1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bb5
a6
4.Bxc6
dxc6
5.0-0
f6
6.d4
exd4
7.Nxd4
c5
8.Nb3
Qxd1
9.Rxd1
Bg4
10.f3
Bd7
11.Nc3
0-0-0
12.Bf4
c4
13.Na5
Bc5+
14.Kf1
b5
15.Nd5
Ne7
16.Bxc7
Nxd5
17.Rxd5
Kxc7
18.Rxc5+
Kb6
19.b4
cxb3
20.Nxb3
Be6
21.Rc3
Rd6
22.a4
Bc4+
23.Kf2
Rc8
24.axb5
axb5
25.Rb1
b4
26.Re3
Bxb3
27.Rexb3
Rxc2+
28.Ke3
Rxg2
29.Rxb4+
It is hard to believe that a Rook endgame with even material and no passed pawns can be a loss. But White makes the most out of Black's offside King, and Black plays a bit too ambitiously.
29...Kc5
30.Rb7
Ra6
31.R1b3
g5
Here 31...Rxh2
32.Rxg7
h5
(32...Kd6
33.Rd3+
Ke6
34.Rdd7!
) 33.Kf4
Kc4
looks drawish. But who knows what Shirov might make of it?
32.h4
h6
33.Rd3
Black's King is now cut off along the d-file. This is a small point, but it is worth noticing.
33...gxh4
34.Rc7+
Kb4
35.Rd1
Kb3
36.Rh1
f5
37.exf5
Rg5
38.Rb7+
Kc2
39.Rh2+
Kc3
40.Rbb2
Kc4
41.Rxh4+
Kc5
42.Rc2+
Kb5
Black is not saved by 42...Kd5
43.Rd4+
Ke5
44.f4+ +-.
43.Rh1
Ra3+
44.Kf4
Ra4+
45.Ke5
Ra5
46.Rxh6
Two pawns down with his King cut off at the c-file, Black is in serious trouble here.
46...Kb4+
47.Ke4
Rgxf5
48.Rb6+!
Shirov cuts off the King at the greatest possible distance.
48...Ka3
Much worse is 48...Rab5??
49.Rb2+
Kc4
50.R6xb5
Rxb5
51.Rxb5
Kxb5
52.Kd5+-.
49.Rc3+
Ka2
50.f4
Rf8
51.Rcb3
Rc5
52.Rb2+
Ka3
53.Rb1
Shirov's technique here is very nice. Having isolated Black's King on the edge of the board, he uses mate threats to force off a pair of Rooks. This leaves Black's King hopelessly cut off.
53...Ka2
54.R6b2+!
Ka3
55.Rb5!
Forcing an exchange of one pair of Rooks by the mate threat.
55...Re8+
56.Kd4
Rxb5
57.Rxb5
The position is now a forced loss for Black.
57...Ka4
58.Rb1
Both Kings are cut off from the pawn, but White's is close enough to render aid whereas Black's is ridiculously far away.
58...Rf8
59.Ke5
Re8+
60.Kd6
Rf8
61.Rf1!
This is a standard trick. White shifts his Rook to a defensive position for a moment so that he can chase Black's Rook away and advance the pawn just one square. Then the Rook will take up a cutoff position again and White will win by forcing the Lucena position.
Adams did not wait to see what would have happened, but here is how the procedure works: 61.Rf1 Kb4 (61...Rf5 62.Ke6 Rf8 63.f5+- ) 62.Ke7 With his pawn defended, White uses his King to chase the Rook. 62...Rf5 63.Ke6 Rf8 64.f5 Now the King defends the pawn, so the Rook is free to go back and cut off Black's King by as many files as it can. 64...Kc5 Black tries to get back, but ... 65.Rd1! ... now he is cut off again. It isn't so distant as before, but White's pawn is one critical step forward, past the center line, and this detail makes all the difference as far as a mismatch between White's King and pawn and Black's Rook. 65...Re8+ Black tries his frontal checking defense.
However, now White's King is close enough to counterattack. 66.Kf7! There are no more checks, so the Lucena position looms on the horizon as White's King and pawn work their way forward. Notice that White already has a two-file cutoff so the standard winning procedure in the Lucena position can be shortened.
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