8... Bb7 9. d3 { Pe4 needs defense to avoid ...Nc6-a5xb3 when Pe5 and Pe4 would just be traded. With Pd3 White might also consider the maneuver Nb1-d2-f1-g3, avoiding simplifying exchanges and aiming to attack on the king-side. } ( 9. Nc3 b4 10. Nd5 Na5 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Ba2 ) 9... Re8 { Adams keeps hoping he'll find a way for ...d7-d5. } 10. Na3 $5 { This is certainly more contentious and forceful than Nb1-d2. He tries to force Pb5 away, so he can move Na3-c4 to add pressure to Pe5. } ( { Noticing that Nf6 has no good squares might lead one to consider } 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. f4 Ng6 12. e5 { but } 12... Nd5 { and Black escapes without harm. } ) 10... Bxa3 { This might be considered a downside of 10. Na3 since it stops White's plan, or it might be considered a positional gain since Black is giving a bishop for the knight. Such exchanges can be difficult to evaluate. } 11. bxa3 $5 { This avoids any misplacing of Ra1 and he knows Pa4 can be exchanged-off, so he needn't worry about doubled pawns. The bigger question is whether this turns over control of the direction of the game to Black. How much can Black achieve now that he has a move to begin forcing events. } 11... d5 12. exd5 { White naturally seeks simplifying exchanges now, and more open positions should be good for his bishops. } 12... Nxd5 13. Bb2 $2 ( 13. Bg5 { should be a free development tempo because Black would be foolish to play ...f7-f6, self-pinning Nd5. } 13... Qd6 ( 13... f6 $6 14. Bd2 ) 14. c4 { forcing open lines which should allow White's pieces to become as active as Black's } ) 13... Nf4 { Black takes advantage of the moment and hops right in; this also opens the diagonal for Bb7. } 14. Bc1 { Ivanchuk recognizes his mistake and tries to rectify it, even at the cost of another tempo. But, this gain of time surely gives some initiative to Black. } 14... Nxg2 $5 { leading to amazing complications. The knight is obviously immune because of 15...Nd4 when Nf3 would be pinned, won and an attack on Kg2 would begin. } ( 14... Qf6 ) 15. Ng5 $1 { Amazingly this gives White a very good chance to turn the tables. Ng2 and Re1 remain en prise while White begins to attack at Pf7 and/or Ph7. White turns the question of whether White's king is exposed into one of which side's queen can participate in an attack best: and the answer to that question is White! } 15... Nxe1 { Black grabs material and White begins an attack... } ( 15... Nf4 $4 16. Bxf7+ { followed by Bxf4 } ) 16. Qh5 { It's amazing that Black can survive this position for more than a couple of moves. } 16... Qd7 $1 { unable to defend Pf7 or Ph7 he avoid checkmates and gives Kg8 a path to walk away from the attack on dark squares (... Kg8-f8-e7-d8-c8 or ...Kg8-f8-e7-d6-c5-b6) . } ( 16... h6 $2 17. Bxf7+ $2 ( 17. Qxf7+ $2 Kh8 18. Kf1 { threatening to remove Ne1 and avoiding the check resulting from ...Ne1-f3 } ( 18. Qg6 $2 { allows an amazingly nifty response from Black } 18... Nf3+ { first one knight } 19. Nxf3 Nd4 20. Ng5 Nf3+ { then the other (!) to clear the way for Bb7 to play } 21. Nxf3 Bxf3 22. Bxh6 Qd7 $19 ) 18... Nd4 $1 ( 18... Nf3 $4 19. Qxf3 { doesn't stop White from jumping right back to the light squares with mating threats and incidentally has the immediate threat of Ng5-f7+ } ) 19. Kxe1 