We’ve talked a lot about whether a game was played under serious tournament conditions (ICCC #s 1, 3, 4) or not (ICCC #s 2 and 5) - and how much, if at all, it impacts on the greatness of that game.
What about if it was never really played at all?
Today’s game may well have actually been played during a training session between Adams and Torre for all I know … but there’s also been a lot of speculation over whether the whole thing was actually composed by Torre as a gift to the winner who was his coach at the time.
I’m not sure about Burgess et al’s logic for including this game but not Torre’s famous ‘windmill’ win over Lasker at Moscow in 1925. Even so, unless and until Adams-Torre is definitely proved a composition and not a real game, I definitely agree that its inclusion on the ‘must know’ list is fully justified.
The finish of White’s queen repeatedly trying to sacrifice herself until Black finally runs out of viable options to refuse is just too wonderful to ignore.
Adams - Torre
New Orleans, 1920
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 exd4
4 Qxd4 Nc6
5 Bb5 Bd7
6 Bxc6 Bxc6
7 Nc3 Nf6
8 0-0 Be7
9 Nd5 Bxd5
10 exd5 0-0
11 Bg5 c6
12 c4 cxd5
13 cxd5 Re8
14 Rfe1 a5
15 Re2 Rc8
16 Rae1 Qd7
17 Bxf6 Bxf6
18 Qg4 Qb5
19 Qc4 Qd7
20 Qc7 Qb5
21 a4 Qxa4
22 Re4 Qb5
23 Qxb7
1-0
So why did Black resign?
And this week’s bonus questions
Q1: From move 18 onwards, satisfy yourself why Black can’t just take White’s queen.
Q2: Burgess, Nunn and Emms give 12 … Nxd5 as alternative, but say:-
“13 cxd5 Bxg5, 14 Nxg5 Qxg5, 15 dxc6 bxc6, 16 Qxd6 gives White the more pleasant pawn-structure.”
Analyse this position. Find a move for Black and assess the resulting position.
Q3: Instead of 20 … Qb5, what’s wrong with 20 … Qd8?