How not to play an adjournment

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Finally wrapping up 2008, I present the last few moves of this adjournment.

After an error-filled first session, we had left the game here:



I'm afraid that the standard didn't improve much when we came back. 39. ... Qf1+? misses the opportunity to bail out with 39. ... Rca7 40. Nc5+ Kc7 41. a4 Rxa4, which appears to be dead drawn. Really if I'd done my homework properly on the adjournment I ought to have known this.

After this Opponent is winning but blundered with 44. Qd3? - only to be allowed back into things by 48. ... R2a4? As blunders go, though, 48. ... R2a4 was rather a fortunate one - I had completely missed the point of 48. g4, which was to threaten 49. Qg6+ Qe6 50. Rxd5+! Kxd5 51. Qd3+ Kc6 (51. ... Ke5 52. Qd4# - aha, so 48. g4 was to cover f5) 52. Nd4+.

By the end of the game I think we were both rather relieved to take the draw; given more opportunities I'm sure that either of us could have found plenty more ways to lose this one.

In post-mortem, Opponent pulled out an enormous sheet of paper filled with microscopic writing giving a variation tree from the adjourned position. All very impressive, and it certainly made my own approach to the analysis look rather casual (which, in fact, it was). I'm not in any rush to have another adjournment, but perhaps I'll try to produce something similar myself next time.

The team score had been poised at 2-2, so of course this draw meant that the match was also drawn. With 4.5 out of 5 we find ourselves top of the table at the new year.

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