Nxb3 20. Qxb3 hxg5 $19 ) ( 17. Nxf7 $1 { gaining time by threatening Qd8 (with a discovered check to boot) and clearing the way for Bc1xh6 to completely break through Black's defenses } 17... Qe7 18. Bxh6 { smashing through with every piece!!! } ) 17... Kh8 18. Qg6 Nf3+ 19. Nxf3 Ne7 ) ( 16... Qd6 $2 17. Qxf7+ Kh8 18. Qh5 { sets up Qd6 & Kh8 for a fork } ) 17. Bxf7+ ( 17. Nxf7 Kf8 18. Qxh7 Qg4+ 19. Kf1 Nd4 $17 ) 17... Kf8 18. Be3 $1 ( { The straight-forward forcing variation } 18. Nxh7+ Ke7 19. Bg5+ Kd6 20. Rxe1 Nd4 { gives Black a chance to do more than survive } ( 20... Rh8 $2 21. Qg6+ Kc5 22. Be3+ Nd4 23. c3 ) ) 18... Nd4 19. Rxe1 { threatening Bxd4 followed by Nxh7+, winning } 19... Nf3+ $2 { Why would he move Nd4 when that piece was doing valuable service preventing Be3-c5+? } ( { It seems to me that } 19... Qc6 { pretty well puts an end to White's attack. } 20. Ne4 $2 ( 20. Nxh7+ Ke7 21. Bg5+ Kd6 22. Re4 $13 ( 22. Qg6+ $4 Re6 ) ) 20... Re7 ) 20. Kf1 Nxg5 ( 20... Nxe1 $4 21. Bc5+ Re7 22. Nxh7# ) 21. Bc5+ Re7 22. Rxe5 Nxf7 23. Rxe7 Qxe7 24. Bxe7+ Kxe7 { Adams did a fantastic job to stay alive. But, the White queen can do some real damage. } 25. Qc5+ Kd7 26. Qd4+ Ke7 27. Qxg7 bxa4 $2 ( 27... Bd5 { keeps the piece coordination much better } ) ( 27... h6 28. Qc3 c6 29. Qc5+ Kd7 30. Qb6 Rb8 { and Black might hold it all together. That would be a truly amazing turnaround. } ) 28. Qc3 Kd7 29. Qd4+ Nd6 ( 29... Ke6 30. Qc4+ Kf6 31. Qxc7 { is very awkward for Bb7 } ) 30. Qxa4+ Ke6 31. Qg4+ Nf5 32. Qc4+ Bd5 33. Qxc7 h5 34. c4 Bh1 35. f4 { threatening Qe5+ to win Nf5 } 35... Rf8 36. Qb6+ Kf7 37. Qa7+ Ne7 { Black guards against checks and prepares to threaten Pf4 with Rf8 } ( 37... Kg6 $4 38. Qg1+ { catches Bh1 } ) ( 37... Kg8 $4 38. Qg1+ { catches Bh1 } ) 38. Qxa6 { Meanwhile, White grabs another pawn. This is such an unusual mix of pieces, I don't know quite how to explain it. Black appears to be ahead in pieces, but White's queen is everywhere and Ph5 is weak. When will White advance a pawn for promotion? How can Black attack Kf1 or stop the pawns, there are so many? } 38... Rb8 { Black aims for 39...Rb8-b1+ 40. Kf1-e2 Rb2+ 41. Ke3?? Nf5# } 39. d4 Rb1+ ( 39... Rb2 40. d5 { preventing ...Ne7-f5 because of Qa6-e6+ keeps Kf1 safe from an immediate mating attack } 40... Ng6 41. Qe6+ Kg7 42. f5 ) 40. Ke2 Rb2+ 41. Kd3 Rb3+ ( 41... Rxh2 42. d5 { is where the game gets after move 44. Kd3 } ) 42. Kd2 Rh3 43. d5 { The White pawns sort of cut Black's "army" in half. Bh1 and Rh3 are separate from Ne7 and Kf7. At the moment White's Kd2 is also separated from the area where Qa6 can play offense, but with Pd5 it doesn't matter. Black's king and knight can't defend against White's queen and pawn. This forces a crisis upon Black; he has to get rid of Pd5. } 43... Rxh2+ 44. Kd3 Nxd5 45. cxd5 Bxd5 46. f5 ( { Here's a very nice problem-like conclusion which might have occurred. } 46. Qa7+ Ke6 { not entirely forced } 47. f5+ Kxf5 48. Qc5 Ke6 49. Qc8+ Kf6 50. Qd8+ Ke6 51. Qg8+ { chases Black's king away from the bishop or onto the dark-square diagonal b8-h2, so that Qg8-b8+ wins Rh2 } ) 46... Ra2 47. Qa7+ Kf6 ( 47... Ke8 48. f6 ) ( 47... Kg8 48. Qb8+ Kf7 49. Qc7+ ) 48. Qd4+ Kg5 49. Qxd5 Rxa3+ 50. Ke4 { Wow, what a game! It might take both players a few weeks to recover from the given and take of this game. } 1-0