Michael Adams vs Jaan Ehlvest (2013)

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Michael Adams vs Jaan Ehlvest
Gibraltar Masters (2013), La Caleta GIB, rd 9, Jan-30
Spanish Game: Steinitz Defense (C62) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Jan-30-13		kingscrusher: Crushing

Jan-30-13		GlennOliver: I can only assume that Ehlvest didn't feel like playing today. Unless there is some brilliant gambit hidden away. After 20. ... Bxg4, the best that White can hope for is a draw.

Jan-30-13		Jafar219: Black has winning position.Why did Ehlvest resign???

Jan-30-13		Benzol: 21.Qc3+ looks a nasty threat.

Jan-30-13		tamar: Mickey interviewed after the game http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.c... said the position doesn't look so lost (for Black) as he originally thought, but the computer shows several ways to win. He gave his chances as 80% The line he gives is 20...Bxg4 21 Qc3+ Kh6 22 hxg4 Qxg4 23 Rd3 Rf5 ("which is the only move")24 Rh3+ Rh5 click for larger view and here he said he thought bringing the other rook into the attack would be decisive 25 Re3 "initially this looks completely winning", but on checking he found that Black can play 25... Qd1+ 26 Kh2 Qd4 when Black might even be holding One winning line after the diagram is 25 Rxh5 gxh5 26 Nf6 Qd4 27 Qf3 hitting h5 and a8 at the same time. In any case a premature resignation most likely.

Jan-30-13		Fanques Fair: Why can´t Black play 18 ... dxe5 ?

Jan-30-13		YouRang: After 16 moves: click for larger view Adams found <17.e5!>, which breaks things open for his rooks and vacates e4 for his Nc3. The immediate threat is exd6, attacking both the N (with the pawn) and the bishop (with the rook). Moving the bishop to safety (e.g. 17...Bc8) still loses since 18.exd6 exd6 19.Ne4! and now either Pd6 or Pc5 must fall. Capturing with 17...dxe5 leaves black's pawns in shambles, and is quickly exploited with the discovered attack 18.Qe3! After black moves his Q, say 18...Qc8, white recovers his pawn plus attack with 19.Nxe5! click for larger view The knight is immune: if 19...fxe5? 20.Qxe5+ Kf7 21.Ne4! (threat: Ng5+ & Nxe6) Capturing with <17...fxe5> (as in the game) still leads to <18.Nxe5!> because if 18...dxe5, then comes the discovered attack on the queen 19.Qg5 Nd5 20.Qxe6+ Qf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.Rxd5 -- and black faces and endgame down a pawn and 3 isolated pawns for the rooks to attack. Black continued with <18...Qc8> (unpinning his Q to threaten ...dxe5), but from this point on, white controls the board with the strong central rooks. After <19.Ng4> (moving the N out of take), black played <19...Ng8?> (to unpin his LSB, although at g8 it cramps his king's mobility -- 19...Nc6 was better). White punished this with <20.Ne4!> to end the game. click for larger view The threat is Qc3+ leading to an all-out assault. The best black can do would be 20...Bxg4 21.Qc3+ Kh6 (note 21...Kf7? 22.Ng5#) 22.hxg4 Qxg4 23.Rd3! (threat Rh3+) Rf5 (to defend via Rh5) 24.Rg3 Qf4 25.Rh3 Rh5 26.Rxh5 gxh5 (not 26...Kxh5? 27.Qh3+ Qh4 28.g4+!) click for larger view 27.Nxc5! (opening the e-file and threatening Ne6) Rf8 (not 27...dxc5? 28.Re6+! Kf5 29.Qxc5+ Kg4 30.f3+ Re4 pins Q ) 28.Re6+ Rf6 29.Rxf6 Nxf6 30.Nd3 Qf5 31.Qxc7 and again, black faces a pawn-down endgame where his remaing disconnected pawns are hopeless.

Jan-30-13		Shams: <YouRang> Great work.

Jan-30-13		holland oats: <Yourang> Thanks for sharing. As Mike Lange would say while ending a broadcast, "Ladies and gentlemen, Ehlvest has just left the building!"

Jan-30-13		goldenbear: One of the reasons I gave up e4 is because of the Old Steinitz Defence... Now I will only play e4 against people I'm sure will play the French. I was not aware of this move 10.Bf4. Is this played often?

Jan-30-13		perfidious: <goldenbear> Being able to face the Old Steinitz would be a fine reason to play 1.e4, I should think. This is the first high-level game in the line I have seen played since early 20th century, though. In Opening Explorer, there is only a single game with 9.Re1, A Arulaid vs Keres, 1945.

Jan-30-13		Shams: <goldenbear> Stripunsky tried 10.Bf4 against Onischuk back in 1995, but didn't play very well and lost a miniature. http://www.365chess.com/game.php?gi...

Jan-31-13		goldenbear: <perfidious> Well, it's only one of the reasons I quit e4... I'm suprised there are so few games with 9.Re1. I think I've been there twice, but maybe I'm mistaken. p.s. I'll also play against the Modern, Pirc, and Alekhine Defence if I can, but it's rare that you can count on someone playing those.

Jan-31-13		HeMateMe: The openings that leave black with the ugly pawn set up c5, c7, d6 are to be avoided.

Jan-31-13		FamilyTree: "Loose pieces are the basis of combinations"

Feb-03-13		kingscrusher: I video annotated this game here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJC...

Feb-05-13		YouRang: <Shams> Thanks :-) <kingscrusher> Enjoyed your video, including the theoretical discussion about how working from a "plan" isn't always necessary. The sudden conclusion after 17.e5! did seem a bit like lightning from a clear blue sky.

Feb-14-13		whiteshark: <Death of an old friend> http://stevegiddinschessblog.blogsp...

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