The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Michael Adams – Pavel Eljanov
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 24, 2016
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 Be7 10. Rd1+. If 10. Nc3 then 10. ... Nh4 11. Nxh4 Bxh4 12. Ne2 Bf5 13. Nd4 Bd7 14. f4 Be7 15. f5 Bc5 16. Be3 Re8 17. e6 fxe6 18. Nxe6+ Bxe6 19. Bxc5 Bd5 20. Rad1 b5 21. b3 Kc8 22. Rde1 Kd7 23. Bd4 g6 24. f6 Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Re8 26. Rxe8 Kxe8 27. Bxa7 Kf7 28. a4 bxa4 29. bxa4 Kxf6 30. a5 Ke6 31. Kf2 h5 32. Be3 Kd7 33. a6 Kc8 34. Bc5 Be4 35. c3 Bd3 36. a7 Kb7 37. Kf3 Bf1 38. Kf2 Bd3 39. Kf3 Bf1 40. Kf2 Bd3 ½ : ½ Grischuk – Eljanov, 20th European Team Chess Championship, Reykjavík 2015. 10. ... Ke8 11. g4 Nh4 12. Nxh4 Bxh4 13. Nc3 h5 14. f3 f5 15. exf6 gxf6 16. Ne2 Kf7 17. b3. Departing from 17. Bf4 hxg4 18. fxg4 f5 19. g5 Be6 20. Nd4 Rag8 21. Nxe6 Kxe6 22. Rd3 Bxg5 23. Re1+ Kf7 24. Bxg5 Rxg5+ 25. Kf2 Rhg8 26. Rd7+ Kf6 27. Rde7 R5g7 28. R7e6+ Kf7 29. Kf3 Rg3+ 30. Kf4 Rxh3 31. Re7+ Kf8 32. Re8+ Kf7 33. R8e7+ Kf8 34. Kxf5 Rf3+ 35. Ke6 Rf2 36. Kd7 Rd2+ 37. Kxc7 Rxc2 38. Re8+ Kf7 39. R8e2 Rg2 40. Rxg2 Rxg2 41. Rb1 Ke6 42. Kxb7 Kd5 43. Kxa7 Kc5 44. Ka6 Kb4 45. Kb6 Rc2 ½ : ½ Sutovsky – Lysyj, 16th Poikovsky Karpov Tournament, Poikovsky 2015. 17. ... Re8 18. Nf4 hxg4 19. fxg4 f5 20. Rf1 Bf6 21. Rb1 Bd4+ 22. Kh1 fxg4 23. Bb2 Bxb2 24. Rxb2 Re3 25. c4 Rf3 26. Rxf3 gxf3 27. Rf2 Bf5 28. Kh2 Be4 29. Nd3 Ke6 30. Ne1 Kd6 31. Kg3 Kc5 32. Nxf3 Kb4 33. Kf4 Bb1 34. Rb2 Rf8+ 35. Ke3 Bf5 36. Rh2 Ka3 37. h4 Bb1 38. h5 Bxa2 39. Nd2 Bxb3 40. Kd4 Bc2 41. Kc3 Bh7 42. Rh1 Ka2 43. Rh2 b6 44. Ne4+ Ka3 45. Ng5 Bb1 46. Rh1 Ba2 47. Rh3 b5 48. Ne6 Rg8 49. h6 Bxc4

50. Nd4? Adams unusually danced on the outer edge, but so far he kept to the inside. Now 50. Nf4! Rh8 51. h7 Bf7 52. Kd4+ Ka4 53. Kc5 b3 54. Nd3 b3 (not 55. ... a5?? 56. Nb2 mate) 55. Rh1 is a pretty drawing variation originally championed by Klaus-Günther Besenthal. After the text mistake, instead, the “Spider” falls into very, very serious trouble. 50. ... Bd5 51. h7 Rh8 52. Nc2+ Ka4 53. Kd4 b4 54. Kc5 a5 55. Rh4 Kb3 56. Nd4+ Ka3 57. Nc2+ Kb2 58. Rh2 b3!? Astonishingly, Eljanov’s technique is lacking: 58. ... Rxh7 59. Rxh7 Kxc2 is an easy win for Black. 59. Ne3+ Ka3 60. Nd1 a4 61. Nc3 b2 62. Rh3 Be6 63. Re3 Bf5? Pavel’s (second) blind spot. The easiest was the best: 63. ... Rxh7!-+ 64. Rxe6 Rh3 65. Nb1+ Kb3 66. Nd2+ Kc2 67. Re2 Kd1 followed by ... a4-a3. 64. Nd5+! Ka2 65. Nb4+ Ka1 66. Ra3+ Kb1 67. Rf3 Kc1 68. Rf1+ Kd2 69. Rf2+ Ke3 70. Rxb2 Rxh7 71. Ra2 Rh1 72. Ra3+ Ke4? The last mistake. With 72. ... Kd2 73. Kxc6 Rc1+ 74. Kd5 Bd7 Black could have kept his winning chances. 73. Na2 Ke5 74. Rxa4 Be4 75. Ra8 Bg6 76. Rf8 Ra1 77. Rf2 Be4 78. Re2 Kf4 79. Nc3 Bf3 80. Re7 Rc1 81. Kd4 c5+ 82. Kd3 c6 83. Ne2+ Bxe2+ 84. Rxe2 Kf5 85. Re8 ½ : ½. The amazing “Spider-Man” has escaped the impossible, just like Harry Houdini.

Michael Adams vs. Pavel Eljanov
Photo: Alina l’Ami