British Championships 2010 (11)
Tough final game for Adams
IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 9th August 2010
Michael Adams had already secured first place but he still had to play a tough final game against Peter Wells which ended in perpetual check. Malcolm Pein reports.
Wells - Adams British Championships Round 11. Photo © Dave Clayton. | http://www.britishchess2010.com/
Michael Adams' toughest game came after he had already secured victory at the British Chess Championships which concluded on Friday at the University of Kent in Canterbury. Credit must go to GM Peter Wells for launching a dangerous sacrificial onslaught against the new champion, who responded in kind and a very entertaining game (below) ended in a draw.
GM Nick Pert secured outright second place with a hard fought win over Stephen Gordon. Pert eventually won an endgame of bishop and knight plus f,g and h pawn against rook, e, g and h pawn.
An error appeared in the early editions on Saturday. Adams broke the record for the longest span of title wins, his first was in 1989. Adams also shared first with Matthew Sadler in 1997.
Final scores: 1 Adams 9.5/11
2 N Pert 8
3-8 Greet, Hunt, R Pert, Hawkins, Slavin, Conquest 7.5
P Wells - M Adams
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Bb7 7.Nd2 Bxc3 8.bxc3 g5 9.Bg3 d6 10.f3 Nc6 11.h4 Rg8 12.hxg5 hxg5 13.e4 Qe7 14.Qa4 0-0-0
(Into the eye of the storm, d4-d5 was threatened)
15.c5!? dxc5 16.Nb3 g4 17.Nxc5! bxc5
(After 17...Ba8 18.Ba6+ Kb8 19.Bf2 The knight on c5 cannot be shifted but this is not a clear position.)
18.Rb1
(Threatening Rxb7 and Ba6+ with a quick mate)
Michael Adams
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Peter Wells
Position after 18.Rb1
18...Nb4 19.cxb4 c4
(19...gxf3 20.bxc5 fxg2 21.c6 gxh1Q 22.Rxb7 Qxe4+ 23.Be2 Qh1+ 24.Bf1 Qe4+ is a draw or Black could play 24...Qxc6!?)
20.Bf2 gxf3 21.gxf3 Nxe4! 22.fxe4 Bxe4 23.Rh5 Bxb1 24.Bxc4 Rd5
(24...Be4!?)
25.Bxd5 exd5+ 26.Re5 Qd6 27.Re8+ Rxe8+ 28.Qxe8+ Kb7 29.Qb5+ Kc8 30.Qe8+ Kb7 draw
Michael Adams
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Peter Wells
Final position after 30...Kb7
Andrew Greet took some risks but was rewarded
R Griffiths - A Greet
English Opening
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Bd6 6.Bg2 Nxd5 7.cxd5 Ne7 8.e4 c6 9.d4 f6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Be3 Kh8 12.Qb3 b6 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Rfd1 Bc5 16.Bxc5 bxc5 17.Qd5 Qe7 18.Rac1 Rb8 19.b3 Nd4 20.Nxd4 cxd4 21.Rc7 Qf6 22.f3
(22.f4 exf4 23.Qxd4 or 22...d6 23.f5)
22...Ba6 23.Rdc1
(23.f4!)
23...Qh6 24.Qxe5 Qe3+ 25.Kh1 Be2 26.f4 Bf3 27.R7c4
(27.Rf1 Bxg2+ 28.Kxg2 d3? 29.Rxd7)
27...Bxg2+ 28.Kxg2 Qe2+ 29.Kh3
(29.Kg1 d3 30.Qxb8 Qe3+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kh3 Qh5+ =)
29...Rb6 0-1
