ETCETERA / Chess

ONE OF the games that ended Michael Adams's fine run in the PCA world championship.

White: Adams

Black: Anand

After losing the first game with White, Adams needed to push hard for a compensating win in the second game. Alas, all did not go according to plan.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 d4

In one game of the 1978 world championship, Karpov now played the extraordinary 11. Ng5]? against Korchnoi. Later analysis showed that 11 . . . Qxg5 12. Qf3 0-0-0] 13. Bxe6+ fxe6 14. Qxc6 Qxe5 is not bad for Black.

11. Bxe6 Nxe6 12. cxd4 Ncxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Qe2 Rd8 15. a4 Qd5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Qe4 Bc5 18. Qxd5 Rxd5 19. Ne4 Bd4

Black is completely tied up after 19 . . . Rxe5 20. Nxc5 Rxc5 21. Ra8+.

20. Nc3 Bxc3 21. Ra8+ Rd8 22. Rxd8+ Kxd8 23. bxc3 Ke7 (see diagram)

By most normal standards, this position should favour White: rook and bishop generally co-operate better than rook and knight; bishops are superior to knights when there are rival pawn majorities on opposite sides of the board, and here White has good prospects of driving Black back with a quick f5. Anand, however, has spotted that White's bishop is not as good at it looks.

24. f4 f5]

The routine 24 . . . g6? would leave White on top after 25. g4.

25. exf6+ Kxf6 26. f5

White might delay this with 26. Be3, but Kf5 is an irritating reply. 26. c4]? is another idea, but the move played is most natural.

26 . . . Nc5 27. Be3 Ne4 28. Bd4+ Kf7 29. Be5

Well behind on time (like most of Anand's opponents), Adams decides to simplify - but it turns out not to be simple at all. Instead 29. Ra1 Re8 30. Ra7 Re7 would preserve a dynamic equilibrium.

29 . . . Re8 30. Bxc7 Nxc3 31. Ba5?

31. Bd6 would have been better.

31 . . . Nd5 32. Rb1 b4] 33. Rd1

33. Bxb4? loses to Rb8.

33 . . . Re5] 34. g4 Ne3 35. Rd7+ Ke8 36. Rd8+ Ke7 37. Rd3 Rxa5 38. Rxe3+ Kd6 39. Re6+ Kc5 40. Re5+ Kb6

The time control is reached, but White is lost. 41. Re6+ Kc7 42. Re7+ Kc6 43. Rxg7 (43. Re6+ Kb5 44. Re5+ Ka4 only helps the king on its way) b3 and the pawn cannot be stopped.

41. Re1 Rb5 42. Kf2 b3 43. Kf3 b2 44. Rb1 Ka5 45. Ke4 Ka4 White resigns.

After 46. g5 Ka3 47. f6 g6] Black wins without problems. A fine endgame by Anand, and a superb example of his ability to perplex top grandmasters.