[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.08"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garri"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2838"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2742"]

1. e4 c5 { Playing Adams in this tournament has been something akin to walking through a minefield. If Kasparov can get through unscathed he'll stay in the lead and get to the climactic matchup with Ponomariov in the next game. But, if he should lose he'll be the underdog in that big matchup. Adams or Shirov in the last round, could act as spoilers, but the fight is between Kasparov and Ponomariov. } 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 ( 5... g6 { might be a good choice against the generally very quiet positional Adams } ) ( 5... Nc6 { seems to have almost disapeared from top-level tournaments (and matches) , though I don't know precisely why } ) 6. Be3 e6 7. Qf3 { Wow, now this is something interesting. I've seen a New In Chess magazine theoretical article on 6. Qf3 and played 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qf3, but I've never seen it played after 6. Be3. The idea is usually to allow O-O-O without having Qd2 blocking the d-file and to be able to meet ...e6-e5 with Nd4-f5 (and possibly ...g7-g6 with Nf5-e3, so putting Be3 seems odd. It's weakness is that it blocks Pf2 from immediately moving to f4, so that means Black can use square e5 or at least he doesn't have to worry much about e4-e5. } 7... Nbd7 8. Be2 { preparing g2-g4-g5 } ( 8. O-O-O ) 8... h5 { Yes, it prevents g2-g4, but what does Ke8 have to say about it? Does he feel safer now? I think Adams would be happy to have another weakness he can play against, without having extended his own position; just so he doesn't lose Qf3 because of it's exposure. } 9. Bg5 Qa5 { threat: ...Qa5xg5 and possibly in some cases ...Nf6xe4 } 10. Bd2 { Apparently he's willing to go to some length to not create any weaknesses Kasparov might utilize/exploit. } ( 10. Qe3 $2 Nxe4 ) ( 10. h4 $5 ) 10... Qb6 11. Nb3 Qc7 { It would appear Black wants to play ...Nd7-e5-c4 or ...b7-b5 and ...Bc8-b7. } 12. a4 { This move is slightly effective. It prevents ...b7-b5, so that after ...b7-b6 Pa6 will still need a defender. It also indicates White won't be castling to the queen-side and if he goes king-side one has to ask, "Is Qf3 well placed?" } ( 12. Qh3 b5 13. a3 Bb7 14. Bd3 ) 12... b6 13. Bg5 { In many instances this freezes Nd7 as defender of Nf6. But, Black could spend a tempo on ...Bf8-e7 to take over that duty. } 13... Bb7 14. Rd1 Be7 15. Qe3 { Adams is slowly rearranging his pieces to suit his needs in regard to playing against the slightly odd Black position. He might yet O-O and play f2-f4, but he is wisely repositioning his queen to prevent ...Nd7-c5 from being effective. Of course, that doesn't prevent ...Nd7-e5-c4. } 15... Nc5 $5 16. Nd2 $6 { Why on earth is he avoiding that knight trade? Now Rd1 is blocked and Black can hardly be worse. } ( 16. Nxc5 bxc5 17. f4 ) 16... Rd8 ( 16... Bc6 { threatening Pa4 and preparing ...Qc7-b7 to pressure Pe4 } 17. Bxf6 $6 gxf6 ( 17... Bxf6 $2 18. Nd5 Qd8 ) 18. Nd5 $2 exd5 19. exd5 Bxd5 ) 17. O-O Ng4 18. Bxg4 hxg4 { Kasparov was fully prepared to have his Ng4 captured. With or without that he was hitting Ph2, so that ...d6-d5 could clear the way for ...Qc7xh2#. He wasn't going to ...O-O anyway, so this just gives Rh8 a way to play. That Black gains the two bishops is probably incidental, but may prove useful later. } 19. Bxe7 d5 20. Qg3 Qxg3 21. fxg3 Kxe7 { And this is the result. Pe4 is en prise and Ph2 is very weak; if Black were to double rooks on the h-file it would probably fall. The open f-file isn't so bad for Black. He could play ...f7-f6 in a pinch, but Pg4 is quite weak. One Black advantage which could easily be overlooked is that his king is centralized and would be better in an endgame (I think the current situation is too complicated to be called an endgame and neither king would feel safe playing offensively) . } 22. exd5 $1 { This creates a small conundrum for Black. If he recaptures with the bishop to keep the d-file open he has to allow Nc3xd5, but a pawn recapture blocks Bb7. } 22... exd5 23. Rde1+ Kf8 24. b4 Ne4 25. Ncxe4 dxe4 26. Nc4 $6 ( 26. Nxe4 $1 Bxe4 ( 26... Rd4 27. Rf4 Bc8 ( 27... g5 $4 28. Nxg5 ) ( 27... Rxb4 $4 28. Nd6 { threatening Re1-e8# } 28... Bc6 29. Rxb4 ) 28. c3 $16 ) 27. Rxe4 Rd2 28. Rxg4 Rxc2 29. Rd4 $14 ) 26... Rh5 ( 26... Rh6 27. Ne5 ( 27. Rd1 ) 27... f6 28. Nxg4 Rh5 29. Rd1 Rhd5 30. Ne3 ) 27. Nxb6 Rd6 28. Nc4 Rd4 29. Ne3 Rxb4 30. Rd1 Re5 ( 30... Rxa4 31. Nf5 Kg8 32. Rd8+ Kh7 33. Rd7 ( 33. Nd6 Bd5 34. Nxf7 Bxf7 35. Rxf7 ) 33... Bc8 34. Rxf7 Bxf5 35. R1xf5 Rxf5 36. Rxf5 $15 ) 31. Rd7 Re7 32. Rd8+ Re8 33. Rd7 Re7 34. Rd8+ { This was certainly one of the more curious oddly intricate games. It might have been the game of the tournament if he'd played 26. Nxe4 and went on to win. But, unlike the other players who've upset one another, this game (and the result) are more according to Kasparov's plan and he remains in first place. } 1/2-1/2