The following game from the 1942 Manhattan Chess Club Championship illustrates the point. White emerged from the opening with a decent position, but he didn't play well and lost.
The winner, Weaver Adams (1901-1963), is most famous for his controversial claim that 1.e4 confers a winning advantage upon White. He advocated this in books and magazine articles amd in his games. Of course, he was never successful, but at least in 1999 World Correspondence Champion (1965-68) Hans Berliner (1929-2017) published a book titled The System in which he expressed his admiration for Adams and claimed that 1,d4 gives white a large, and possibly decisive, advantage. Like Adams, he didn’t proved it.
Adams’ results suffered because he published his analysis for all to see and then stuck to it in his play. Consequently, his opponents were well prepared because the new what he was going to play.
In this game he essayed the Albin Counter Gambit against his opponent’s 1.d4. Boris Blumin (1908-1998) who was in born in St. Petersburg, Russia. At one point he lived in in Canada and won the Canadian Championship twice before moving to the United States.
Adans would, of course, dispute that his opening was inferior, but Fine, like Berliner, said, “..we should all be thankful to Mr. Adams for his sponsorship of so many out-of-the-way opening lines which invariably lead to sparkling and interesting play.” Take a gander at this game.
[Event "Mamhattan CC Champ, New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1942.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boris Blumin"]
[Black "Weaver Adams"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D09"]
[Annotator "Stockfosh 17"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[SourceVersionDate "2025.01.07"]
{D09: Albin Counter Gambit} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 {This gambit is based on the idea of sacrificing a P in order to secure a strong P wedge on d4 along with free and easy development. It is true that black usually develops well, but he has to damage his position to regain the P.} 3. dxe5 {The only move that offers white any chance of obtaining an advantage.} d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3 {The main alternative to this move is 5.g3, but I remember seeing a game in which Reshecvsky played 5.a3 and he gave it an explanation mark. Fine was of the opion that the value of this then fashionable move may be questioned. He explained that white's strategie objectives are to keep the black d-Pawn under guard and to secure play against blacj's Q-side and neither of these objectives are furthered by 5.a3. In my database the only significant difference is that the percentage of draws goes up when white plays 5.a3, so Fine may very well be correct.} a5 {According to FIne this move is forced, but it gives black an excellent P position on the Q-side. That is not the case though because ay least at this point the move is hardly forced and the position is actually slightly in white's favor. That said, as will be noticed a bit later black will need to play ...a5 anyway. So, should he do it now or wait? It seems waiting is the beter alternative.} (5... Nge7 {This is the move that gives black the best winning chances.} 6. b4 Ng6 7. Bb2 {and now...} a5 {An interesting position. Stockfish evaluates the positionas slightly in white's favor, bot humans don't play like engines and my database has only 11 games with this position and black scored +5 -2 =4.}) 6. Nbd2 Bg4 (6... a4 {is a plausible alternative.} 7. b4 axb3 8. Nxb3 Be6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxd4 Bxc4 {White is better. Dyachkov,S (2549)-Kanep,M (2476) Moscow RUS 2005}) 7. g3 {This is hardly bad, but the more direct 7.h3 was worth considering.} (7. h3 Be6 {Better than 7...Bh5} 8. g3 Qd7 9. Bg2 {Pachman,L-Plachetka,J Luhacovice 1968. White stands well.}) (7. Nb3 {This is also a reasonable move.} Qe7 8. Nbxd4 O-O-O 9. e3 {White has the advantage. Jankovic,A (2446)-Zaja,I (2466) Omis 2005}) 7... Bc5 8. Bg2 Nge7 9. O-O O-O {Black is still a long way from regaining his P and white is well developed. Fine wrote that the simplest plan for white is now to concentrate on the exposed P on d4, but the line he plays is not bad at all. Fine did not give any indication as to how white could play against the d-Pawn and there really seems to be no clear way of how to do it.} 10. b3 {Here and on the next nove he could also play h3} Ng6 11. Bb2 Qe7 {White;s advantage is very small.} 12. h3 Bxf3 {Not the best, Black should keep his B and retreat to f5.} 13. Nxf3 {What could be more logical than this recapture? However, after 13.Nxf3 his position is no more that equal. To gain the advantahe he must play 13.exf3!} (13. exf3 {aiming for f4 solidly guarding the e-Pawn.} Ngxe5 14. Re1 Qd7 15. Ne4 Be7 16. f4 Ng6 17. h4 {with a ptomising position.}) 13... Rad8 {Overprotecting the vital d-Pawn.