This year’s challenger section of the Tata Steel Tournament was a wild and woolly affair. It was a clash of ages and or sexes. Youth was represented by 15-year-old Sam Sevian of Massachusetts and 16-year-old Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands, who even the notorious cranky Dutch grandmaster Loek van Wely has said has talent. There were three women, the Dutch women’s champ, Anne Haste; Ju Wenjun, China’s number 2 woman; and the Georgian Nino Batsiashvili.  The mid-age group was represented by Baskaran Adhiban of India and Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan, both 23. The old guard was the Dutch number 5, Erwin l’Ami, 30; the Romanian player, now playing for Germany, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, 39; and the 46-year-old veteran, Alexey Dreev of Russia, who had actually won the main event in 1995.

Today’s game is Adhiban’s great effort against Dreev, at the time the tournament leader. Dreev, who has long been considered a world-class expert in the variation of the Meran Semi-Slave defense used in this game, is caught unaware by Adhiban’s tireless opening preparation and loses a rare miniature. This win allowed Adhiban to take over first place. However, after a bad loss to van Foreest in a later round, he ended up in a three-way tie for first. He was declared the winner on tie-break, thus earning a spot in next year’s master’s group.

2016 Tata Steel Challengers, Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands

Baskaran Adhiban (2653) – Alexey Dreev (2644)

1.d4 d52.c4c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 The Meran variation of the Semi-Slave Defense 6.Qc2b6 This is Dreev’s pet line, and he has played it many times with good results. This reliance on one line can give you a sense of security, but it also allows your opponent to prepare unpleasant surprises. 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0–0 Be79.b3 dxc4 10.bxc4 c5 11.d5!? This pawn sacrifice is not new to Dreev 11...exd5 12.cxd5 Nxd513.Nxd5Bxd514.Rd1Bf6 15.e4!? This is the result of Adhiban’s demonic pregame preparation. In another game, with less preparation, Anish Giri played the more rational 15.Rb1 and lost a murky affair to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. 15...c4 Trying to confuse the issue but why not take the rook? It would seem that after 15...BxR 16.exd5 and now 17.Re1+ is threatened and if Black castles, he runs into trouble after 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.Qf5. And if 15...Bc6 16.e5 will lead to essentially equal positions but ones that look very scary  for Black, for example: 15...Bc6 16.e5 Bxf3 17.exf6 Bxd1 18.fxg7 Rg8 19.Qxd1 Qf6 when Black should be able to hold. 16.Be2 16.Bxc4 is also good, but only with 17.e5! thrown in after 16…Bxc4. 16...Bxa117.Rxd5 Now if 17...0–0 18.Qd1 wins material. For the exchange, White has Black’s stuck king.17...Qc7 18.Ba3 Bf6 19.Bxc4 With definite ideas of picking on pinned knight with Qa4 and Bb5. Queenside ­castling does not work because of 20.Ba6+ Kb8 21.Bd6 19...Be7 Hoping to be able to castle by hand but that comes up short.20.Qa4Bxa3? Losing. Black can fight on with 20…a6 when after 21.Re5 0-0 22.Rxe7 b5 23.Qd1 bxc4 24.Rxd7 Rfd8 25.Rd5 (or Rd6) he is much worse but still ­playing. 21.Rxd7! An overlooked ­zwischenzug 21…Qxd7 22.Bb5 There goes Black’s queen as well as the entire game. 22...Qxb523.Qxb5+Kf8 Black has enough material for the queen but after White’s next he will lose much more material. 24.Qb3! After any bishop retreat, 25.Ne5 or 25.Ng5, hitting f7, wins. So, Black gave up; 1–0