Chess: Lane foils Adams's regrouping plan
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Your support makes all the difference.THE first serious upset of the Lloyds Bank Masters tournament came with the defeat of the favourite, Michael Adams, by Gary Lane in the second round.
In the 6. Qe2 variation of the Ruy Lopez, with which Nigel Short roughed up Anatoly Karpov several times, Adams tried a new regrouping manoeuvre beginning with 12 . . . Nb8, freeing the way for the c-pawn's advance and preparing to redeploy the knight on d7.
Lane cut across that plan with 13. exd5 and 14. d4] emphasising White's better co-ordinated development and taking advantage of the pin on the e-file. Adams accepted the loss of a pawn, hoping that the chances to irritate White's queen, combined with the weakness of the white e- pawn, would be enough compensation, but 18. Ne4] and 19. Bxf7+] was a beautiful justification of White's play.
Adams must have seen it coming, because White had little choice after his 18 . . . Nc5, but he must have misjudged the consequences. Black had to give up his queen for three pieces, but the real sting came with 26. b4] Any move of the attacked knight is met by 27. Re4] when the threat of 28. Rh4+ Kg8 29. Qh7+ Kf7 30. Rf4 mate cannot be met.
After abandoning the knight, Adams made a good show of pretending that his two pieces were a match for the queen, but when White's f-pawn joined in the attack, all was lost.
White: Gary Lane
Black: Michael Adams
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Nf6
5 0-0 Be7
6 Qe2 b5
7 Bb3 0-0
8 c3 d5
9 d3 Bb7
10 Nbd2 Re8
11 a3 Bf8
12 Re1 Nb8
13 exd5 Nxd5
14 d4 Nc6
15 dxe5 Nf4
16 Qe4 Ne6
17 Qg4 Bc8
18 Ne4 Nc5
19 Bxf7+ Kxf7
20 Qh5+ Kg8
21 Nfg5 h6
22 Qf7+ Kh8
23 Qg6 hxg5
24 Nxg5 Qxg5
25 Bxg5 Be6
26 b4 Ne7
27 Qh5+ Kg8
28 bxc5 Nd5
29 Be3 Nxc3
30 Bd4 Nd5
31 Re4 Bf7
32 Qg4 Be6
33 Qg6 Bf7
34 Qg5 Re6
35 Rg4 Ne7
36 Re1 Rd8
37 h4 Nc6
38 Bc3 Rd5
39 h5 Rxc5
40 Rg3 Rc4
41 f4 Kh7
42 f5 Rh6
43 e6 1-0
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