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Judit Polgar vs Michael Adams
"Along Came a Spider" (game of the day May-05-2005)
Dos Hermanas (1999), Dos Hermanas ESP, rd 6, Apr-13
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Variation (C89)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 23 times; par: 66 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-05-05  ChessChimp: (16. Nd2) (PONY) (FRESH) (19...f4) (SPIDER) (FUN) (18. Qf3) (LADY) (SLEEP) (30...g5) (SPIDER) (HURT) (LITTLE) (MAN) (TRY) (45...f2) (SPIDER) (LADY) (NEW) (FOOD?)
May-05-05  schnarre: Very nice play by Black!
May-05-05  Shams: crafty, please try 20...bd7 instead of 20...Rb8 in that line where black takes on d5. I think 21.N moves would follow. I have to believe the unopposed light-squared bishop will give black some tricks.
May-06-05  ChessChimp: <Shams> (20. Bd7) (TRY) (NICE) (20...Nf3) (TOMORROW) (LADY) (EAT) (BLACK) (BANANA) (D7) (FOOD?)
May-06-05  jahhaj: <Shams, crafty> Or even 20... f4, can white afford to take the rook?
Sep-04-05  ChessMan94: Why did Polgar keep playing after 37 ...Qg4+? The king hunt that followed was a clear indication that the she was lost. If that's not enough, she keeps playing even after 43 ...Qxa1 when there is a huge material loss. She follows with 44 Rg6+ which seems like a spite check.
Sep-04-05  RSD770: http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp...
Sep-05-05  Hesam7: As <RSD770> mentioned this game is the topic of Dennis Monokroussos' lecture. I came to take a look at the game then I saw Crafty posting some analysis on move 19 so I thought I would run my engine (Fruit 2.1) too. Fruit evaluates the position different from Crafty. Here is the main line according to Fruit:

19 Bxd5 cxd5 20 Qxd5 Rb8 22 Qb3 Bb7 23 Re6 Rf6 24 Rxf6 Qxf6 25 Qd1 Re8 26 a4 b4 27 Nc4 Bc7 28 cxb4 Qc6 29 f3 Qxf3 30 Qxf3 Bxf3 (eval: +0.44)

Depth: 17/50
645M nodes
176K nodes/sec

It is interesting to note that even at depth 15 (same depth as Crafty) Fruit's evaluation was +0.50.

@ Shams

I checked your suggestion with Fruit. After 19 Bxd5 cxd5 20 Qxd5 Bd7 White can force simplifications, as a result his material advantage will be looming. Here is the main line after 20 ... Bd7

21 Nf3 f4 22 Bxf4 Bxf4 23 Qxd7 Bxg3 24 fxg3 Rxf3 25 Qd5 Rff8 26 Qe4 Qh6 27 Kh1 Rac8 28 d4 Qd2 29 Re2 (eval +1.80)

Depth: 15/39
80M nodes
190K nodes/sec

@ Jahhaj

I guess she could have afforded to take the rook, Here is the main line after 19 Bxd5 cxd5 20 Qxd5 f4 21 Qxa8

21 ... fxg3 22 hxg3 Bxg3 23 Nf3 Bf4+ 24 Ng5 Qxg5+ 25 Qg2 Qd8 26 Bxf4 Rxf4 27 Re3 Rg4 28 Rg3 Rxg3 29 Qxg3 Bf5 30 d4 Be4 (eval: +1.93)

Depth: 14/44
51M nodes
184K nodes/sec

Beside this after 20 ... f4 White has 21 Ne4 winning on the spot!

Sep-06-05  Queens Gambit: Nice game
Jan-13-06  schnarre: So Judit Polgar is in the role of Miss Muffet for this game!?
Jan-29-06  morpstau: Michael Adams is probably the most avid practioner of the Marshall attack at the top level. Nobody else played nearly as many Marshall games as the 'spider' did. I am aso curious to know what he thinks of his nickname
Feb-15-06  schnarre: <morpstau> I'm trying to recall how he even got it!?
Jan-03-08  sallom89: wow ! impressive.
Jan-26-08  jovack: excellent foresight.

1. doesn't go for a loose pawn when he sees better; he can bust open white's kingside pawns 17 f5 2. drops the dark bishop (which wasn't really that useful) to gain uncontested access to the E file

after that, white was just faced with too many attacking pieces and I think the ending was just a pleasant bonus where everything worked out, but who's to say

