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Here are two more games from Aeroflot that demonstrate just how combative the play was there.

Rublevsky - Asrian [B12]

Aeroflot Open, 2004

Caro-Kann

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5?! 4.c4 cxd4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Nxd4 e6 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Bd3 d4 10.a3 Ba5 11.b4 Bc7 12.Ne4 Bxe5 13.Qh5 Qc7 14.f4! Bd6

14...Bxf4 15.0–0 Bxc1 16.Rxf7! Be3+ 17.Kh1 g6 18.Qf3 Ne7 19.Rf1 Bf4 20.Rxf4 Nf5 21.Nc5 0–0 22.g4 e5 23.Re4 a5 24.gxf5 Bxf5 25.Ree1 axb4 26.axb4 Qd6 27.Qg2.

15.Bb2 Ne7 16.0–0 Bxf4 17.Bxd4 Nf5 18.Bc5 Ba6 19.Rxf4! Qxf4 20.Rf1 Qh6 21.Rxf5!

21…Qxh5

Two other tries:

A) 21...exf5 22.Nd6+ Kd7 23.Qxf7+ (23.Bxf5+ Kc7 24.Nb5+ and not 24.Qxf7+ Kb8) 23...Kd8.

B) 21...exf5 22.Nd6+ Kd7 23.Qxf7+ Kd8 24.Nb7+ Kc8 (24...Bxb7 25.Qe7+ Kc8 26.Bxf5+ Kb8 27.Qe5+ Qd6 28.Bxd6 mate) 25.Bxf5+ Kb8 26.Bd6+.

22.Nd6+ Kd7 23.Rxh5 Raf8 24.b5 Bc8 25.Rh4 Kc7 26.Nxc8 Rxc8 27.Bxa7 Rhd8 28.Be4 Rd1+ 29.Kf2 Rcd8 30.Rxh7 R8d2+ 31.Kg3 Ra2 32.Bc5 Rc1 33.b6+ Kb7 34.Rxg7, 1–0.

Spraggett - Vescovi

Aeroflot Open, 2004

Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Bc2 g6 13.d5 Nb8 14.c4 c6 15.b3 Qc7 16.Nf1 Nbd7 17.Bd2 Rec8 18.Rc1 bxc4 19.bxc4 Nc5 20.N3h2 h5 21.Qf3!

The start of a very fine maneuver – the queen proves ideally placed on a3 where it influences the queenside while keeping quick access to the kingside.

21…Be7 22.Qa3! a5 23.Bb1 cxd5 24.exd5 Re8 25.Nf3 Nh7 26.Be3 Nd7 27.Ng3 f5 28.Bxf5!

28…gxf5 29.Nxf5 Bf8 30.N3h4 Bc8 31.Bb6! Nxb6 32.Qg3+ Qg7 33.Nh6+ Kh8 34.Ng6+ Qxg6 35.Qxg6 Bxh6 36.Qxe8+ Bf8 37.Qc6, 1-0.

Which reminds me of this recent upset victory here in the United States: Note the winning idea on move 22 in these last two games!

J Friedel (2417) – I Novikov (2721) [B93]

Philadelphia, 2004

Najdorf Sicilian

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 0–0 10.0–0 exf4 11.Kh1 Nc5 12.Bxf4 Bg4 13.Qe1 Bh5 14.Nh4 d5 15.Nf5 dxe4 16.Qg3 Ne8 17.Bxe4 Bf6 18.Nh6+ Kh8 19.Qh3 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Bg6 21.Nxf6 Qxf6 22.Qa3!

Nc7 23.Bxc7 Qc6 24.Be5 f6 25.Ng4 Qe6 26.h3 h5 27.Rae1 hxg4 28.Bd6 Qf7 29.Bxf8 Rxf8 30.Rf4 gxh3 31.Rh4+ Kg8 32.Qxh3 Qd5 33.Rh8+ Kf7 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Qc8+, 1–0.

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