Morovic Fernandez-Adams

Croatia-England
Olympiad, Istanbul 2000

Notes by John Emms

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 Bb7
This is less popular than the ultra-solid 5...Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Be7, but Adams has used it with success before.
6 Bg2 Bb4+ 7 Bd2 a5 8 0-0 0-0 9 Qc2 d6 10 Nc3 Nbd7 11 Rad1
11 Rfe1 , aiming for e2-e4, is another way for White, for example 11...Bxc3 12 Bxc3 Be4 13 Qb2 d5 14 Bh3! (preparing Nd2) 14 ..Bf5 15 Bxf5 exf5 16 Nh4 and White had a small plus in the game Chernin-Romanishin, Tastrup 1992.
11...Bxc3 12 Bxc3 Be4 13 Qc1
13 Qb2 looks quite natural, but after 13...c6! 14 Rfe1 b5 as in Epishin-Benjamin, New York 1993, Black is fine. The bishop on c3 has no useful retreat along the long diagonal after....b5-b4. 13 Qc1 was Epishin's recommendation.
13...a4!
Black continues actively. This is not the first time Adams has used this idea to create queenside counterplay.
14 Bh3
White continues with the usual plan of trying to force the bishop away from its dominating e4-outpost. Moving the knight immediately would allow Black an exchange of bishops and an easy equality.
14...b5! 15 Nd2
15 cxb5 axb3 16 axb3 Qb8 picks up the b5-pawn and leaves White with a weak one on b3.
15...axb3 16 axb3 bxc4 17 bxc4 Ra2! 18 f3
In his column in the Sunday Telegraph, Nigel Short criticised this move, preferring instead 18 Nxe4 Nxe4 19 Rfe1 with an equal position.
18...Bc2 19 Rde1 c5
It's true that White possesses the bishop pair, but on the other hand he is extremely passive. After Black's last move the white centre comes under some pressure.
20 d5 exd5 21 Bxd7 Nxd7 22 cxd5 Qa8 23 Bb2?
23 e4 was a stronger defence.
23...Qa4
23...Rb8!? 24 Qxc2 Rbxb2 25 Qf5 Nb6 also looks good for Black.
24 Bc3 Nb6 25 e4 Bd3!
Black has infiltrated via the queenside and now his position is becoming overwhelming.
26 Rf2 Rc2 27 Qa1 Qxa1 28 Bxa1 Ra8 29 Nb3 Nc4 30 e5
This desperate lunge loses, but 30 Nc1 Bxe4! 31 fxe4 Rxf2 32 Kxf2 Rxa1 also leaves White with a hopeless position.
30...Rxf2 31 Kxf2 Bc2!
The knight has nowhere to go.
32 Nd2 Nxd2 33 exd6 Nc4 34 d7 Ba4 35 Rc1 Bb5 0-1