Malcolm Pein on…Champion Michael Adams

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Today’s Daily Telegraph chess column reports on another success for Grandmaster Michael Adams. However, as Malcolm Pein explains, it was not all plain sailing.

Test your own strength to see if you can find the tactical opportunity which was missed by the champion.

Malcolm Pein on…Champion Michael Adams

Michael Adams needed a play-off victory over Ameet Ghasi to take the title of Caplin British Online Champion. The tournament was organised by the ECF over Christmas and New Year on Chess.com.

Despite pressing for 122 moves, Adams was unable to grind down teenager Tanmay Chopra in the last round and Ameet Ghasi seized his chance, defeating GM Daniel Fernandez in the final round to join Adams on 7/9 and force a play-off

Adams was in some trouble in the opening game, but turned things round ahead of forcing a draw from a position of strength in the return to prevail 1.5-0.5. Earlier, in the event proper, he defeated Ghasi with this fine positional effort

Ameet Ghasi – Michael Adams

King’s Indian Reversed 10+5

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.0-0 e5 5.d3 d5 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Nfd2 Ng8! (Forcing a positionally desirable exchange, and played with colours reversed in Kasparov-Vukic, Banja Luka, 1979) 8.Bxe7 Ngxe7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Na4 b6 11.c4 d4 12.a3 Rb8 13.Nf3 Qd6 14.Qd2 a5! (Ruling out b2-b4. Adams calmly improves his pieces) 15.e3 Ng6 16.Rfe1 h6 17.Qc2 Be6 18.exd4 exd4 19.Nd2 Nge5 20.b3 Qd7 21.Nb2 Rfe8 22.Re2 Bg4 (White is forced to weaken his kingside)

Ameet Ghasi - Michael Adams

23.f3 Bf5 24.Rae1 Kf8 25.Ne4 Re7 26.Nf2 Rbe8 27.h3? (27.Qd2 would have continued to grovel on. Now Adams strikes) 27…g5! (Facilitating …Ng6 and preparing to hit g3) 28.Na4 Qc7 29.Qd2

Test Your Strength

Michael Adams Missed Tactic

Adams continues to target the weakened White kingside. What direct blow did he miss here? 29…Ng6 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Rxe7 Ncxe7 32.f4 (If 32.Kh2 Bd7 33.Ne4 Nf5 and …Bc6) 32…gxf4 33.Ne4 Bd7 34.Nf6 Bxa4 35.bxa4 Qd6 36.Nh5 Nf5! 37.gxf4? (Losing material, but 37.Be4 Ng7 38.Nxf4 Nxf4 39.Qxf4 Qxf4 40.gxf4 Nh5 41.f5 Ke7 would be a totally lost endgame with such a bad bishop) 37…Ngh4 38.Qe2 Qg6 39.Qg4 Nxg2 0-1

Highlight the space below this line to reveal the answer.

29…Nxf3+! 30.Bxf3 Qxg3+ 31.Bg2 Ne5 gives Black a deadly initiative: 32.Rxe5 (32.Kf1 Nf3 33.Bxf3 Qxf3 34.Rxe7 Bxh3+ 35.Kg1 Qg2#) 32…Rxe5 33.Rxe5 Rxe5 34.Nxb6 (or 34.Nb2 Re3 35.Kf1 Qh2 36.Nbd1 Rg3 37.Ne4 Rxg2 38.Qxg2 Bxh3) 34…Re3 35.Nd5 Bxh3 36.Nxh3 Re1+ wins the queen and the game.

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