Adams and Howell start with 2 from 2

Home » IM Malcolm Pein » Adams and Howell start with 2 from 2

European Individual Championships 2010 (2)

Adams and Howell start with 2 from 2

IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 10th March 2010

Michael Adams and David Howell started with 2/2 at the European Individual Championships.

Michael Adams and David Howell were on 2/2 at the European Individual Championships underway at Rijeka in Croatia. Thus far neither has been seriously tested although to win a game with the black pieces, which both have done, is never easy. Here is Adams's win from round two with white. In a race to attack opposite wings Black stands well before he becomes too tentative.

M Adams - A Jankovic

Sicilian Richter Rauzer

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Qe3 Qe7

(Ruling out the sacrifice Nc3-d5)

13.a3 Rb8

(13...Qa7!?)

14.Bd3 Bg7 15.Qg3 0-0 16.Qh4 b4 17.axb4 Rxb4

(Black makes progress The white rooks can reach the kingside but his attack is a little slow)

18.Rhf1 Re8?!

(e4-e5 was not a threat so perhaps 18...Rfb8 if 19.e5 dxe5 20.Qxh7+ Kf8)

19.Rde1

(Obstructing f6-f5 and getting nearer the enemy king not 19.f5 d5!)

19...h6

(19...f5 20.Qxe7 Rxe7 21.exf5; 19...Reb8 20.Nd5 exd5 21.exd5 Qc7 22.Qxh7+ Kf8 is unclear)

20.Re3 a5 21.Rg3 Kh8 22.f5

(Adams takes the initiative, Black's last two moves look wrong)

22...e5 23.Rg4 Kh7 24.Rf3 Rg8 25.Rfg3 Qa7

(25...Qf8)

A Jankovic

Michael Adams

Position after 25...Qa7

26.Rxg7+! Rxg7 27.Rh3 Qg1+ 28.Nd1 Kg8 29.Qxh6 Kf8 30.Rg3 Ra4 31.Kd2 Ra1 32.Qxg7+ Ke7 33.Qg4 d5 34.exd5 Bxd5 35.Re3 Qxh2 36.Be4 Ra4 37.Qf3 Rd4+ 38.Kc1 Rxe4 39.Rxe4 1-0

Adams' third opponent at Rijeka is Vladimir Potkin who suffered this rather drastic defeat at Aeroflot recently.

V Potkin - G Kamsky

9th Aeroflot Open Moscow (8)

Gruenfeld Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 c6 6.Bf4 dxc4 7.Qxc4 Qb6! 8.e4 0-0 9.Rb1 Be6 10.Qa4 a5 11.Qc2 Na6! 12.Qd2 Rfd8 13.Be2 c5 14.d5

Gata Kamsky