I made my Bundesliga debut this season in the March weekend. My teammates had been doing excellent work in my absence and we have a perfect record heading into the final weekend. On Sunday morning I played Luke McShane again, we seem to have played quite often recently despite his work commitments. It was another long and difficult game although this time I managed to convert my advantage albeit in rather unconvincing style. The lengthy encounter meant that although I avoided timetrouble at the board it was looming at the airport, but Luke sportingly arranged for me to hitch a lift with his team, some of the variations below were discussed on the journey.
[Event "Bundesliga 2013-14"]
[Site "Hockenheim GER"]
[Date "2014.03.16"]
[Round "12.1"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "McShane, Luke J"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2753"]
[BlackElo "2697"]
[Annotator "Blog"]
[PlyCount "147"]
[EventDate "2013.10.12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.20"]
[WhiteTeam "OSG Baden-Baden"]
[BlackTeam "Werder Bremen"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5
8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. Ne2 Ke8 11. Nf4 Rd8 12. Re1 Bc8 13. h3 Ne7 14. Nh5
Ng6 15. Bg5 Rd5 16. c4 Rd7 {The opening has not gone well for Black, but the
Berlin is never easy to breach.} 17. e6 fxe6 18. Rxe6+ Kf7 19. Re4 ({Luke
pointed out after the game that} 19. Rxg6 hxg6 (19... Kxg6 20. Nf4+ Kf7 21.
Ne5+) 20. Ne5+ Kg8 21. Nxd7 Rxh5 22. Nxf8 Rxg5 23. f4 $1 {is strong}) 19... h6
20. Bf4 ({The computer points out the clever} 20. Nf4 $1 {keeps an edge as the
knight can’t be captured} hxg5 21. Nxg6 Kxg6 22. Re6+ Kf7 23. Nxg5+ Kg8 24. Re8
) 20... Bd6 21. Rae1 Rhd8 22. g4 Bf8 ({After the better} 22... c5 {the game is
roughly balanced.}) 23. Bg3 c5 24. Kh2 Kg8 ({I thought the paradoxical} 24...
Bd6 {was best.}) 25. Re8 c6 ({I was thinking about} 25... b6 26. Rxd8 Rxd8 27.
Bxc7 {then} Rd7 28. Nf4 $1 {keeps the advantage.}) 26. Nh4 ({This proved very
effective but actually} 26. Nf4 {was best.}) 26... Rxe8 $2 ({We both thought
Black was busted here but along with other highly rated spectators missed the
simple} 26... Nxh4 27. Bxh4 g5 28. Nf6+ Kf7 29. Nxd7 Rxe8 30. Rxe8 Kxe8 31.
Nxf8 Kxf8 32. Bg3 Ke7 {and a draw is on the cards.}) (26... Ne7 $2 27. R1xe7 {
wins a piece}) 27. Rxe8 Ne7 28. Nf5 Kf7 29. Nd6+ Rxd6 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 31. Bxd6
g5 {The opposite bishops give some practical chances.} 32. f4 Kf7 33. fxg5 hxg5
34. Bxc5 (34. Ng3 Ng8 35. Ne4 Kg6 36. Bb8 {was better I had overlooked
something.}) 34... b6 35. Be3 ({Maybe} 35. Bxe7 Kxe7 36. Ng3 {was simplest.})
35... Kg6 36. Ng3 Ng8 $1 37. Kg1 ({My intended} 37. Ne4 {is met by} Nf6 38.
Nxg5 Bxg4) 37... Nf6 38. Bd4 Nd7 39. Nf5 Ba6 40. Nd6 ({I thought imprisoning
the bishop was very effective but the materialistic} 40. Ne7+ Kf7 41. Nxc6 Bxc4
42. b3 Bd5 43. Nxa7 {was stronger.}) 40... c5 41. Bc3 Nf8 42. Kf2 Ne6 43. Be5
Nd8 44. b3 Nc6 45. Bc3 Nd8 46. a4 ({If} 46. a3 {Black can try} Nf7) ({In
retrospect I think} 46. Ke3 $1 Nf7 (46... Nc6 47. a3) 47. Nb5 Bb7 48. Nxa7 {
was most convincing.}) 46... Ne6 47. Be5 Nd8 48. Ke3 Nc6 49. Bc3 Nd8 50. Be1
Kf6 ({After} 50... Nc6 51. Ke4 Kf6 52. Bd2 {Black is struggling for a move.})
51. h4 Nf7 52. hxg5+ Kg6 (52... Nxg5 53. Bh4 Ke5 54. Nb5 Ne6 55. Bg3+ Kf6 56.
Bb8 {wins easily.}) 53. Nxf7 ({With my kingside pawns now vulnerable this
exchange looks logical but with some fancy footwork the computer shows} 53. Nb5
{is also good.} Kxg5 (53... Bc8 54. Nxa7 Bxg4 55. Bg3 Bd1 56. Nc8) 54. Bg3 Nd8
55. Nxa7 Ne6 56. Nb5 Kxg4 57. Nc7) 53... Kxf7 54. Bc3 ({If} 54. Bg3 Bc8 55. Bb8
Bxg4 56. Bxa7 Bd1 57. Bxb6 Bxb3 58. a5 Bxc4 59. Bxc5 Ke6 {the wrong coloured
rook’s pawn means there is no win.}) 54... Bc8 55. Kf4 Bd7 56. Bf6 $2 ({Luke
pointed out the beautiful win} 56. Be5 $1 a6 57. Bc7 b5 58. cxb5 axb5 59. a5
Be6 60. a6 Bxb3 61. Ke5 $1 {I didn’t see this idea gaining crucial tempi} Bd1
62. Ke4 $1 Bc2+ 63. Kd5 Bd1 64. a7 Bf3+ 65. Kxc5) 56... Ke6 $1 ({I worked out
that} 56... a6 57. Bd8 b5 58. axb5 axb5 59. Ke5 bxc4 60. bxc4 Bxg4 61. Kd5 {
was winning but missed this sneaky plan giving the bishop a new route to
hoover my queenside pawns.}) 57. Be5 Be8 58. Bb8 a5 $2 ({Luke could have
salvaged a draw with} 58... a6 $1 59. Ba7 Bg6 60. Bxb6 (60. a5 bxa5 61. Bxc5
Bc2 62. Ba3 Bxb3 63. c5 Ba4) 60... Bc2 61. Ke3 (61. Bxc5 Bxb3 62. Bd4 Bxc4 63.
g6 Bd3 64. Kg5 Bc2 65. a5 Bb1 66. Kh6 Bc2 {and there is no way to progress})
61... Bxb3 62. Kd3 Bxa4 63. Bxc5 Bd1) 59. Bc7 Bg6 60. Bxb6 Bc2 61. b4 ({A
pretty option but it seems} 61. g6 Bxb3 (61... Kf6 62. Bxc5 Bxb3 63. Bd4+ Kxg6
64. c5 Bxa4 65. Bc3) 62. Kg5 Bxa4 63. Kh6 Bc2 64. Bxc5 {is also good enough.})
61... cxb4 62. Bxa5 b3 63. Bc3 Bd3 64. a5 Kd6 65. Bd4 Bxc4 66. g6 Kc6 67. Ke5
Kb5 68. Bc3 b2 69. Bxb2 Kxa5 70. Kd6 Kb4 71. g7 Kb3 72. Bf6 Kc2 73. Ke7 Kd3 74.
Kf8 1-0
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