} 14. Qd2 b6 {A precaution in that ot removes the P from any attack by the B at g2. Adams is now ready to capture the e-Pawn.} 15. Kh2 {Fine adds that this is quite beside the point except for the fact that it prepares a blunder! White's K is in no danger and the best course was to attack black's d-Pawn. The psychologist Fine observed that this move indicates a situation in which white "seems to have been overcome by one of those strange compulsions which lead a player to carry out a preconceived idea even though he realizes ot is bad."} (15. Qc2 {Fine's suggestion, but after} Ngxe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Rad1 Rfe8 18. b4 (18. Rd2 h5 19. Rfd1 h4 20. g4 d3 {the chances are equal.}) 18... axb4 19. axb4 Bxb4 20. Rxd4 Rxd4 21. Bxd4 {the position is equal.}) (15. e6 {This surorising move keeps the iniative.} f5 (15... Qxe6 16. Ng5 Qd7 17. Rad1 {White is slightly better.}) 16. h4 h6 17. h5 Nge5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Qf4 {followed by Bd5 with a good position.}) 15... Ncxe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 {[%mdl 32]} 17. f4 Nd7 18. Rfd1 {Fine was wrongly super-critical of this stating that In spite of all his previous inaccuracies, white could still have secured a playable position by 18.Bxd4. First, Blumin's previous play was not riddled with inaccuracies and second, while 18.Bxd4 was better than the text because it results in an equal position, 18.Rfd1 is not a gross blunder by any means. Black now has no more than equality.} Nf6 {Here Fine praised Adams for playing consistently and intelligently and he now presses his advantage home with great vigor. The only arguable point is that black has no clear advantage and the position is evaluated as equal. Stockfish 0.15 and Berserk, an aggressive attacking engine, 0.15.} 19. Qd3 Rfe8 20. Bf3 {Fine did not commented on this move, but it is a critical mistake that gives black a considerable advantage. Counterattacking on the Q-side with 20.keeps the chances equal.} (20. b4 axb4 21. axb4 Bxb4 22. Bxd4 Ne4 (22... c5 23. Bxf6) 23. Qe3) (20. b4 axb4 21. axb4 Qxe2 22. Qxe2 Rxe2 23. bxc5 Rxb2 24. Rxd4 Re8 25. cxb6 Rxb6 {with equality.}) 20... Ne4 {Threatening ...Nf2} 21. Kg2 {Against Nf2} f5 22. Bh5 {A loss of time, but white is reduced to passivity owing to his 20th move.} g6 23. Bf3 g5 {Adams has completed all his preparations and now unleashes a violent attack. However, white does not yet need to give up hope!} 24. Rg1 {Probably played to discourage 24...gxf4 opening the g-file, but it doesn't work.} (24. Bh5 {Again, but it makes black work to prove he can win.} Rf8 25. Qf3 Nf6 {and white plays26.Bc1 adding the B to the defense and intending fxg4. In this case black would still be better, but he would also still have a lot of work to do.}) 24... gxf4 {White's K will be exposed to great danger on the g-file...blavk's will not.} 25. gxf4 Qh4 {An excellent move.} 26. Raf1 (26. Bxe4 {eliminates the well placed N, but runs into} fxe4 27. Kf1+ Kf7 28. Qg3 Qxg3 29. Rxg3 {and black's centralized Ts and Ps on d4 and e4 give him a huge advantage.}) 26... Kf7 {Also very strong was 26...Qxf4} 27. Kh2 Rd6 {A nice surprise! The immediate threat is mate beginning with ...Qxh3+} (27... Qxf4+ 28. Kh1 Kf6 29. e3 Ng3+ 30. Rxg3 Qxg3 31. Bg4 $15) 28. Bg2 ({To demonstrate the mate threat.} 28. b4 Qxh3+ 29. Kxh3 Rh6+ 30. Kg2 Rg8+ 31. Bg4 Rxg4+ 32. Kf3 Rh3+ 33. Rg3 Rhxg3#) 28... Rg6 29. Rf3 Bd6 30. Qxd4 {Desperation.} (30. Bc1 {was the only try. Stockfish goves black a winning advantage, but in practice things might not have been so simple! Here is a sample lien...} Rd8 31. a4 Bc5 32. Bb2 Ke7 33. Kh1 Bb4 34. c5 Bxc5 35. b4 axb4 36. a5 bxa5 37. Qb5 Qf6 38. Qxa5 Qb6 39. Qa1 Rdg8 40. Qe1 Qe6 41. Qc1 Kf7 42. Qc2 c6 43. Rd3 Nf2+ 44. Kh2 Nxd3 45. exd3 Bd6 46. Bc1 c5 47. Qf2 b3 48. Qf1 Kg7 49. Bc6 Rxg1 50. Qxg1+ Kh8 51. Qf2 Rg6 52. Bf3 Rg7 53. Bd1 Bf8 54. Ba3 h6 55. Qb2 Kh7 56. Qf2 Qe3 57. Qxe3 dxe3 58. Bc1 {Of course black is winning, but some technique is required.} Bd6 59. Bb2 Bxf4+ 60. Kh1 Re7 61. Be2 Be5 62. Bc1 Rg7 63. Bf3 b2 {Obviously this line has many other possibilities, but it 1llustrates the point that white missed his nest chance when he missed 30.Bc1}) 30... Bxf4+ {The position is a bit messy, but black is clearly winning.} 31. Kh1 Rd8 32. Rxf4 {The game is not yet quite over! Black could carelessly play a check which would be a colossal blunder.} Qxf4 {lack resigned. Great play bt Adams!} (32... Ng3+ 33. Kh2 {and black has his Q and a R under attack, so...} Nf1+ 34. Bxf1 Rxd4 35. Rxh4 Rxh4 36. Bg2 {and white's two Bs vs, the R cinfer the advantage on him. Like to analysis after 30.Bc1 the win is very long and very complicated the only difference being that the shoe is on the other foot.}) (32... Qxf4 33. Qxe4 (33. Qxd8 Nf2#) 33... fxe4 {wins easily} 34. Rf1 Qxf1+ 35. Bxf1 Rd1 {etc.}) 0-1
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