[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.07"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Vallejo Pons, Francisco"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2742"]
[ECO "A05"]
[WhiteElo "2629"]

1. Nf3 { He varies from 1. c4, perhaps because he thinks his opponents are now focusing on him and finding particular plans to defeat him, rather than taking him for granted. He might just be tired (for the moment) of his usual opening. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 { His move-order has prevented the 1. c4 e5 defense for Black. Now if Black wants ...e7-e5 he'll have to provide it's support first. This is one reason some people meet 1. Nf3 with 1...d5. It takes the game out of the realm of the English Opening (generally) . There are others who don't depend so fully on ...e5, so they might consider a King's Indian Defense set-up (generally aiming for ...e7-e5 after some development moves) or a symmetrical ...c7-c5. } 2... e6 { This move continues to hide Black's intentions, to a certain extent. Often it's played like a Nimzo-Indian Defense, so that 3. Nc3 Bb4 helps Black fight for control of d5 and e4. To achieve the same end he might continue with the direct and classical ...d7-d5 or with a more modern Queen's Indian Defense (...b7-b6, ...Bc8-b7) . There are also other approaches: something completely different like ...c7-c5, delaying the development of Bc8 until he has ...Nb8-c6. To add to the confusion there is also a possibility of a Benoni Defense (3. d4 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6) when Black fianchettoes the dark-square bishop after all. It's potentially quite confusing. } 3. Nc3 c5 { Black has had good success with this, with GM Nick DeFirmian as one of it's best proponents. It aims to play an open position after d2-d4 cxd4 very actively before White can develop and remove his king from the center. White should move with some caution. } 4. g3 b6 { Black chooses a kind of Queen's Indian Defense formation with an early ...c7-c5. By attempting to nullify White's Bg2 early-on Black should do alright. He's also kept Pd7 to keep Ke8 safe and to guard c6. Keeping those pawns (Pd7, Pe6, Pf7) on light squares can be very useful if Bc8 is traded off. If there is no early trade we might see those pawns move to other squares (...d7-d5 for example) . } 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 { GM Walter Browne utilized this plan against GM Alexander Ivanov several years ago in the United States championship. It was copied by many people soon after and usually with good results. Black hadn't planned (perhaps) on having to deal with another White pawn advancing in the center so quickly. White threatens e2-e4-e5 when Nf6 isn't well prepared to move. } 7... Ne4 { This is a nice response. Just get rid of the knight. White can't utilize the diagonal because ...Ne4xc3 hits White's queen. So, White would have to move Nc3 to avoid the trade and then try to exploit the exposed Ne4. } 8. Nxe4 { This continues the plan with no loss of time, but also without as much impact. } ( 8. Nb1 O-O 9. d3 Ng5 { continuing the theme of trying to trade the knight and perhaps Bb7 for Nf3 and Bg2 } ( 9... Nf6 10. e4 ) 10. Nfd2 Bxg2 11. Kxg2 { Nf6 has no square, so White threatens h2-h4xg5. } 11... h6 { and White hasn't made significant progress! } ) 8... Bxe4 9. d3 Bb7 10. e4 { Vallejo Pons used the Pc4 & Pe4 formation in his game against Kasparov, so this isn't unfamiliar to him. Those pawns block both Bg2 and Bb7, so let's look at other factors to decide who is better or has a better continuation. With e4-e5 it's hard to see Black getting a grip on the dark squares with ...Nb8-c6, ...d7-d5, ...Be7-f6, but Black