Chess: Adams makes fine start in Dortmund

MICHAEL ADAMS has made a wonderful start to the Dortmund Grandmaster Tournament, beating Karpov in the first round and Korchnoi in the second. His game against Karpov was impressively smooth and logical, succeeding - as few grandmasters have done recently - in subduing the champion's Caro-Kann.

Steering clear of the fashionable lines with 5. Bc4 or 5. Ng5, Adams wandered down an old variation in which White's only claim to advantage is his pawn majority on the Q-side. After 17. Qd3, Adams gained the bishop pair. Even though his position was still only minimally better, at least he had something to work on.

The critical decisions were taken after Karpov's 32 . . . Nh4, when Adams gave up a pawn to start his c-pawn rolling. When it reached c7, Black was clearly in difficulties, but Adams needed to indulge in some fine manoeuvring to win the endgame.

The whole plan that was begun with 41. Bf2, and followed by Qxd7, Rd1, f5, Bg3 and finally Bd6, was a remarkably clear-sighted regrouping operation.

49. Be5] put the seal on it (Rxe5 loses to Rxd7) and 59. h4+] finished neatly: 59 . . . Kxh4 (Kg6 loses simply to Kf4) 60. Kf4 b2 61. Bf6 is mate.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Adams ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Karpov ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 e4 c6 31 Qd2 Qf6 2 d4 d5 32 b5 Nh4 3 Nd2 dxe4 33 a5 bxa5 4 Nxe4 Nd7 34 c5 a6 5 Nf3 Ngf6 35 c6 Ba8 6 Ng3 e6 36 Bd4 Qd8 7 Bd3 c5 37 Rxe4 axb5 8 0-0 Be7 38 c7 Qd7 9 Qe2 0-0 39 Rxe8 Rxe8 10 Rd1 Qc7 40 Qd3 Ng6 11 c4 Re8 41 Bf2 Bc6 12 dxc5 Nxc5 42 Qxd7 Bxd7 13 Bc2 Ncd7 43 Rd1 Nf8 14 Ng5 Nf8 44 f5 Rc8 15 N3e4 Bd7 45 Bg3 b4 16 Nxf6 Bxf6 46 Bd6 Nh7 17 Qd3 Bxg5 47 Be4 Nf6 18 Bxg5 Rac8 48 Bb7 Re8 19 Rac1 Qe5 49 Be5 Bxf5 20 Qd2 Bc6 50 Rd8 Kh7 21 b4 b6 51 Rxe8 Nxe8 22 Bf4 Qf6 52 Be4 Nxc7 23 Bg5 Qe5 53 Bxf5+ g6 24 Rfe1 Qb8 54 Bxc7 gxf5 25 a4 Ng6 55 Bxa5 b3 26 f3 Bb7 56 Bc3 Kg6 27 Bb1 h6 57 Kf2 Kg5 28 Be3 e5 58 Kf3 h5 29 Qf2 e4 59 h4+ 1-0 30 f4 Qd6 -----------------------------------------------------------------