1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 d6 5. dxe5 Nxe5 6. Nxe5 dxe5 7. Qxd8+ Kxd8

8. Bg5 Best.

White has a number of more passive alternatives:

a) 8. g3 c6 9. Bg2 Be6 10. b3 Nd7 (10... Kc7 11. Bd2 Rd8) 11. O-O Kc7 12. Bb2 f6

A standard way of reinforcing the center.

13. Rfd1 a5! 14. Rac1 Nc5 15. Ba3 Bf5 16. Kf1 Rd8!? 17. Rxd8 Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Kc7 19. Kg1?!

Practically a draw offer. 19... Na4!! But this cute move gains the edge for Black. 20. Bxf8 Nxc3 21. Bd6+ Kc8 ( Fritz suggests the much more complicated line 21... Kd7!? 22. Rd2 Nxe2+ 23. Kf1 Nc1!! (23... Nd4 24. Bc5=) 24. Bxe5+ (24. Ba3+ Nd3 25. Ke2 e4 26. f3 exf3+) 24... Bd3+ 25. Ke1 fxe5 26. Be4 Nxa2!!-/+) 22. Rd2 Rd8 23. Kf1?! (23. c5 Nb5=/+) 23... Nxa2! 24. e4 Bg4 25. h3 Be6 26. Rxa2 Rxd6 27. Rxa5 Rd3 28. Ra3 Rxb3! 29. Ra8+ Kc7 30. c5 Bc8 31. Ra1 Rc3 32. Ra5 Rc2 33. g4 Kb8 34. Bf3 Be6 35. Bd1 Bc4+ 36. Ke1 Rc3 0-1 Pyka,R-Miroshnichenko,E/Polanica Zdroj 1998 (36)

b) 8. e4?! Bc5! (8... Bb4!? 9. Bg5?! Bxc3+! 10. bxc3 Ke7 ) 9. Bg5 c6

8... Be7!?

Simply played. More standard is the immediate ...c6 to prevent Nd5: 8... c6 9. e3 (9. Ne4?! Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Bxd2+ 11. Nxd2 Ke7=/+ 0-1 Zimmerman,Y-Miroshnichenko,E/Budapest 1999 (55)) 9... Kc7 10. O-O-O Be6 11. Be2 Nd7 12. Bh4 Nb6 13. b3 a5 14. a4 Nd7 15. Bg3 f6 16. Kb2 Re8 17. Rc1 Bf5 18. Rhd1 Nc5 19. Rd2 h5 20. h4 g6 21. Rcd1 Rh7 22. Rc1 Bh6 23. Rcd1 Rf7 24. Bf3 Bf8 25. Be2 Ree7 26. f3 Rd7 27. Bf2 b6 28. e4 Rxd2+ 29. Rxd2 Bc8 30. Bxc5 Bxc5 31. Bd1 Be3 32. Rc2 g5 33. hxg5 fxg5 34. Re2 Bd4 35. Kc2 h4 36. Re1 Kd6 37. Be2 Kc5 38. Nb1 Kb4 39. Nd2 Rd7 40. Rd1 Rh7 41. Rh1 Be6 42. Rd1 h3 43. gxh3 Rxh3 44. Rf1 Rh2 45. Kd3 Bh3 46. Rc1 Bc8 47. Rf1 Be6 48. Rc1 Rh3 49. Kc2 Be3 50. Rb1 g4 51. Nf1 Bf4 52. fxg4 Rc3+ 53. Kd1 Rxb3 0-1 Eriksen,T-Hagesaether,H/Asker 2000 (53)

9. O-O-O+ Nd7!?

The exchange of dark-squared Bishops further weakens White's dark squares but may make them more difficult to exploit for Black.

10. Bxe7+ Kxe7 11. Nd5+ Kd8

White's temporary initiative is over and Black will now gain time with ...c6.

12. g3 c6 13. Nc3 Ke7 14. Bh3 Nc5 15. Bxc8 Rhxc8 16. Rd2 Rd8 17. Rhd1 Rxd2 18. Rxd2 a5!

Black's structural superiority is glaring in this position.

19. Kc2 f5! 20. b3 g5 21. Rd1 h5! 22. h3 Rh8! 23. Rh1 h4 24. e3?! Kf6 25. Kd2?! e4! 26. Ke2 Ke5-+ 27. Nb1 Nd3 28. f4+ exf3+! 29. Kxf3

29. Kxd3? hxg3 and the connected pawns on the 6th rank are deadly.

29... hxg3 30. Kxg3 Ke4 31. Rf1 Rf8 32. Nc3+ Kxe3 33. Rf3+ Kd2 34. Ne4+

34... fxe4!! 35. Rxf8 e3 36. Re8 e2 37. Kg4 Nf2+ 0-1