[Event "GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2004.01.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Adams,Mi"]
[Black "Kramnik,V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Henderson"]
[BlackElo "2777"]
[ECO "B85"]
[EventDate "2004.01.10"]
[WhiteElo "2720"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 { For Adams this came as a bit of a surprise } 7. Be2 Be7 8. a4 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. f4 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Qe1 ( 13. g4 { This is certainly the most critical move, but Adams could not remember all the important lines and decided to deviate. } ) 13... e5 { This is the normal response to Qe1 } 14. Nde2 ( 14. Nb3 ) 14... exf4 ( 14... Be6 15. f5 Bc4 16. b3 Bxe2 17. Bxe2 Nd4 { and black is probably fine. } ) 15. Nxf4 Be6 16. Bh5 { Quite an unusual move. More normal is 16 Be2, but the idea is to take on e6 and win an exchange and that trading the bad bishop (especially if white plays Nd5, Nxd5 exd5 some day) is not such a bad idea. } 16... Nxh5 ( 16... Rf8 17. Be2 { is also a normal continuation. } ) 17. Nxh5 Qa5 18. Nf4 Bc4 19. Nd3 ( { Adams thought this was forced as the rook has no good squares: } 19. Rf3 Ne5 ) ( 19. Rf2 Bh4 ) ( 19. Nfd5 { This move was missed by Adams, but it is not better than the game continuation } 19... Bxd5 $10 ( 19... Qd8 20. Rf5 ) ) 19... Qd8 { with the annoying idea of Bh4 after e.g. 20.Qf2 } 20. b3 Bxd3 21. cxd3 Bf6 22. Rc1 $1 ( { White has to play accurately to keep the position balanced } 22. Rd1 $6 Bxc3 23. Qxc3 d5 { and black is better } ) 22... Nb4 ( 22... Bxc3 $2 { Now this is not so good: } 23. Rxc3 d5 24. Qg3 d4 ( 24... Re6 $2 25. exd5 Qxd5 26. Rxc6 ) 25. Bh6 ) 23. Qd2 d5 24. Bc5 { The only move for white, and now the critical position of the game has arisen } 24... Bg5 $2 ( { Here Kramnik chooses a very complicated line in which he missed an important finesse. Adams saw two lines that he thought were ok for black: } 24... Bxc3 25. Rxc3 Nc6 26. Qf4 Qd7 ( { This is the other line that Adams saw: } 26... f6 27. Bd6 d4 { and black is ok, so this is what Kramnik should have played } ) 27. Bd6 Rbd8 28. exd5 Qxd6 29. Qxf7+ Kh8 30. dxc6 Rf8 { and Adams thought black is ok, but in the analysis room he discovered that 31 c7 wins for white! } ) 25. Qf2 Nxd3 ( 25... Bxc1 26. Bxb4 Bg5 27. Qxf7+ Kh8 28. Nxd5 { and white has excellent winning chances } ) 26. Qxf7+ Kh8 27. Bd4 Bh6 ( 27... Rg8 28. Rcd1 dxe4 29. Nxe4 $18 ) 28. Rcd1 dxe4 29. Ba7 $1 { Adams explained that this is what Kramnik had missed when he entered these complications. Any other move by white would give black the advantage. } 29... Re7 ( { Maybe it was better for black to go for the endgame, although after } 29... Rf8 30. Qxf8+ Qxf8 31. Rxf8+ Rxf8 32. Nxe4 Ne5 33. g3 g6 34. Nd6 { his troubles are not over; Also not good for black is: } ) ( 29... Ra8 30. Nxe4 Rxe4 31. Rxd3 { and black's back rank problems will be decisive } ) 30. Qf5 Ra8 ( 30... g6 31. Qh3 ) 31. Nxe4 Rd7 32. Bb6 Qe8 ( 32... Qe7 33. Nc5 Rd6 34. Nxd3 Rxb6 35. Rde1 { with the follow-up of Ne5 winning. } ) 33. a5 $1 ( { Less clear is: } 33. Rf3 g6 ( 33... Ne5 34. Rxd7 Nxd7 35. Nd6 ) 34. Qh3 Ne5 35. Rxd7 Nxd7 { and maybe black can hang on } ) 33... Kg8 34. Qg4 Kh8 35. Rf8+ Qxf8 36. Qxd7 Ne5 37. Qxb7 g6 38. h3 Bg7 39. Nd6 h5 40. b4 Qg8 41. Bc5 Qb8 $2 ( { This loses directly - however by now Kramnik is in dire straights. His only option of delaying the inevitable was } 41... Kh7 { and black can struggle on for a few more moves } ) 42. Qe4 Kh7 43. Rd5 { and if the knight moves, Rxh5+ is decisive. } 1-0