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(875523) Adams,M (2715) - Kasparov,G (2851) [B50]
Corus 2000 Wijk aan Zee (4), 19.01.2000
[rohde]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 One of Adams' many methods of avoiding the Open Sicilian against super-theoretical players. 3...Nf6 4.Be2 Possible because the e-pawn is defended by the idea Qd1-a4+. 4...Bd7 on 4 ... Nc6 White can try the gambit 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 Nxe4 7 d5 Qa5+ - he cant move the knight due to Qd1-a4+ - 8 Nc3. Another fourth move for Black is 4 ... Nbd7! which also slows White down by forcing him to defend the e-pawn. 5.Qc2 White accepts this awkward placement in order to get in d2-d4. 5...Qc7 To force White to retake on d4 with the knight rather than the pawn. 6.0-0 g6 Adopting the fianchetto which is quite normal in the Sicilian where White has not pressed matters. 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 This system does not appear very effective. White has limited chances for an initiative here. 8...Nc6 9.Be3 Bg7 10.c4 Ambitiously trying to gain space and take advantage of the position of Black's queen on c7 by getting a knight to d5. But this gives scope to Black's fianchettoed bishop and invites the exploratory ... Nf6-g4. 10...Ng4 Black wins the two bishops with this move but the dark-squared bishops will surely come into conflict later. Therefore this should be viewed as a freeing exchange to lessen the effect of White controlling more space. 11.Bxg4 In openings like the Dragon and the King's Indian where Black has fianchettoed his dark-squared bishop, White cannot allow his own dark-squared bishop to be traded for a knight. 11...Bxg4 Black would not be doing himself any favors with 11 ... Nxd4 12 Bxd7+ Qxd7 13 Qd3 as he cannot maintain a d4 strong point. 12.Qd2 0-0 13.b3 Nxd4 Kasparov goes in for wholesale trades of pieces. 14.Bxd4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Qc5 Offering the trade of queens as his pawn formation would straighten out to gain space. 16.Qd3 On 16 Qxc5 dxc5 the Black bishop would recycle to c6 and Black can never be worse. Often with knight against bishop it is better for the player with the knight to keep the queens on as the queen and knight make a good tactical pair. 16...a6 17.Nc3 Be6 The bishop retreats of its own accord. He had to watch out for Kg1-h1 followed by the sneaky f2-f4. 18.a4 b6 19.Kh1 White has the easier play in this position. Kasparov's 10 ... Ng4 was no more than an equalizing attempt. 19...b5 A very neat twist by Kasparov! His last move was ... b6, but now with the White king on h1, he sacrifices a pawn with ... b5! The point is that otherwise White can start hassling him with f2-f4-f5, and with the king on h1, Black is better placed to sacrifice a pawn for play on an open queenside file. 20.axb5 20 cxb5 Bxb3 would be good for Black. 20...axb5 21.Rxa8 With White's king on h1, White has to give up the a-file to actually win the pawn. 21...Rxa8 22.Nxb5 Ra2 The critical position for the pawn sacrifice - does Black have enough play? 23.Kg1 Adams normalizes the position of his king. 23 f3 would give unnecessary scope to the rook on the seventh rank. 23...Rb2 Pressure on the b-pawn is an important ingredient of Black's compensation. 24.Nd4 Bd7 25.h3 Qa5 Kasparov is looking to gang up on the b-pawn and then play ... e5 at the right moment. 26.Rd1 This looks a little strange. Apparently, Adams wants to defend f2 with his queen and use the rook against Black's d-pawn in the event of Black playing ... e7-e5. 26...Qa2 27.Qf1! A brilliant maneuver by Adams. The threat is Rd1-a1 trapping Black's queen, so there is no time for ... e5. 27...Qa7 28.Qe1! Adams is full of tricks! Now 28 ... e5 runs into 29 Qc3! 28...f6 Making sure that White does not get in e4-e5, which would wipe out Black's pressure. 29.Qe3 Qa2 Back to trying to get in ... e5 to knock out the b-pawn. 30.Qe1 Driving the Black queen away again. 30...Qa7 31.Kf1 Adams does not accept the taciturn draw offer of repeating moves. 31...Kf7 32.Rd2 A trade of rooks is forced. Adams may be winning now. One point of 31 Kf1 was to prevent Rd1-d2 from being answered by the pin ... Qa7-a5. 32...Qa2 33.Rxb2 Qxb2 34.Qd1 Now everything is securely defended, although it will likely be very difficult to move the b-pawn forward. 34...h5 35.f3 Keeping the scope of the light-squared bishop limited. 35...g5 Counterplay can come from ... g4. Perhaps f2-f3 was a little premature. 36.Ne2 g4 It is not actually clear what this accomplishes. 37.hxg4 hxg4 38.Kf2 Be6 39.Qd3 Adams has good winning chances. 39...Bd7 40.f4 Temporarily he may try for tactics with e4-e5, but I do not like making a committal positional decision on the last move of time control. The pawn was solidly performing on f3. 40...Bc6 41.Kg3 Adams' idea is to put pressure on the pawn on g4. 41...Qa1 Kasparov has tactical justifications here - on 42 Kxg4?! Black has either 42 ... Qh1 43 Kg3 f5, or maybe 42 ... f5+ right away. I am still not convinced by 40 f4 which seems too loosening. Overall, I believe that Kasparov will be able to draw this position. 42.Nc3 Providing key support to the e4 square. 42...f5 Now 43 exf5 would be met easily by 43 ... Qe1+. Note that 42 ... Qe1+ 43 Kxg4 would have been good for White although there would be complications after 43 ... f5+!? 43.Qe3 Now there are no checks. Adams is playing very artfully. 43...fxe4 Another possibility was 43 ... Qf1. 44.Nxe4 Qf1 45.Ng5+ Ke8 46.Qd2 Steady play. Adams keeps the g2 pawn secure. 46...Qb1 The move 46 ... Bd7 would be horribly passive after 47 Qc2! 47.Kxg4 Qxb3 48.Qe2 Now Adams has a passed g-pawn instead of a passed b-pawn. 48...Qb1 49.Kg3 The king is safer here and possibly the White queen can activate through h5. 49...Qf5 50.Nf3 Qg6+ 51.Kf2 The players are moving quickly now. 51...Qf7 52.Kg3 Adams is playing it safe in mutual time pressure. The time control is at move 60. 52...Qg6+ Naturally, Kasparov tests whether he can get away with a repetition. 53.Ng5 Qf5 54.Qd2 e5 This is very loosening, but he is going after the draw, not waiting for it! 55.Nf3 I think Black can draw if he exchanges queens on f4. 55...Qxf4+ 56.Qxf4 exf4+ 57.Kxf4 Bb7 Black wants to force the exchange of his d-pawn for the c-pawn. Thus, 57 ... d5?? would be very bad due to 58 c5. 58.g3 Ba6 59.Nd2 Ke7 60.Ke4 Ke6 61.Kd4 White clearly has no chance of escorting the g-pawn down the field, so he offered a draw. Adams played beautifully but hesitated during the time scramble before move 60. 1/2-1/2
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