1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.g3
Bg7
4.Bg2
0-0
5.e4
d6
6.Nc3
Nbd7
7.Nf3
c6
8.0-0
e5
9.h3
Qb6
10.c5
dxc5
11.dxe5
Ne8
12.e6
fxe6
13.Ng5
Ne5
14.f4
Nf7
[14...c4+
15.Kh2
Nd3
16.e5
looks very natural but White has scored a whopping 86% from this position. Ftacnik gives 16...Nc7
17.Nce4+/-
]
15.Nxf7
Rxf7
[Kasparov played 15...Bd4+
against Shirov. Getting his bishop active before White plays e5.]
16.e5
So White has sacrificed a pawn. What did he get? Maybe a better question is to ask what Black got? He has problems finding good squares for his pieces and he has some weak pawns.
16...Qc7
17.Be3!?
[In Konovalov-Zuzin, Dubna 2007, White played much more accurately. 17.Ne4
b6
18.Re1
Bf8
19.Qf3
Bd7
20.b3
Rd8
21.Bb2
Be7
22.h4
Kh8
23.h5
g5
24.Nd6
Rf8
25.f5
Kg8
26.Nxe8
Rdxe8
27.f6
Bd8
28.Qg4
Kh8
29.Qxg5
Rf7
30.Qf4
Rg8
31.Rf1
b5
32.g4
c4
33.g5
c5
34.Be4
Bc6
35.g6
Bxe4
36.Qxe4
Bxf6
37.Rxf6
c3
38.Bxc3
Rxf6
39.exf6
Qg3+
40.Qg2
Qe3+
41.Kh1
hxg6
42.f7+
1-0]
17...b6
18.Qb3N
My computer likes this move. The idea is to occupy the d-file with a rook.
18...Bd7
19.Rad1
Qc8
20.Ne4
Nc7!?
sac'ing the exchange for a strong knight on d5.
21.Nd6
Qf8
22.Nxf7
Qxf7
23.Qc2
Nd5
24.Bc1
Bc8
25.a4
a5
26.b3
Ba6
27.Rf2
Bf8
28.Kh2
Bg7
29.Qe4
Rf8
30.Qe1
Qc7
31.Bb2
Qb7
32.Qd2
Qc8
33.h4
Re8
34.Bh3
c4
35.bxc4
Bxc4
36.Rc1
Qa6
[36...Bb3!
]
37.Qd4
b5
38.Ba3
Bb3
39.Bf1
Qb7
40.axb5
[40.Rb2!
bxa4
41.Qxa4
Bxa4
42.Rxb7+-
]
40...cxb5
41.Bd6
b4
42.Rc5
Qb6
This move surprised me. With little time on my clock I couldn't find anything better than
43.Qb2?
[43.Rxd5
I definitely should have seen this.]
43...a4
44.Rb5
Qxd6!
45.exd6
Bxb2
46.Rxb2
Rd8
47.Bg2
Rxd6
48.Bxd5
exd5
49.Rxb4
In a time scramble I lost from this equal position. Congrats Eugene! 0-1