Page 1 | Page 2

21.Qxd3 Qf2+ 22.Kb3

22.Bd2 Bf5 is a mundane win.

22...Be6+ 23.Ka4

Or 23.Ka3 a5 (23…Qxc5+ also does the job) when White is toast.

23...Qxc5. White won’t last much longer.

C) 16...Bg4 What could be more natural? Black places the Bishop on a very threatening square and prepares to swing the other Rook to e8.

VERY LOGICAL!

17.h3!

This move saves White, who is now able to castle kingside. Far worse is 17.g3 Qh3 18.f4 (18.Bd2 Rae8 would make Black happy) when a nuke detonates.

BLACK TAKES ON f4!

18…Bxf4!! 19.Bxf4 (19.gxf4 Bf3 20.Rg1 Bxe4 21.Qf2 Rae8 is another crushing way for White to lose.) 19...Rxf4! 20.gxf4 Qe3+ 21.Kf1 Bh3+ 22.Bg2 Rf8 and it’s all over.

17...Rae8

All of Black’s pieces are blasting away, but White is able to hold. Another attempt at proving something significant is 17...d3 18.Bg5 (The only move. Others: 18.Bxd3 Rae8 18.0–0 Bxh3 is very strong; 18.Qxd3 Qxf2 seems adequate; 18.g3 dxc2 19.gxh4 Bf3 20.Bxf3 Rxf3 is horrible for White since any move of the c1-Bishop allows ...Bxb2.) 18...dxc2 19.Bxh4 Bf5 (Black has no reason to cheer after 19...Bd1 20.f3 Bxb2 21.Rxd1 cxd1=Q+ 22.Kxd1 c6 23.Kc2 Bd4 24.Be7 Rfe8 25.Bd6) 20.Bxf5 (29.Bxb7 Rab8 21.c6 Bxb2 22.Kd2 fails to the very nice 22…Bh7!! 23.Rac1 Rf4) 20...Rxf5 21.Rc1 g5 22.Bg3 Bxg3 23.fxg3 Rxc5 (23...Re8+ 24.Kd2 Rf2+ 25.Kd3 Rxg2 26.g4 Rg3+ 27.Kd2! Rg2+ 28.Kd3 =) 23.0–0 Rd8 24.Rf2 Rd1+ 25.Rf1 Rd2 26.Rf2 Rd1+ 27.Rf1 Rd6 28.Rf2 Rdc6 and, though Black has all the chances, I believe the game will end up drawn.

Note that 17…Rxf2?? falls victim to 18.hxg4!.

18.0–0

Attempts to be tricky by 18.Bg5 eventually rebound: 18…Qh5 18.0–0 (18.Qd3 Bf5 19.Bxf5 Bg3+ 20.Kf1 Qxg5 21.Qxg3 Qxg3 22.fxg3 Rxf5+ 23.Kg1 Rxc5) 18…Qxg5 19.hxg4 Qh6 20.g3 Bxg3 21.fxg3 Qe3+ 22.Kg2 Rxf1 23.Rxf1 Rxe4 24.Rh1+ Kg8 25.Qc4+ Re6 26.Rd1 Qe2+ 27.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 28.Kf3 Rxb2 29.Rxd4 Rb5 30.Rd5 b6 31.Rd8+ Kh7 32.cxb6 axb6 leads to a Rook endgame that is quite unpleasant for White.

18...Bxh3! 19.gxh3

BLACK TO MOVE AND WIN

19…Rf3! 20.Bxf3 Qxh3 21.Bf4

21.Rd1 Bh2+ 22.Kh1 Qxf3+ 23.Kxh2 Re5 24.Qg6 Rh5+ 25.Qxh5+ Qxh5+ 26.Kg2 Qxd1.

21...Bxf4 22.Rfe1 Bh2+ 23.Kh1 Be5+

It’s important for Black to prevent an exchange of Rooks since he has an attack and thus wants to keep as many attacking pieces on the board as possible.

24.Kg1 d3! 25.Qd2

25.Qxd3 pulls the Queen way from the defense of f2, and this leads to mate after 25...Bh2+ 26.Kh1 Bg3+ 27.Kg1 Qh2+ 28.Kf1 Qxf2 mate.

25...Bh2+ 26.Kh1 Bf4+ 27.Kg1 Rf8 is winning since White’s Queen can’t move away from its contact with f2 (or mate occurs via ...Bh2+, ...Bg3+, ...Qh2+, and Qxf2 mate). All White can do is try 28.Re8, but after 28…Bh2+ 29.Kh1 Rxe8 30.Bg2 Qh4 31.Qxd3 Bg3+ 32.Kg1 Bxf2+ 33.Kf1 Be3, Black’s attack crashes through.

So does this mean that 16…Bg4 crashes through White’s defenses? No, because instead of 19.gxh3 (which loses), White has the far superior:

19.f4!

WHITE LIVES!

19...Bc8

19...Bxf4 20.Bxf4 Rxf4 21.Bxb7 Be6 (21...Bf5 22.Rxf4 Qxf4 23.Qf2 =) 22.Rxf4 Qxf4 23.Re1 =.

