[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.10"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2717"]
[ECO "B42"]
[WhiteElo "2742"]

1. e4 c5 { Adams and Ivanchuk both, with a victory in this game, would tie for second place. } 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 { After Kasparov and Ponomariov used c2-c4 Anand used Nb1-c3, but Bf1-d3 (Kan Variation) , used by Ivanchuk in round 10 (he also followed with c2-c4 after he'd castled) , is supposed to be the "main line". White prepares to O-O and keeps open the option of c2-c4. } 5... Nf6 6. O-O d6 { This is typical of a Paulsen Variation. Black leaves open his specific piece development and just uses pawn moves early-on to limit White's pieces. The down-side of this approach is that it's not very contentious and allows White to choose his set-up. } ( 6... d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. Qe2 ( 8. f4 $6 Bc5 9. c3 Nc6 { and it appears White has over-extended a bit. } ) 8... Bc5 9. Nf3 { is similar to a French Defense, Advance Variation } ) 7. c4 { Maroczy Bind } 7... b6 { Hedgehog - Also see Ivanchuk-VallejoPons, round 10, 1-0 in 23 where 7...Be7 was played. } 8. Nc3 Bb7 9. f4 { Adams plays as though he had Pc2 rather than Pc4. This tells me he considers having Pc4 as an unqualified advantage which requires no limitation on how he might otherwise play the position. Ivanchuk did the same when he played the White pieces. } 9... Be7 10. f5 { This is where his approach differs with Ivanchuk's. Ivanchuk played Kg1-h1, Qd1-e2 and slowly developed while Vallejo Pons self-destructed. Here Adams goes for the throat. } 10... Nc6 { Black takes the pressure off Pe6 immediately. Black can hardly afford to play ...e6-e5 and leave Pd5 completely in White's hands. } 11. Be3 Nxd4 { getting rid of the pressure on Pe6, so he doesn't have to play ...e6-e5 which weakens d5 } 12. Bxd4 O-O 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. Qe2 { White may attack Pb6 to peck away at Black's weak points while he maneuvers into some formation to attack Kg8. Threatening at two or three points can help the White cause. } ( 14. e5 $2 dxe5 15. Bxe5 Bc5+ 16. Kh1 Qe8 { and Black's pieces are very active & coordinated } ) 14... Kh8 15. Rad1 ( 15. Qe3 $5 Ng4 ( 15... Nd7 16. Qh3 ) 16. Qh3 ) 15... Nd7 16. Rxf8+ { Adams saw that Rf1 had no great offensive value if it was always going to be traded for Rf8, so he forced the trade on his terms. This way Rd1 continues to take aim at Pd6 & Qd8 and the rook trade forces at least one Black piece onto an awkward square (f8) . } 16... Qxf8 17. Na4 { This simple attack on Pb6 puts Black's position into crisis! } 17... Bf6 18. Bxf6 ( 18. Qf2 ) 18... Qxf6 19. Qe3 Rd8 { defending Nd7, so he can meet 20. Nxb6 with 20...Qxb2. Swapping pawns is better than just losing Pb6. } 20. b4 ( 20. Nxb6 Qxb2 ) ( 20. b3 ) 20... a5 21. Nxb6 axb4 22. Rf1 Qh6 { Leave it to Ivanchuk to come up with such an outlandish move. He'd prefer the doubled h-file pawns than for his queen to be forced into passivity! } ( 22... Qe7 23. Nxd7 { and Pb4 is very weak } ) 23. Qxh6 gxh6 24. Nxd7 Rxd7 25. Rb1 ( { It appears } 25. Rf6 { isn't quite as good as the game move because there is a risk Pb4 might become very good if Pa2 disappears, so getting rid of Pb4 first is the better way to go -- at least in theory. In a well-analzyed variation one might show Black can capture at e6 and Black can't go after Pa2 because he'll be too tied-up defending against Re6, Pc4 and Pe4. } 25... d5 26. exd5 ( { Also good is to get past Bb7 with } 26. cxd5 exd5 27. e5 { when Pd5 blocks Bb7 and Pe5 isn't blocked. } ) 26... exd5 27. c5 Rc7 28. Rxh6 { and Pc5 is safe for the moment because Rh6xh7+ would snare Bb7. This gives White time to play Rh6-h4 to threaten Pb4. } ) 25... Ba6 26. Rxb4 d5 { This forces a liquidation which leaves White ahead, but without the proper material to find a win. } 27. Ra4 Bxc4 28. Bxc4 dxc4 29. Rxc4 Rd1+ ( 29... Kg7 { Leaving Pa2 on the board is riskier. Every pawn has the potential to become a queen, so one should think long before leaving it. In this case it's a serious question because Black has the option of gaining Pa2 in exchange for Pe6 or leaving both pawns on the board. } ) 30. Kf2 Rd2+ 31. Kg3 Rxa2 $14 32. Rc6 Ra3+ 33. Kh4 Ra2 { Constantly harassing the pawns is essential as it keeps White's king tied-up far from Ph6. } 34. Kh3 Ra3+ 35. g3 Ra2 36. Rxe6 { There's the completion of the pawn exchange. Now White has an extra pawn and Black has a slightly weak doubled h-file pawn. Black's saving grace is the small number of pieces and that Kh3 is tied to Ph2. } 36... h5 37. Re7 ( 37. Re5 Re2 ) 37... Re2 38. e5 h6 { After this White's king can't move to h4 because ...Rxh2 is checkmate. } 39. Re8+ ( 39. Kh4 Rxh2# ) 39... Kg7 40. Re7+ Kg6 41. e6 Kf6 42. Re8 Kg6 43. e7 Kg7 { Black has to get to g7 or h7 to avoid Re8-g8+ to promote the pawn. } ( 43... Kf7 $4 44. Rh8 Kxe7 45. Rxh6 Re5 46. Kh4 $18 ) 44. g4 hxg4+ 45. Kxg4 Kf7 { Now that White is down to one rook pawn this is safe. } 46. Rh8 { Good defense from Ivanchuk. He's played very well in recent events. } 1/2-1/2