a great game.. I really think my strategic play benefited from this

Aug-08-10  Grantchamp: Nxf2 Qe1# brilliant
Aug-09-10  TheGadge: Am I writing complete rubbish, or does 36.Kg2 not actually draw. Maybe the chess engine I'm using is complete rubbish...!!!
Apr-24-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: Played in round 6; in round 2 Anand had played 18 a4 against Adams (the game ended in a draw). 18 Qf3!? was new; it has not been repeated. The alternative 22 Qxc6..hxg 23 Qxa8..f3 24 h4..Bf5 would have given Black a ferocious attack. There is luck in chess; Adams had not considered 24 Re6 when playing 23..Bxg4 but it turned out that the complications after his 24..Qh5! were very favorable for him. Polgar could have maintained approximate equality with 26 Qh1..Qxh1+ 27 Kxh1..Rf6 but instead opted to take the piece with 24 Rxd6!?. After Polgar's 28 f3? Black's attack was very difficult to defend against; better would have been 28 Bd2 (defending against the threat of 28..Nf3+ and 29..Nh4)..Nf3+ 29 Kf1 and the game would likely end in a draw. White's last chance would have been 36 Kg1 though after 36..Qg4 when Black's attack would still likely have suceeded.
Jan-22-17  TaniaWinter: hell of a game!
Nov-17-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: I got the first two moves (they weren't hard to find) but went astray with 38...Qg2+ instead of 38...Qh3+.

Maybe it still wins. If 39. Ke1, then 39...f2+ 40. Kd2/Ke2 (40. Nxf2 Qxf2#) f1=Q+. If 39. Ke3, then after 39...Ng4+ 40. Kd4 Qxb2+ 41. Kc5 (41. Nc3 Qf2#) Re5+, the white ♔ is awkwardly positioned, to put it gently.

Nov-17-18  Walter Glattke: 37.-Qg4+ 38.Kxh2? Qg3# is the key, so black has hundred win variations with transforming the f-pawn or change against piece for decisive material. E.g. 38.Kf2 Qg2+ 39.Ke3 f2 seems to be better than the match continuation.
Nov-17-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: Black has a pawn for a bishop.

White threatens Qxh5 and Nf6+.

The obvious move is 36... f3+:

A) 37.Kxg3 Qg4+ 38.Kf2 (else 38... Qg2#) 38... Qg2+ 39.Ke3 Ng4+ 40.Kd4 Qxb2+ 41.Kc5 (41.Nc3 Qf2#) 41... Qe5+

A.1) 42.Kxc6 Rc8+ looks winning. For example, 43.Kb6 Rb8+ 44.Ka5 bxc4+ 45.Nc5 (45.Ka4(6) Qb5+ and mate next) 45... Qxd6 wins a rook.

A.2) 42.Kb6 Rb8+ as above.

B) 37.Kg1 f2+

B.1) 38.Kg2 f1=Q+ 39.Qxf1 Nxf1 wins decisive material.

B.2) 38.Kh1 Ng4+ 39.Kg2 f1=Q+ and mate next.

C) 37.Kh1 Ng4+ 38.Kg1 Qh2+ 39.Kf1 Qh1#.

Nov-17-18  Ceri: <TheGadge>

Your engine is not rubbish:

36. Kg1 is White's best shot and 36.... Rf7 is the best reply.


click for larger view


click for larger view

36 4:00 -3.77 37.Rf1 f3 8.Nxg3 f2+ 39.Rxf2 Qd1+ 40.Kxh2 Rxf2+ 41.Kh3 Qxh1+ 42.Nxh1 Rxb2 43.Rxc6 Re3+ 44.Kg4 Kf7 45.cxb5 axb5 46.Rc1 Ke6 47.d4 Rxb4 48.Kf4 Rd3 49.Re1+ Kd5 50.Re5+

36 4:00 -4.55 37.Bd4 bxc4 38.dxc4 Nf3+ 39.Kg2 Nh4+ 40.Kg1 Rfe7 41.Rd8 Nf3+ 42.Kg2 Qxh1+ 43.Rxh1 Rxd8 44.Rh8+ Kf7 45.Rxd8 Ne1+ 46.Kh3 Rxe4 47.Kg4 Nc2 48.Bc5 Rxc4 49.Rf8+ Kg7 50.Rxf4

Nov-17-18  Walter Glattke: Corr: 38.Kh2? Qg2# So, as white is a piece ahead, I don't plead for decisive material,, but I saw 38.Kf2 Qg2+ 39.Ke3 f2 40.Qe2 f1N+ 41.Rxf1 Nxf1+ 42.Qxf1 Rxf1 or 40.Kd4 (threatens Nf6+) f1Q. White cannot play 37.Nf6+ Rxf6 38.Rxf6 because of 38.-Re2+ 39.Kg1 Nf3+ 40.Qxf3 (40.Kf1 Rf2#) Qxf3 41.Rg6+ Kh7 42.Rg7+ Kh6 mating
Nov-17-18  malt: Good game I got 38...Qg2+ 39.Ke3 f2
similar to Walter.
Nov-17-18  Cheapo by the Dozen: I too went with 38 ... Qg2+, which the engine likes a little better than the game move. It was even more forcing than the game line in getting to a point that Black takes the bishop with check, which is the key thing needed to stifle White's counterplay.
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