Michael Adams and Gata Kamsky in Baku
Michael Adams made a great start to the Grand Prix tournament at Baku. In round one Adams drew solidly as Black against Teimour Radjabov whose Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation achieved no advantage. Adams even got the edge but had to accede to perpetual check in a queen and pawn endgame.
In round two Adams defeated Ivan Cheparinov, the Grandmaster whose disgraceful behaviour led him to be defaulted in his game at Wijk aan Zee against Nigel Short when he refused to shake hands. The game was replayed and Short won, Adams made it an English double over the Bulgarian.
Adams,Mi (2729) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [B52]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (2), 22.04.2008
[IM Malcolm Pein]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.h3 0-0 10.Be3 [10.Nf3 Rc8 11.b3 a6 12.a4 e6 13.0-0 1/2-1/2 Spasov,V (2579)-Nielsen,P (2629)/Plovdiv BUL 2008/The Week in Chess 703] 10...Nc6 11.0-0 Rfd8 12.Rc1 Rac8 13.b3 e6 14.Qf3! Qe7 [14...d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd4 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.Qxf6 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Ne2+ 20.Kh2 Nxc1 21.Bh6] 15.Rfd1 a6 16.Nxc6 Rxc6 17.Bd4 Rdc8 18.a4 Nd7 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qe3 Qd8 21.Ne2! Qa5 22.Nd4 Rb6 23.Rc3 Qc5 24.Qe1 Ne5 [24...Qa5!?] 25.Re3 Nc6 26.Nc2! a5 27.Qc3+ Kg8 28.g3 Nb4 29.Nxb4 Rxb4 30.Qf6! Rb6
 31.e5! Re8 [31...dxe5 32.Red3 Rf8 33.Rd8 wins] 32.h4 d5 [32...h5 33.Qg5 Rc8 34.Rxd6 Rxd6 35.exd6 Qxd6 36.Qxa5] 33.Rf3 Qe7 [33...Rf8 34.h5!] 34.Qxe7 Rxe7 35.cxd5 exd5 36.Rxd5 Rbe6 37.Rxa5 Rxe5 38.Rxe5 Rxe5 39.Re3 Rd5 40.Re8+ Kg7 41.Rb8 Rd7 42.Kg2 h5 43.b4 Kf6 44.a5 Ke6 45.b5 Kd6 46.Rc8 Re7 47.b6 Re5 48.a6 1-0
Gata Kamsky who finished this round one game nicely.
Inarkiev,E (2684) - Kamsky,G (2726) [C95]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (1), 21.04.2008
[IM Malcolm Pein]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 h5 20.Bg5 Be7 21.Ra3 Rb8 22.Kh1 Nh7 [22...Bc8 23.axb5 axb5 24.Ra7 Bb7 25.Rea1 Qb6 26.Nh4 Ra8 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Rf1 Qd8 29.f4 Nfd7 30.Bxe7 Qxe7 31.Nhf5 Qf8 32.fxe5 Nxe5 33.Nxh5 Ncd7 34.Qg5 Ra2 35.Nd4 Kh7 36.Nf6+ Nxf6 37.Qxf6 Kg8 38.Ne6 Nd7 39.Qh4 Qe8 40.Nd8 Ne5 41.Nxb7 Rxb2 42.Nxd6 Qf8 43.Nxf7 Nxf7 44.e5 Qd8 45.Qxd8+ Nxd8 46.Bxg6 Re2 47.e6 Re5 48.Be8 b4 49.cxb4 c3 50.Ba4 Kg7 51.Rc1 Kf6 52.Rxc3 Rxd5 53.Bb3 Rd4 54.Rc7 Nxe6 55.Rc6 Rxb4 56.Rxe6+ Kf5 57.Re3 Kf4 58.Rf3+ Kg5 59.Kh2 Rb6 60.g3 Rb4 61.h4+ Kh5 62.Kh3 Rd4 63.g4+ Kh6 64.g5+ Kg6 65.Rf6+ Kg7 66.Bc2 Rc4 67.Rf7+ Kg8 68.Bb3 Rc7 69.g6 Kh8 70.g7+ Kh7 71.Rxc7 1-0 Berescu,A (2433)-Graf,A (2604)/Kusadasi TUR 2006/The Week in Chess 597] 23.Be3 Bf6 24.Rea1 Bg7 25.Qe2 Bc8 26.Nf1 f5 27.axb5 axb5 28.exf5 gxf5 29.Ng3 Nd3 30.Nxh5 f4 31.Nxg7 Kxg7 32.Ba7 Rb7 33.Bxd3 cxd3 34.Qxd3 e4 35.Bd4+ Nf6 36.Qd1 exf3 37.Qxf3 Kg6 38.Qxf4 Nh5 39.Qh2 Rbe7 40.Qg1 Re2 41.Ra8 Qh4 42.Rb8 Kh6 
