Chess

LAST month the Barbican Chess Club, holder and favourite for the National Club Championship, was eliminated from this year's contest by Dundee. Gary Kenworthy, captain of the Barbican team, comments.

White: Michael Adams (Barbican)

Black: Paul Motwani (Dundee)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5

This forcing reply is coming back into fashion against White's flexible fifth move.

6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qg4]?

The threat to the g-pawn is illusory since 7 . . . Nf6 8. Qxg7? Rg8 9. Qh6 Bxf2+] favours Black. But Michael Adams likes having his queen in an attacking position.

7 . . . Nf6 8. Qg3 Nc6?]

It is safer to fight back on the central black squares with d6, then bring the knight to e5.

9. e5] Nh5 10. Qh3 g6 11. g4 Ng7 12. Qh6]

This is the point of White's play and the only way to gain an advantage. Now Black should give up a pawn with 12 . . . Rg8] 13. Qxh7 Kf8 and hope for counter-attacking chances in the centre. Instead he castled into danger.

12 . . . 0-0?] 13. Bg5 Qc7?

Black plays for the win of the e- pawn, hoping that without it White's dark-square grip will be weakened. Instead, he should have fought with 13 . . . Qb6] when the threat to f2 forces a pause in the White attack.

14. Bf6 Ne8 15. Nc3 Nxe5 16. Be7 Ng7 (see diagram)

Black's threats of Nxg4, Bxf2+, Nf3+ and Nxd3+ make it look as though he could be doing well. White's own attacking chances seem to lie in Ne4 and Nf6 or h4 and h5, but nothing works for the moment. Adams's next move, the best of the game, is brilliantly simple and effective. Black's counterplay is stifled and White retains all his threats.

17. Be2]] d5

17 . . . Re8 would have lost immediately to 18. Bf6.

18. Bxf8 Kxf8 19. Qxh7 d4

The best chance to create some complications.

20. Qh8+ Ke7 21. Qxg7 dxc3 22. 0-0-0 Bd7 23. Kb1 Rc8 24. f4 cxb2 25. Rd2 Nc6

The apparently more active 25 . . . Nc4 loses attractively to 26. Bxc4 Qxc4 27. Rxd7+] Kxd7 28. Qxf7+ Kc6 29. Na5+.

26. f5] exf5 27. Bc4 Ne5 28. Bxf7] Nxf7 29. Re1+ Be6 30. Qxg6 f4

After 30 . . . Qc6 31. gxf5, Black's game collapses. But Black's king is not so easy to kill.

31. Rxe6+ Kf8 32. Rf6 Qe7 33. Re2]

Typically merciless attacking play by Michael Adams.

33 . . . Be3 34. Nd4]

Much quicker than 34. Rxf4 Bxf4 35. Rxe7 Kxe7. Now there is no defence to the threat of Ne6+ or Nf5.

Black resigns.