World Blitz 2007 . Ivanchuk - Adams : 0-1

Video from europe-echecs.com

Vassily Ivanchuk were ground down by England top GM Mickey Adams in round 31

Analysis by hairulov and Fritz

Ivanchuk,V (2787) - Adams,Mi (2729) [E18]World Blitz Moscow RUS (31), 22.11.2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Bb7 Nowadays top GMs prefer 4...Ba6 as the main line. 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.0-0 [7.Qc2 aiming for 8.e4 is an alternative but black has a good reply with 7...c5! 8.d5! exd5 9.Ng5 h6 10.Nxd5 Setting a small trap. 10...Bxd5= (10...hxg5?? Would be a blunder 11.Nxe7+ Qxe7 12.Bxb7 Black will down material.) ] 7...Ne4 This move prevent white from dominating the center. 8.Bd2 At first this move looks like a passive bishop move but white is willing to trade his passive dark square bishop for black active knight at e4! [8.d5?! is bad because after 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 white will have weak double pawn.] 8...f5 [8...Nxc3?! Just helped white development. 9.Bxc3; 8...Nxd2?! 9.Qxd2 Black has lost control over e4.] 9.Qc2 Bf6 10.Rad1 Nxc3 11.Bxc3 Be4 12.Qc1 d6 I noticed that Mickey always like to play the hedghong formation e6-d6-b6 and later break with c5. Joshua Waitzkin famaous American IM said that he once have to play against Michael Adams and when he study Adams games, he noticed that he often seemed to play obsolutely no heed to the center. Usually the first principal a young chess player learns is "control the center" and here was a world class GM Ignoring it altogether! After many days of studying his games, Waitzkin began to understand that Adams was controlling the center with complete detachment. He had made the circles so small, you couldn't see them...but they were there.In fact, Adams often had complete central domination while seeming to ignore it al together.13.Ne1 Ivanchuk is willing to trade his light square bishop to increase his chance for e4 break later. 13...Qe8 14.f3 Bb7 15.e4 Nd7 [15...Qa4!? Would win a pawn on c4 or a2. Maybe Adams will play it in longer time control but in blitz the initiatiave is far more important then material advantage!] 16.Nd3 fxe4 17.fxe4 e5 18.d5 White gets more space. 18...Bc8 Adams relocate his light square bishop. On b7 it's doesn't have much prospect due to white center blocked. 19.Bh3 Ivanchuk decide to trade black light square bishop and exploite black weaness on light square. 19...Nc5 20.Bxc8 Nxd3 21.Rxd3 Rxc8 22.Rdf3 Qg6 23.Rf5 h6 24.Qd1 Be7 25.Qa4 Ivanchuk decided to go for black abandond quenside. 25...Rxf5 26.exf5 Qe8?! [26...Qg5 Is more active. 27.Be1 Rf8 28.Qc2+/=] 27.Qxa7+/- Bg5 28.Kg2? A mistake by Ivanchuk and gave Adams initiative with 28...Qh5 [28.Qb7!] 28...Qh5! 29.Qb7 Qe2+ 30.Rf2 Qe4+ 31.Kh3 [31.Rf3!? should not be overlooked 31...Qe2+ 32.Rf2 Qe4+ 33.Rf3 Qe2+ 34.Rf2=] 31...Rf8-/+ 32.Qxc7 Be3 [32...Rf6=/+] 33.Rf1?? A blunder. Ivanchuk should have played 33.f6 gxf6 And now black rook can't joint the attack because th f file is close. (33...Rxf6 34.Qc8+ Kh7 35.Rxf6 gxf6 36.Qd7+) 34.Re2 Qf5+ 35.Kg2 Qd3=] 33...Qd3? [33...h5! and Black takes home the point 34.Be1 Qg4+ 35.Kg2 h4-+] 34.Rf3= Qe4 35.Rf1?? releasing the pressure on the opponent [35.f6 gxf6 36.Rxe3 Qxe3 37.Qxd6 Qf3=] 35...Qd3? [35...h5 and Black can celebrate victory 36.Be1 Qg4+ 37.Kg2 h4-+] 36.Rf3= Qe4 37.Rf1?? Ivanchuk taught Mickey would go for a draw by repeating move. [37.f6 would bring relief 37...gxf6 38.Rxe3 Qxe3 39.Qxd6=] 37...h5-+ At last Mickey found the winning move ! 38.Re1 [38.Be1 otherwise it's curtains at once 38...Qg4+ 39.Kg2 Qe2+ 40.Bf2 Rxf5 41.Qc8+ Rf8 42.Qxf8+ Kxf8 43.a3-+] 38...Qxf5+ 0-1