1. e4 c6 2. d4

2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Ne5 was also a nsideration, especially seeing as even Carlsen is playing it these days.

 

2... d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4

The good old Caveman.

 

4... h6

a) 4... h5 5. Bg5!? (5. c4) 5... Qb6 6. Bd3!? Qxb2! (6... Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Qxb2 8. e6!! Qxa1 9. Qb3 Qxd4 10. Be3!) 7. Bxf5 Qxa1 8. e6

b) 4... Qc8!? 5. c4! dxc4!? 6. Bxc4 Be6!? 7. Bxe6 Qxe6 8. Nf3 Qg4!? This seems too adventurous.(8... Na6 9. O-O Qd7 10. Nc3 e6 11. Ne4 Nc7 seems more natural, working to control the light squares, though White's space advantage and play on dark squares makes him a lot more comfortable.) 9. O-O (Fritz likes 9. Qb3 b6 10. e6!?) 9... e6 10. Qb3 b6 11. Nc3 Ne7 12. Re1 Nd5 13. Re4!? Qg6 (13... Qf5? 14. Ng5! Nxc3 15. bxc3 Qg6 16. Rf4) 14. Nxd5 cxd5 (14... exd5 15. Re2 Be7 16. e6!? fxe6?! 17. Bg5) 15. Qb5+ Nd7 16. Qc6 Rb8?! (16... Rd8! 17. Re2 Be7 (17... h6) 18. Bg5 Bxg5 19. Nxg5 O-O 20. Rc1) 17. Rf4!? Kd8?? (17... Be7 18. Bd2 Rd8 19. Rc1 O-O 20. Qa4) (also possible is 17... h6!?) 18. Ng5! Caveman tactics! 18... Rc8 19. Nxf7+ Qxf7 20. Qxc8+ Kxc8 21. Rxf7 Kd8 22. Bg5+ Ke8 23. Rf3 Nb8 24. Rc1 1-0 Goeller,M-Kernighan,M/Blitz Tourney, Kenilworth, NJ USA 2007

c) 4... Qb6 5. g4 Bd7 6. c4 e6 (6... dxc4 7. Bxc4 e6 8. Nc3=) 7. c5!? Qc7 8. Nc3 b6 9. b4 Bc8 10. Rb1 h5 11. gxh5 Ne7 12. h6 gxh6 13. Bd3 Ba6 14. Nge2 (14. b5!) 14... Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Nd7 16. h5 1-0 Evgeni Vasiukov-Andrei Deviatkin/Moscow 2002 (50)

 

5. g4 Bd7 6. c4!?

A thematic move that is rare in this position.

a) 6. Nd2 c5! 7. dxc5 Qc7!? (7... e6 8. Nb3 Bxc5 9. Nxc5 Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. h5 (12. Bd3 Nbc6 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Qd2 Ng6 15. Bd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Qxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Nf4 18. Rac1 h5 19. Rhg1 Bc6 20. gxh5 Nxh5 21. b4 1-0 Kramnik,V-Leko,P/Brissago SUI 2004 (40)) 12... Qc7 13. Bf4 Nbc6 14. Bd3 g5 15. Bg3 d4 16. c4 Nb4 17. O-O Bc6 18. Ne1 Qb6 19. a3 Nxd3 20. Nxd3 Be4 21. b3 a5 22. f3 Bh7 23. Kh2 Qc6 24. Rc1 Rd8 25. Rf2 b5 26. Rd2 a4 27. Nb4 Qc5 28. cxb5 Qxb5 29. bxa4 Qb7 30. Bf2 O-O 31. Bxd4 1-0 Ivanov,A-Lafuente,P/Cali COL 2007 (36)) 8. f4 e6 9. Nb3 Bxc5 10. Nxc5 Qxc5 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. h5 Bb5 13. Bh3 Nbc6 14. c3 a5 15. a3 a4 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. cxd4 Qb6 18. Be3 Nc6 19. Rc1 Bc4 20. Rh2 Qa5+ 21. Kf2 O-O-O 22. Kg3 Kb8 23. Rf2 1/2-1/2 Mogranzini,R-Kharitonov,A/Cappelle La Grande FRA 2008

 

b) 6. Be3 h5 7. g5 Bg4 8. Be2 Qd7 9. Bxg4 Qxg4 10. Qxg4 hxg4 11. h5 e6 12. Ne2 Ne7 13. Ng3 c5 14. c3 Nbc6 15. Ke2 Nf5 16. Nxf5 exf5 17. dxc5 O-O-O 18. Nd2 d4 19. cxd4 Nxd4+ 20. Bxd4 Rxd4 21. Rac1 Be7 22. Rc4 Rxc4 23. Nxc4 Bxc5 24. Ne3 (24. h6!) 24... Bd4 25. Nc4 Bc5 26. h6! 1/2-1/2 Sutovsky,E-Iordachescu,V/Moscow RUS 2008 (55)

 

c) 6. Nc3!?

