CHESS
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Michael Adams failed to join Nigel Short in the quarter-finals of the Wijk aan Zee tournament when he lost the second game of his tie-break against Christopher Lutz of Germany. The game provided a good example of the way general principles always need tobe backed up by accurate analysis.
, b ba, n , x nh n , , , , , nh, , ,S, N N , ,H, NH, ,H, , ZG, ,G After 21 moves, they had reached the diagram position and Adams (playing White) decided to simplify into a king and pawn endgame: 22.Qc4+ Qf7 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Rd1 Rxd1+ 26.Kxd1.
In such endgames, it is generally an advantage to have a three-to-two pawn majority on one wing compared with a four-to-three on the other. The idea is that the 3-2 majority more easily reduces to a single passed pawn, which can be used to deflect the enemy king giving one's own king time to reap a harvest of pawns on the other wing.
In the current position, that is exactly what is liable to happen if Black pushes e4 too quickly or allows White to play c4 and b4 too easily. Seeing the danger - and recognising that Black's pawns at e5 and f5 provided a space advantage that even gave chances to win the game, Lutz continued 26...b5! The next few moves were the most natural on both sides: 27.Kd2 Ke6 28.b3 Kd5 29.Kd3 a5 and now White needs to stop and think. If he plays 30.c4+ bxc4 31.bxc4+ Kc5 32.Kc3 e4 (or 32.h5 a4) he runs into immediate trouble. The white c-pawn will be exchanged for Black's e-pawn, leaving Black's king ready to eat up the pawn on a3.
The most accurate move is 30.h5! avoiding any danger of running out of moves on the K-side. Instead Adams continued 30.Ke3 a4 and now it is essential for White to play 31.bxa4 bxa4 32.Kd3. Even then he seems in some trouble after 32...g6! White's problemis that he has no waiting moves. Ke3 always allows Kc4, while c4+ is always met by Kc5, when Kc3 allows e4.
Adams tried to make up for his earlier omission by playing 31.h5? when the game ended abruptly after 31...b4! However White continues, Black will obtain a new queen on a1 within a few moves.
The tournament has now reached its semi-finals, in which the pairings are Bareyev- Khalifman and Dreyev-Short. Nigel Short secured his place with a convincing victory over Sergei Tiviakov, winning with Black, then drawing with White.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments