Hi there.
In this lecture, we see a great contrast between an ordinary direct player around 2100 against the
great Michael Adams, who's around 2700.
This is in 2016 British Championship round one.
So we get these kind of encounters in round one of the Swiss and they're kind of instructive because
contrast helps us see how we can exploit mistakes, which we can relate to more.
So Peter Shaw make some passive moves, which I believe we can relate to, and it's interesting to see
how he's gradually positioning outplayed in this game.
So D4 from Peter Shaw we have five from Adams c4e69c396.
Bishop g59bd7e3 and now C six.
So a solid start from Adams.
This triangle Cambridge Springs variation Queen A five We have 92.
So this is a theory move to avoid a lot of the Cambridge Springs traps which occur because the Queen's
kind of looking at G five.
So 92 we have Bishop E four, Queen C two, Black Castles, Bishop E two, and now E five.
The point here after D 25 is to play 94.
So if Knight takes E five, this is bad White can just double the pawns, take on D five and claim a
big advantage here.
So 94 is necessary.
We have knight D takes e four, D takes E4, and now White Castle's F queen takes E4.
That's a disaster.
Bishop takes the free check, and then we're winning the A one rook.
So, White Castle.
And now, Bishop, take C free queen.
Take C free.
The Queen's come off.
B chains can actually black win from this position.
So this is really interesting.
Structurally white has damage here, but why has the bishop Bishop F4 we have Knight RD free.
So very interesting.
So we have Bishop RD sex with tempo.
If free the knight can just take on a four and this position should be about even och white has double
pawns and that is scary to have double pawns against Adams.
But technically it does seem about even overall White does have some compensating files here B and D
files to play with.
So och Bishop D six though, was played Rook RD, 8c5, Bishop E six.
And now this move will move 18 betrays a bit of passivity which can lead to being slowly kind of outplayed,
slowly outplayed gradually.
So if you imagine this game, the engine view graph, I've actually seen it.
It's just a one way gradual climb so it's without too much controversy.
And this move really doesn't help any free A4 and it makes all the difference.
Believe it or not, this is about even this position.
If b six we can try B six, but Bishop C seven and then C takes and that's good for white.
So B six is not particularly good and.
Yeah.
So what's going on here?
So this is not good.
If on Bishop C seven it takes C five.
This is not a convincing exchange standpoint.
We'll have a small advantage here at least.
So a four does seem to be significantly different.
A fray we have now because it's trying to kind of dissuade b five from black later.
We have Bishop C four.
So that will be the key point.
If black can get in B five, black can get a lock and key on these two pawns, restrain them.
And that's going to happen more easily now.
So Bishop c four is actually an inaccuracy.
Technically, it seems better as B six here in this particular position.
So why is this different, you might ask.
It is different.
If Bishop takes the fray, he takes the disposition.
Bishop See, for blacks got the advantage because B tanks here.
And this is very nice.
This resulting position is going to be very nice for black.
It is opposite of bishops, but there is this great big passport on D free and.
With the -- on a free now be sex is more effective technically because if bishops C seven we can play
rook dd seven see tanks, eight tanks, bishop tanks and we have be seven.
And you'll notice because the -- is on a free, the -- really can't get a five to support the bishop.
So that's another reason why a four would have been a lot more accurate than a free one could have disappointed
the bishop to avoid this variation here.
By the way, if rook for one, we're just going to double the rooks and win material pawns on if can't
play a five.
So what ends up losing material there?
So that's totally impossible.
Okay.
And the point is not to try and win the bishop.
Why has Bishop takes the free if we try a stunt like C-5?
But to actually go down to the seventh, Frank, and this is to Black's advantage.
So we've got targets down seven, Frank, and we're controlling that B file.
So, yes, this makes it it seems as though B six, it might be actually slightly more accurate in this
particular situation to undermine DD six and get that seven frank opportunity.
It might be slightly more accurate than Bishop C four.
So anyway, game on Rook fd1 If rook fb1 we can demonstrate potential equality for a moment with a four
here free if we take C five.
Bishop, S.C. For Rock 66, this situation should be about even so, here it's about even so.
Rook for one though, was played.
We have B five and this is another way of celebrating the bishop on D six.
In any case, trying to fix down these pawns and why it's kind of running out of good moves, especially
after Bishop Tang's RD free.
This is not a good idea.
This is definite mistake.
A four here, a six.
This situation for example f tanks e for trying to undermine the peace at the free 9e5.
If we take this situation, it should be about even even though one structure looks like a rank, one
should be okay.
But with bishop takes, the free one is doomed actually here to a slow grinding passivity where Michael
Adams is slowly accumulating advantages going up a mountain, you know, like with a donkey, you don't
need a helicopter.
Like in one of the Superman films.
The guy that wanted that computer project, he went up the mountain with a donkey so slow, but sure.
And less risk in his view.
But every five.
So we're gradually making progress here.
Our king is now being activated to use F seven if played e four here we can play Rookie ain't and it
doesn't really want to allow Rook on the seventh again.
So say E five, King of seven.
We get a nice blockade and then here it should be about even actually.
Yeah.
This.
This is actually just about even here.
So anyway, King EF two, though, was played.
We have rookie ranked rookie to rookie, six rookie one rookie 88.
So it seems as though why it's getting restrained for E four.
But Adams is usually looking around other pawns to see if he can restrain them.
Of course that's restrained.
What about this guy?
Because it's gradually improving the position if we can restrain the pawns.
G five Bishop C seven So G five kind of restraints in a way the f pawn as well.
So one is gradually being restrained here.
Bishop D six, King G six Gradual improvement to the position, small improvements.
The King H six.
Bishop D six and now a five.
So the idea to restrain the a pawn and it looks as though well where a black's opportunities black setting
up like an almighty fortress here how is black can actually win this So Bishop dd six bishop be free
and now we can see that whole rook has been tied up to that pawn on D free.
So it's almost as if this possession.
Yeah, the rooks are not particularly great, so that makes it more ripe for a potential exchange sacrifice
at some point when you see rooks are kind of stuck.
So this is not great terrain for the Bishop c seven.
We have King of seven, Bishop D six, King of six.
So a bit of maneuvering here.
H five.
What's going on here now?
H For fixing the G pawn as well so we can see the g pawns, fixed this pawns, fixed this pawns, kind
of fixed, this pawns fixed.
They're all fixed.
All the pawns are kind of fixed down.
So this gradual kind of reducing the opponent's available moves as well as part of that one way graph
up the hill, we have Bishop D six, King G six, C seven, King H five.
And this does support a G for breaks, gradual improvements being made.
So Bishop six work f617 rook e, one rook e, six one King G six king goes back.
It's a bit of playing to get the right plan, but have playful high level waiting moves.
So King of seven, Bishop C seven.
This looks like a game of chess now.
All of these high level waiting moves.
So the king comes to E eight and we have somebody celebration that won't really can't do anything.
So now finally g for some action.
But the controversy of this in weakening h four to a frontal attack needs to be heavily assessed with
concrete resources.
So white perhaps delighted to have a target now h2g4f tanks g4h1.
But something horrible lies beneath.
Here we see g three check king F one And now, yeah, the thing is about this e freeze hanging, but
so is h four.
If we played Rook takes E three, we'd waste the entire position after Rook takes H four because then
G three is weak.
It's like our pawn chain has been undermined.
The bishop is looking at g free, so there's actually a very key move to make this whole thing, this
whole concept, work much more effectively.
So there's a move here for 200 points.
This is a move 54.
So, yeah, despite all the positional play, we do need a concrete move here against.
The downside of this plan, and it's not going into a self pin.
By the way, if we play a move like this, then there might actually be Bishop Tex G.
Free going going into that pin.
So how do we defend H four?
Okay, we have to defend H4 with Rook F4.
And where are White's moves here?
Once in a kind of Zugzwang Where are White's moves?
The thing is, if King G won, we can now take on E4 because this is slightly different because rookie
one is checkmate more than slightly different.
So White plays Bishop F4.
I mean, what else?
What else is the bishop is going to go to B8 Are we in a rush to take on an E free?
Not really, for the same reasons we're giving white some counterplay.
If we take on E4, it kind of wastes everything we want a continuous delivery kind of non controversy
about this and we're giving counterplay with rook takes h four even if this looks really promising when
it has resources like Bishop takes G free to defend against the threat and we've given counterplay here.