could challenge Pe4 more directly with ...d7-d5 or ...O-O and ...f7-f5. White will have to concede to pawn exchanges (else his central pawn structure would become broken) or to moving Nf3, so he can advance f2-f4. I'd favor Black, but that's just personal taste. } 10... O-O 11. d4 { This is an interesting change of tack. White opens things up, but he doesn't have the best grip on d5 since Nc3 is gone. Maybe now Black can play on the dark squares a little more actively. } 11... cxd4 12. Nxd4 d6 13. b3 { White quickly moves everything off the f6-a1 diagonal, so now Black will have to open the position up. } 13... a6 14. Be3 Nd7 15. f4 Re8 ( 15... Nc5 16. Bf2 ) 16. Bf2 Qc7 { defends Bb7 to prepare ...Be7-f6 } ( 16... Bf6 17. e5 Bxg2 18. exf6 Bb7 19. fxg7 { weakens Pd6 and Black's king's safety } ) 17. Rc1 Bf6 18. Qd2 Rad8 { White's position isn't terribly weak, but Black isn't cramped and can develop or maneuver with relative ease. } 19. g4 Nc5 20. b4 ( 20. g5 Bxd4 21. Bxd4 e5 { and Black has no fear about a weak d5 (remember White has no Nc3 to hop in there) and Pe5 will definately force the e-file open to expose Pe4 } ) 20... g6 { It appears Adams decided he might need that bishop for later duty, perhaps defending Pd6, and so he gives it a retreat square. Nc5 can only be captured if White is willing to lose Nd4 in return; the d-file would open and Nd4 would be pinned to Qd2. } ( 20... Bxd4 $5 ) 21. Nc2 Nd7 22. g5 Bg7 23. Ne3 { I wonder if after Ne3 Adams regretted not capturing it on move 20. Now the knight controls d5, to keep the central bind, and it might hop over to g4 to threaten invasion at f6 or h6. Black no longer has ...e6-e5 to fork two pieces and force a favorable line opening. Now ... e6-e5 would be met by f4-f5 to advance a king-side attack. } 23... h5 { This is an attempt, perhaps even a bluff, to keep the h-file from being available to White. But, it's not that simple. He has to creatively find some central thrust to control the location of the conflict. } ( 23... Ba8 { freeing Qc7 from it's defense and possibly intending ...Nd7-f8, ...Qc7-e7 or ...Qc7-b8, . ..b6-b5 } ) ( 23... d5 $6 { an interesting tactical shot, but not terribly effective } 24. e5 $16 { locks in Bg7 and threatens cxd5 } ) 24. gxh6 Bxh6 25. Ng4 Bf8 26. Bh4 Rc8 { This looks very bad for Black and one would expect a strong GM to be very pleased with White's prospects. } 27. Bg5 ( 27. Nf6+ Nxf6 28. Bxf6 Bg7 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 30. f5 { Leaving e5 to Black is a little different now that Black has no knight or bishop to set there. In this case the idea is to strip Kg7 of his pawn cover. } ( 30. Qb2+ { hoping for ...e6-e5 which can be met by f4-f5 to get at Kg7 without Black opening the e-file } ) 30... exf5 31. exf5 Bxg2 32. Qxg2 Rxe1+ 33. Rxe1 Qxc4 34. fxg6 { and neither king is very safe from the heavy dinosaurs (the enemy queen and rook) roaming this board } ) 27... a5 28. a3 axb4 29. axb4 Ba6 30. f5 Bxc4 { Black materialistically grabs the pawn and hopes to use ...d6-d5 or ...b6-b5 to support it. But, he gives White an interestng shot at Kg8 by allowing f5-f6. } 31. f6 { This seems to nail the coffin shut on Kg8. How can Black get rid of Pf6 or move Bf8 to allow Kg8 to run away from the open h-file? } 31... Ne5 32. Nh6+ Bxh6 33. Bxh6 b5 ( 33... Nd3 34. Bg7 Nxc1 35. Qh6 $18 ) 34. Bg7 ( 34. h3 ) 34... Qb6+ 35. Kh1 Ng4 { this prevents Qd2-h6 and it threatens ...Ng4-f2+ } 36. h3 Qf2 37. Qg5 Be2 { Black is hanging on by a thread. } 38. hxg4 Bf3 39. Bxf3 ( 39. Rg1 $4 Rxc1 40. Qxc1 Qh4# ) 39... Qxf3+ 40. Kh2 Qf2+ 41. Kh1 Qf3+ { Adams was a little slow with his offense, but it was just in time, as time control neared. He narrowly avoided defeat. } 1/2-1/2