43.Rb6? [A blunder, presumably White missed Black's lovely move. 43.Qf1 Qe4 44.Kg1 Rg8 45.Be3+ seems to hold because if 45...Kh7 (Black has nothing better than 45...Rxe3 46.fxe3 Qxe3+ 47.Qf2 Rxg2+ 48.Kxg2 Nf4+ 49.Qxf4+ Qxf4 50.Rxc8) 46.Ra7+ Kh8 47.Bd4+ wins] 43...Bxh3 44.Rxd6+ [44.gxh3 Qxh3+ 45.Qh2 Re1+ 46.Rxe1 Rxe1# mate] 44...Kh7 45.g3 Bg2+! [45...Qg5 46.Qc1 Qxc1+ 47.Rxc1 Rxb2 =] 46.Kxg2 Qxg3+ 47.Kf1 [47.Kh1 Qh3+ 48.Qh2 Re1+ 49.Rxe1 Rxe1# mate] 47...Qh3+ 48.Qg2 Ng3+! 0-1
Michael Adams scored his second win at the Grand Prix tournament in Baku, defeating the Czech GM David Navara to reach 2.5/4. The opening went wrong for Adams but a far sighted pawn sacrifice enabled the England number one to create decisive threats with two rooks and a knight against two rooks and a bishop.
Adams,Mi (2729) - Navara,D (2672) [C05]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (4), 24.04.2008
[IM Malcolm Pein]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 g6 8.h4 Qb6 9.dxc5 [9.h5 g5 10.Nxg5 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Ndf3 Bc5 13.0-0 h6 1/2-1/2 Chytilek,R (2424)-Matlak,M (2469)/Czech Rep CZE 2005/The Week in Chess 548] 9...Qc7 10.Nb3 Ndxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 [11...Qxe5+ 12.Be3] 12.0-0 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Bg7 14.h5 0-0 15.Bg5 b6 16.h6 Bh8 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rfe1 Bb7 19.Nd4 e5 20.Nb5 Qc6 21.a4 f6 22.Bd2 f5 23.f4 d4 [23...e4 24.Qe2 Ba6 was very comfortable for Black] 24.Qf1 dxc3 25.Bxc3 exf4 26.Bxh8 Kxh8 27.Rac1 Adams has worked this out. Although he will remain a pawn down he has some threats thanks to the h6 pawn 27...Qf6 28.Qxf4 Qxb2 29.Qe5+ Qxe5 30.Rxe5 Rxa4 31.Nd6 Rd4
 32.Rc7! [32.Nxb7 Rd7!] 32...Bd5 33.Rd7! Kg8 [33...Rd2 34.Ree7 Bg8 35.Nf7+ Bxf7 36.Rxd2] 34.Re8! Rxe8 [34...Bf7 35.Rxf8+ Kxf8 36.Rxf7+] 35.Nxe8 Suddenly White is winning 35...Rd1+ 36.Kh2 Bb3 37.Nf6+ Kf8 38.Nxh7+ Ke8 39.Nf6+ Kf8 40.h7 1-0
At Baku most of the games were drawn. Here is the finish to Kamsky-Adams from round six in which the American found a clever way to force victory. Kamsky nust have foreseen the end in the final variation below 14 or 15 moves in advance.
White is two pawns up but his pawn mass seems to be stymied by the black king.
However a passed pawn supported by a rook is of great value particularly when the supporting rook cuts off the enemy king.
