Into the Spider’s Web

Michael Adams – Levon Grigori Aronian
20th European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 16, 2015
Spanish C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Ne2 Be7 12. Bg5 Be6 13. Nf4 Bd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Rad1 c6 16. Rfe1 h4 17. Rd3 Rh5 18. Bxe7. The Spider’s theoretical novelty. The older try was 18. Bf4 g6 19. a4 Rd8 20. Red1 Ng7 21. Be3 Ne6 22. a5 a6 23. c3 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Pashikian, 39th Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010. 18. ... Kxe7 19. Red1 Rd8 20. c4! d4 21. b4! b6 22. Kf1 c5 23. bxc5 bxc5 24. Ra3 Rd7 25. Ne1 Rh6. Maybe Aronian should have played 25. ... f6, although after 26. Nd3 fxe5 27. Re1 White keeps the edge. 26. Nd3 Rc6 27. Rb1 Rdc7 28. Nf4 Rd7 29. Rb8 g5? Weakening f6 without any compensation. But also 29. ... a6 30. Rf3 looks very unpleasant for Black. 30. Nd5+ Ke6 31. Re8+ Ne7 32. Ke2! Rb6

33. Kd3! Threatening Kd3-e4 followed by Ra3-f3-f6 mate. 33. ... Rb2 34. Ra6+ Rb6 35. Nxb6 axb6 36. Rxb6+ Kxe5 37. Rc6 Kf5 38. Rxc5+ Kf6 39. Rb8 Ng6 40. Rb6+ Ke7 41. Rxg5 Nf4+ 42. Ke4 1 : 0. A masterly game, and the first win ever scored by Adams against Aronian.

Michael Adams
Photo: Icelandic Chess Federation