20.Rf3

Black stays in the driver’s seat after 20.Bg6 Re6 21.fxe5 Rxf1+ 22.Kxf1 Rxe5 23.Bf4 Qxf4+ 24.Qf2 Qf6! It’s important to make sure the Black King has breathing space. The greedy 24...Qxf2+ 25.Kxf2 Rxc5 gives White some undeserved counterplay by 26.Re1. However, after 24…Qf6 25.Qxf6 gxf6 26.Rc1 Bg4 White’s misery is clear.

20...Rxf4

Perhaps Black’s best shot is 20...Bf6 with a very small edge in a tense position: 21.Bd2 Bg4 22.Rf2 Qg3 23.Qd3 Bh4.

Taking on f4 with the Bishop should lead to the slightly sunnier side of a draw: 20...Bxf4 22.Bxf4 Rxf4 23.g3 Rg4 24.Kg2 Rxg3+ 25.Rxg3 Qxe4+ 26.Qxe4 Rxe4.

21.Bxf4 Bxf4 22.g3 Bxg3 23.Raf1 Rxe4 24.Rf8+ Kh7 and the threat of …d3 (since Qxd3 allows mate on h2) seems to promise Black the advantage. However, White has a way out.

WHITE TO MOVE AND SURVIVE

25.R8f4!!

A lovely move that forces a draw.

25…Bf2+! 26.Qxf2

Both 26.R4xf2 Bh3 and 26.R1xf2 Qg3+ 27.Kh1 d3 turn out badly for White.

26…Qg5+ 27.Qg2 Re5 28.Qxg5

Not falling for 28.c6 Bh3.

28...Rxg5+ 29.Kf2 Rxc5 30.Rh1+ and White shouldn’t have any difficulty in splitting the point.

D) 16...Bd7!

BLACK’S BEST MOVE

This move makes White’s defense very difficult since 17.h3 now falls on its face to 17…Rxf2! 18.Qxf2 Bg3.

17.g3 Qh3 18.Bd2

The straightforward 18.f4 doesn’t solve White’s problems.

HOW DOES BLACK MEET THIS ATTACK ON HIS BISHOP?

Black remains on top by 18...Rae8! (As usual, all attacks are simply ignored!) 19.fxe5 Rxe5 20.Bf4 Ba4! 21.b3 (21.Qd3 Rxf4) 21...d3 22.Qxd3 (22.Qc4 Rxf4) 22...Rxf4 23.0–0–0 Rfxe4 24.bxa4 Rxc5+ 25.Kb2 Qe6 with an obvious advantage.

18...Bg4!

Not letting White castle long.

19.f4

Or 19.Qd3 Rae8 20.f3 Bxg3+ 21.Kd1 Bf2 22.fxg4 Qxg4+ 23.Kc2 Rxe4, when Black should win.

19...Bxf4!!

WHITE’S POSITION IS DISMEMBERED

By now this should be a no-brainer!

20.gxf4 Bf3 21.Rg1 Rae8 22.Rg3 Qh5 23.Kf1 Bxe4, 0-1.

Great stuff, but White was insane to take the h7-pawn after 1…d4. Instead, he should make a mad dash for development:

DEVELOP FAST!

14.Bd2! Qh4

This might not be right now. Instead, 14…Kh8!? is possible when many annoying checks are now avoided, and 15.0-0-0 Rxf2 is in Black’s favor. That leaves 15.0-0 Qh4 16.f4 Bf6 17.c6!, with all sorts of interesting complications (most likely more comfortable for White), as the key position.

Another try is the “ugly” 14…g6!?, defending h7 (finally!) and preparing to play 15…Bf5. After 15.0-0 Bf5 16.Qb3+ Kh8 17.Bxf5 Rxf5 the chances are approximately equal.

15.0–0–0! Rxf2

15...Bd7 doesn’t work: 16.Qb3+ Kh8 17.Qd5! Bf5 18.Bxf5 Rxf5 19.f4 c6 20.Qe4 g6 21.g3 Qg4 22.h3 Qxg3 23.fxe5 and White wins.

16.Rhe1

WHITE USES ALL HIS GUYS

Suddenly all of White’s pieces are in play and Black is forced into the role of defender!

16...Qf6

Playing for tactics when your opponent has a lead in development usually isn’t wise. That rule explains why 16...Rxd2 fails here: 17.Qxd2 Bf4 18.Re8+ Kf7 19.Rf1.

17.Rf1! Be6 18.Rxf2 Qxf2 19.Re1 Qf6 20.Bxh7+ Kh8 21.Be4 c6 22.Qd1 and Black’s King is a bit loose, thus giving White the better chances.

A lot of people took part without me being able to use their analysis and/or comments. Here’s a partial list, and I need to thank them all: Dana Witterman, Tim Spanton, Travis Guenther, Jesse Stark, Java Joe, Richard Hamilton, Mark Dechamps Jim Mongiardo, Mark Dechamps, Armin Namini, and John Chernoff (who did an excellent and very detailed analysis).

Page 1 | Page 2