Kamsky,G (2726) - Adams,Mi (2729) [C92]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (6), 27.04.2008
[IM Malcolm Pein]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.d5 Nb8 13.Nf1 Nbd7 14.N3h2 Nc5 15.Bc2 c6 16.b4 Ncd7 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Ng4 Nxg4 21.Qxg4 Rc8 22.Bb3 Bd7 23.Qf3 Be6 24.Red1 Qg5 25.Rd3 Qf4 26.Qe2 Bxb3 27.axb3 d5 28.exd5 [28.Rxd5 Rxc3 29.Rxa6 Rxb3 30.Nd2 Rxb4 31.g3 Qg5 32.Rb6 Rd8 33.Rbxb5 Rxd5 34.Rxd5 Rb2 35.h4 Qf6 36.Qe3 Rc2 37.Nf3 Bc5 38.Rxc5 Rxc5 39.Qxc5 Qxf3 40.Qxe5 h5 41.Qb8+ Kh7 42.Qf4 Qd1+ 43.Kg2 Kg8 44.Qb8+ Kh7 45.Qb5 f6 46.Qf5+ Kh6 47.Qf3 Qd7 48.Qc3 Qd6 49.Qc2 Qd4 50.Kf3 Qa1 51.Qd3 Qb2 52.Qd5 Qc3+ 53.Ke2 Kg6 54.Qd2 Qb3 55.Qd3 Qb2+ 56.Ke3 Kf7 57.Qd4 Qc1+ 58.Qd2 Qc5+ 59.Ke2 Qb5+ 60.Qd3 Qb2+ 61.Kf3 Qa1 62.Qc2 Qd4 63.Ke2 Qb4 64.Qa2+ Kg6 65.Qd5 Qb2+ 66.Ke3 Qc3+ 67.Qd3 Qc5+ 68.Ke2 Qe5 69.f4 Qb2+ 70.Kf3 Qb7 71.g4 hxg4+ 72.Kxg4 Qc8+ 73.Kg3 Kf7 74.e5 fxe5 75.fxe5 Qe6 76.Qe4 g6 77.Qb7+ Ke8 78.Qb8+ Kd7 79.Qb5+ Ke7 80.Qb4+ Kf7 81.Qe4 Kg7 82.Kf4 Qf7+ 83.Ke3 Qe6 84.Qd4 Qb3+ 85.Qd3 Qb6+ 86.Ke4 Qc6+ 87.Qd5 Qc2+ 88.Qd3 Qc6+ 89.Ke3 Qc5+ 90.Qd4 Qc1+ 91.Kd3 Qd1+ 92.Kc4 Qa4+ 93.Kc5 Qa7+ 94.Kd5 Qd7+ 95.Ke4 Qg4+ 96.Ke3 Qg1+ 97.Kd3 Qd1+ 98.Ke4 Qg4+ 1/2-1/2 Leko,P (2753)-Adams,M (2726)/Wijk aan Zee NED 2008/The Week in Chess 688] 28...e4 29.Re3 Qe5 30.Rxa6 f5 31.Ng3 Qxd5 32.Qh5 Re5 33.Qg6 Qf7 34.Qxf7+ Kxf7 35.Ra7+ Be7 36.Ne2 Ke8 37.Rb7 Rd5 38.Nd4 Bg5 39.Rxb5 Rxb5 40.Nxb5 Rb8 41.Nc7+ Kd7 42.Na6 Ra8 43.Nc5+ Kc6 44.Re2 Ra1+ 45.Kh2 Kb5 46.Rc2 Bf6 47.g3 Rd1 48.Kg2 Be5 49.h4 g6 50.Ne6 Rd6 51.Nf4 Bxf4 52.gxf4 Rd3 
53.c4+!! [Activating the king would allow counterplay 53.Kf1 Rh3 54.Ke2 Rxh4 55.Ke3 Rh1] 53...Kxb4 [Alternatives are no better 53...Kc6 54.Ra2 Rxb3 55.Ra6+ Kb7 56.b5 Rc3 57.Rxg6 Rxc4 58.Rxh6 Rb4 59.b6; 53...Kb6 54.c5+ Kc7 55.b5 Rxb3 56.b6+ Kc6 57.Kf1 Rd3 58.Rb2 Kb7 59.c6+] 54.c5 Kxb3 55.Rc1 Kb2 [55...h5 56.c6 Rd8 57.c7 Rc8 58.f3! e3 59.Kf1 Kb4 60.Ke2 and the White king heads for the kingside] 56.Rc4 Rd7 [56...Kb3 57.c6! Kxc4 58.c7 promotes] 57.c6 Rc7 58.h5! Kb3 59.Rc1 gxh5 60.Kh3 [White wins the king and pawn endgame after 60.Kh3 Kb4 61.Kh4 Kb5 62.Kxh5 Rxc6 63.Rxc6 Kxc6 64.Kxh6 Kd6 65.Kg5 Ke6 66.Kg6] 1-0
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