 

6... e6

6... dxc4 7. Bxc4 e6 8. Nc3 Ne7=

 

7. c5!?

7. Nc3 Ne7 (7... dxc4) 8. c5!? b6 9. Na4 Nc8 10. Be3 bxc5 11. Nxc5 Bxc5 12. dxc5 Ne7 13. Bd3 Bc8 14. Qa4 a5 15. h5 Ba6 16. Bxa6 Rxa6 17. Nf3 Nd7 18. Rc1 Qc7 19. Qf4 g5 20. Qd4 Qb8 21. a4 Ng8 22. Qc3 Ra7 23. Bd4 Ne7 24. O-O Qc7 25. Rce1 Rb7 26. Nd2 Rb4 27. b3 Rg8 28. Kh1 Nb8 29. Re3 Rg7 30. Rf3 Ng8 31. Re3 1/2-1/2 Rodionov,G-Chernozem,S/Kyiv UKR 2007.

 

7... b6 8. Be3 bxc5 9. dxc5 Na6!?

a) 9... Qa5+ 10. Qd2 Qxd2+ 11. Nxd2

b) 9... Bxc5? 10. Bxc5 Qa5+ 11. b4

c) 9... h5!?

 

10. b4?

Basically a blunder. I overlooked that the Knight can be rescued by a5 and Na6.

Necessary is 10. Bxa6 Qa5+ 11. Qd2 Qxa6 12. h5 Qb5 13. Qc3 Rb8 14. Bd4 with a complex struggle.

 

10... Nxb4 11. Qa4 a5

a) 11... Qb8!? 12. a3 Bxc5 (12... d4 13. Bxd4 Nd5) 13. axb4 Bxb4+ 14. Nd2 Qxe5 15. Ngf3 Qd6

b) 11... d4!? 12. Bxd4 Nd5=

 

12. a3 Na6 13. Bxa6 Rxa6 14. Nf3

At this point I decided to just play the game as though I had purposely gambitted a pawn in order to misplace his pieces and maintain my bind. Psychologically, at least, that attitude kept me in the game.

 

14... h5! 15. Nc3!? hxg4 16. Qxg4 Nh6 17. Bxh6 Rxh6

17... gxh6!

 

18. Qd4?!

18. Na4! Qb8 19. Qd4 Qb5 20. Nd2

 

18... a4!?

18... Be7!

 

19. Rb1!

19. Nxa4? Qa5+ 20. Qb4 Be7! (20... Qxa4 21. Qb8+ Ke7 22. Qd6+=)

 

19... Bc8?! 20. Nxa4 g5?! 21. Rg1!?

During the game I thought I had come up with a brilliant attacking idea, and perhaps I did. But I certainly did not play it correctly, especially as time pressure grew. Best is likely 21. h5! f5 22. Rb4 g4 23. Nd2

 

21... gxh4 22. Rg8!? h3

22... f6 23. Qg4 fxe5 24. Rb8

 

23. Qf4?!

23. Qg4!! was what Mark had most feared, and it looks pretty strong: 23... h2 (23... Qe7 24. Rb8 Kd7 25. Rxc8!? Kxc8 26. Qg7) 24. Nxh2! Rxh2 25. Qg7 Ke7 (25... Qe7 26. Rb8) 26. Qf6+ Kd7 27. Nb6+ Rxb6 28. Qxd8+ Kxd8 29. Rxb6

 

23... Rh5!

23... Rg6 24. Rh8

 

24. Nb6

24. Kf1!? Qc7 25. Kg1 f6 26. Qxf6 Qf7! 27. Qxf7+ Kxf7 28. Rg4 Rf5 29. Rb3

 

24... Rxa3 25. Ng5 Ra7

25... Rxg5 26. Rxg5 h2 27. Rh5

 

26. Kd2!?

26. Nxc8 Qxc8 27. Qg4 Rh6 28. Nxh3

 

26... h2

26... Rxg5 27. Rxg5 Ra2+ 28. Ke1 h2 29. Rh5 Ba6 30. Rxh2 Re2+ 31. Kd1 Re4 32. Qg3

 

 

27. Rh1?

27. Ra1!! was pointed out by a class C player after the game. Fritz says it basically forces a draw against perfect play by Black: 27... Rc7 (27... Rb7 28. Rh1=) 28. Nxc8! Qxc8 29. Qf6! Rxg5 (29... h1=Q 30. Qg7) 30. Qxg5 Qb8 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 32. Qh6+ Kg8 33. Qg5+ Kf8 34. Qh6+ Kg8 (34... Ke7 35. Qf6+) 35. Qg5+=

 

27... Ra2+ 28. Ke3?

28. Kc3 Qe7

 

28... Rxg5! 29. Qxg5

29. Rxg5? Bxc5+

 

29... Qxg5+ 30. Rxg5 Bh6

30... Bxc5+!

 

31. Rxh2 Bxg5+ 32. Kf3 Ba6 33. Rh8+ Ke7 34. Kg4 Bc1

and White lost on time in a lost position.

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