Check.
And this is a really quite tragic waste the position black only has a small edge, so that would be
an absolute tragedy to play.
Rook takes e free.
No, we can follow the incremental, safe, incremental path of improving our position here.
How would you do that in this position?
What would be a great move for 100 points?
If Bishop had been played, You know, we can just walk our king here on the light squares.
Look at these light squares.
We've got a light square root.
We can go and pick up C free and then win this rook.
Yeah.
So for example, Bishop RD, sex, king E sex.
This is a great way of just gradually improving the position.
What is white doing here?
And then when it crumbles, we're just going to win everything.
We're going to win the rook next.
If we look at this also, if ever King one, then we just take on EA Frey and then Rook takes H four
is really coming out.
Coming.
Sorry, it's coming back into question but we just played rookie for.
And the thing is now say Bishop eight, we move on, King.
And there's no King one anymore.
And there's no rule to search for.
And there's no King G won because a rookie won checkmate.
It's really a paralyzed position here.
So, yeah, this is absolute doom.
C free will be picked up, etc., taking out the rook.
So it's a beautiful position.
If Bishop Black can really get just incremental progress without any problem, it's a dream position.
If the cards played right, the only source of counterplay is crashing through the h file.
If that is prevented, if that pawn is maintained, there's no counterplay for white, which means we
can do those safe incremental steps up the hill.
So to speak, without any controversy.
We can use a donkey.
We don't need to use a helicopter to get up this mountain.
We can just use a donkey.
I know it would take longer, but it's much safer.
So, okay, so in the game we have Rook sorry, we have Bishop F4, which encourages now a pretty non
controversial exchange.
SAC Rook takes F4, E takes Rook takes F4.
This this rook is stuck on D two.
And also that the rook here is is a kind of prisoner as well.
If the king can't go beyond e one, how can this rook get out?
So we see king E one now King f seven portraying the idea that the king could just walk up and pick
up C free.
So Rook G one king of six, rook taxi two in desperation.
But otherwise, yeah, the king's just coming up could just go to C4 and take out C free.
So this is in desperation Counter exchange.
White now plays King D2 so you might want What about King E2?
What is black play here?
There's rook C4 here This is a pain and in this position we can play King G five and if King takes E2,
we can play H three getting a big powerful pass pawn.
This is a winning position for black, which is a bit similar to what's going to happen in the main
game.
So King D2 H3 is played here creating a very dangerous passport.
Otherwise this rook is going to be just holding the pawn and black's can have an extra rook if that
pawn is allowed to h two So it's taken.
So we've got the past g pawn as well as the c pawn that's eliminated.
So it's now King G five and of game one has to resign.
If King D one rook take free, all the pawns are going and this this king can go to h four if needed.
It's absolutely a hopeless rook and pawn ending here.
So yeah, we're just going to take time again.
Just increase the advantages again, it's just no counterplay position.
So yeah, what a really amazing incremental advantage game from the opening.
Absolutely amazing that for me already instructive point about this, addressing the real sources of
counterplay, having some tactics available at the service of strategy, i.e. to to stop the opponent's
counterplay so that pawn is offered as a potential weakness, but making sure 100% sure that this pawn
is not going to be taken because that would give black problems.
G three would be weaker.
But with rookie for yeah, this is a guarantee position that H4 is not going to be taken.
And yet the variations with Bishop are absolutely wonderful that the king can just basically walk along
the light square road here.
It's absolutely a beautiful possession in terms of no counterplay for the opponent, no controversy.
This is the essence of like a cop Rovian style where he says he doesn't want to take any risks if he
had choices of taking a bit risk for something flashy or something completely tiny advantage, he would
take the tiny road.
We want to take Those tiny increments up the hill might be smoothed out.
Wouldn't they have their tiny, tiny increments?
They're not going to be very lumpy.
So yeah, tiny increments up the hill to squash the opponent's counterplay and make slow but absolutely
guaranteed progress.
It's also something in software engineering called continuous delivery, where you make small steps,
small considered steps, and you test along the way to make sure they are improvements.
But yeah, the testing along the way here is making sure tactically why it's not getting any source
of counterplay.
So a really wonderful game.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as me.
Thanks so much.