"Garry Kasparov, the former world champion and still officially rated No1, nicknamed Adams "the Spider" and the name has stuck. "He weaves a web around his opponents," says Saunders. "He likes them to beat themselves." Adams, who is happy to call himself a "positional" player, goes along quietly, letting his more ostentatious opponents make the running, then when they overreach themselves he strikes. "He's like Greece were in Euro 2004," says Saunders. "Careful, well drilled, practical, very good defensively. He doesn't go looking for flashy solutions." He is calm and inscrutable at the board - in stark contrast to the emotional Kasparov, whose face contorts when the going gets tough."

Guardian story 2004