[Event "23rd European Teams"] [Site "Terme Catez SLO"] [Date "2021.11.19"] [Round "7.7"] [White "Michael Adams"] [Black "Bogdan-Daniel Deac"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2714"] [BlackElo "2651"] [Annotator "USER"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [StudyName "Best of Deac Bogdan-Daniel"] [ChapterName "Michael Adams - Bogdan-Daniel Deac"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/Z9HYIFdP/iMbLPmCh"] [FEN "1r1b1rk1/5p2/p2p2p1/q1nPp3/Pp4P1/1P6/N1PQ1B1P/1K1RR3 b - - 0 31"] [SetUp "1"] [Orientation "black"] { Even though MVL was (one of) the first 2700+ players Deac has defeated in his career, he is definitely not the only one. In the last two games, we will see two excerpts from Deac's games in which he defeated a very strong and illustrious opponents. --- The very first one was played at the European Teams in Catez in 2021. Deac's opponent was venerable and legendary English Grandmaster, Michael Adams. --- We join the game on move 31. Deac had employed a sharp Sicilian (a somewhat uncharacteristic openign choice for him) - and things worked out perfectly! Black has a very powerful attack going on, even though it doesn't look like that at first glance. Can you find the move that Deac played in the game and calculate the consequences? } 31... Nxa4 { A very "obvious" first move - but the consequences do need to be envisioned. } 32. bxa4 { Black should have taken the knight! } (32. Re3 { Was played in the game, after which } 32... Bg5 { came, and White lost fairly quickly. }) 32... b3 33. cxb3 (33. Qxa5 { Doesn't help due to } 33... bxa2+ $19 34. Kxa2 Bxa5 { Black is not up material, but the structure is better, the king is safer, and the pieces rae more active, so the second player is completely winning. }) 33... Rxb3+ 34. Ka1 Qxd2 35. Rxd2 Ba5 { Black will have only a rook and a pawn for two pieces, but with the king unsafe and all White's pawns weak, Black would have a definite advantage. Still, this was a better attempt to stay in the game compared to what Adams did in the game. } 0-1