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(6) Michael Adams - Artur Yusupov
Munich Munich, 1993
[Rohde, M.: Petroff's]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 A tricky line once employed by Karpov against Kasparov in a World Championship game is 7 ... Bg4 with the following ideas: (1) if 8 Re1 Be7, and Black has transposed into the 7 ... Be7 8 Re1 Bg4 line, avoiding 7 ... Be7 8 c4, and (2) if 8 c4 Nf6 (not 8 ... Nxd4? 9 Bxe4 dxe4 10 Qxd4) and Black has accelerated his pressure against the d-pawn; here Kasparov gambitted the pawn with 9 Nc3 Bxf3 (9 ... Nxd4 10 Qe1+ Ne6 11 Ne5 is too dangerous) 10 Qxf3 Nxd4 11 Qe3+ Ne6 12 cxd5 with great complications. 8.c4 Nb4 DIAGRAM 9.Be2 The modern move. In the line 9 cxd5 Nxd3 10 Qxd3 Qxd5 11 Re1 Bf5 12 Nc3 Nxc3 13 Qxc3 c6 14 Re5 Qd7 15 Bh6!! (discovered by Walter Browne), a major improvement, which led to the resuscitation of 8 ... Nb4, is 13 ... Be6! 14 Qxc7 Bd6 with equality. However, in Wahls - Jusupov, Germany 1992, White tried, instead of 12 Nc3, 12 Ne5! Jusupov played 12 ... O-O-O! (better than 12 ... f6 13 Qf3 g6 14 g4) and the game continued 13 Qf3 g6 14 g4 Bh4 15 Nc3 Nxc3 16 bxc3 Be6 17 g5! and Jusupov had to fight to secure a draw in 33 moves. 9...Be6 In Moscow 1992, Jusupov selected the more conservative 9 ... O-O 10 Nc3 Bf5 against Kamsky, but White was able to develop a central initiative after 11 a3 Nxc3 12 bxc3 Nc6 13 cxd5 Qxd5 14 Bf4 Bd6 15 c4. 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Be3 f5 A sharp variation introduced by Seirawan against Karpov. A popular alternative is 11 ... Bf5, now that the White bishop is on e3, and an eventual ... Nc2 will have bite. In Short - Timman, Hilversum 1989, Nigel tried 12 Rc1! (other moves are 12 a3 and 12 Qb3), with slightly better chances after 12 ... Nxc3 13 bxc3 Nxa2 14 Rc2. 12.a3 Relatively harmless is 12 cxd5 Nxd5 13 Nxd5 Bxd5 14 Bf4 c6 15 Be5, although White made something out of this in Dvoiris - Sorokin, Chelyabinsk 1990 12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Nc6 DIAGRAM The critical position in this line. In the stem game Karpov - Seirawan, ____ , Karpov played 14 Qa4 f4 15 Bd2 (in his book on the Petroff, Karpov recommends 15 Bc1, so that after 15 ... Kh8 16 Rb1 Rb8 17 Re1 dxc4 18 Bc4 Bg4, 19 d5 would win as the bishop does not hang on d2, but Black is under no particular obligation to play this way) Kh8 16 Rab1 Rb8 17 Rfe1 dc 18 Bc4 Bg4 19 Be2. Then after 19 ... Bd6 20 h3 Bh5 21 Rb5 Karpov went on to win a nice game. Thus, in the 1986 U.S. Championship, I decided to imitate Karpov's 14 Qa4, even though I felt suspicious. Sure enough, Yasser improved with 19 ... a6! denying White's rook the use of the b5 square, and after 20 h3 Bh5 21 Ng5? Bxe2!, Black won convincingly. Later in the tournament, Fedorowicz was prepared to play 14 c5 against Seirawan, with the idea of shutting off Black's counterplay, and using the e-file and the e5 square, but Seirawan played a different defense against Fed. (In a recent, cursory analysis session with NM Larry Tamarkin, I was unable to prove a serious White advantage after 14 c5.) Meanwhile, the direct approach with 14 cxd5 Bxd5 15 c4 (Makarichev suggests 15 Rb1, and Belyavsky played 15 Qc2 against Jusupov in Barcelona 1989) Bf3 16 Bf3 f4 17 Bd5+ Kh8 18 Bc1 Nxd4! led nowhere in Hubner - Jusupov Rotterdam 1988. Adams decides to avoid these subtleties, and develops his pieces. 14.Rb1 f4 15.Bc1 Rb8 16.cxd5 Zapata played the less forceful 16 Re1 dxc4 17 Qa4 against Garcia Gonzales in Santa Clara 1990, obtaining little. 16...Bxd5 17.Re1 Kh8 18.Bd3 Qd7 Black's setup is designed to prevent White's expansion with c3-c4, but the bishop on e7 is in a fragile position on the e-file, and Black's major pieces have been relegated to the defense of small units. Jusupov's choice is logical, but more radical measures were needed. A better defense was the Nimzovichian 18 ... Bg8!! getting out of the way of White's coming central advance and securing the kingside. Then on 19 c4 Bf6 20 d5 Nd4 is satisfactory - if 21 Bxf4? Nxf3+ 22 Qxf3 Bc3! threatens 23 ... g5. 19 c4! {Adams sacs the d-pawn to combine pressure against h7 with attacks against Black's minor pieces. Bxf3 Qxf3 Nxd4 Qe4 Nf5 The only way to simultaneously defend h7 and e7, but Black is preparing to strike back with ... Rbe8. 19.Rb5 Though this move seems to displace the White rook in the face of the coming counterplay, by forcing Black to play 22 ... c5, White gains critical time. The immediate 22 Bxf4 Rbe8 would have left open many questions. c5 23 Bxf4 Rbd8 {There is no time for 23 ... Rbe8 24 Rxb7. Bc2 19...b6 20.g4 Since Adams has earned the tempo to get his king's bishop off the d-file, he can afford this. Rde8 Rd1 White removes himself from the e-file battery and sets up his own threats on the d-file. 20...Bd6 Qd3 21.g5 A nice resource which defends h7 and counterattacks the White bishop. DIAGRAM Qc3+! A nasty surprise would follow 28 Bxd6? Nxd6 29 Qxd6 Re1+ 30 Kg2 Qxg4+ 31 Qg3 Rxf2+! 32 Kxf2 Qe2 mate! And 28 gxf5? gxf4 29 Qxd6 allows 29 ... Rg8+ 30 Kf1 (or 30 Kh1 Re1+) Qg7. 21...Nxd4 Rxd4 Qxg4+ Of course, 29 ... cxd4 30 Qxd4+ Kg8 31 Rxg5+ is hopeless. 22.Kh1 Re1+ Better than 30 ... Kg8 31 Bxd6! cxd4 32 Qg3. Qxe1 Qf3+ Kg1 gxf4 Re4 White preserves his extra rook. 22...Rg8 Kf1 Qh1+ Ke2 23.Rg1 Qc3+ Kg8 Re8+ Kf7 23...Be4 Qxh2 Ra8 24.Rg3 Rxa7+ Ke6 24...Bd5 1-0
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