1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5

Too passive is 8... Be7 9. Nc4

 

9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3

Theory's recommendation, though White has a whole range of dynamic and wild possibilities:

a) 11. exf5 Bxf5 12. Qf3?! (12. c3) 12... Nd4 13. Nc7+ Ke7 14. Qxa8 Qxc7 (14... Qxa8 15. Nxa8 b4) 15. c3 b4

b) 11. Nxb5!? axb5 12. Bxb5 Bd7 13. exf5

c) 11. Bxb5!? axb5 12. Nxb5 Ra4!

d) 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c4

 

11... fxe4?!

This move is generally considered a clear error due to the sacrifice that follows. The more common continuation is 11... Bg7 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 O-O 14. Nce3 Be6 15. g3 followed by Bg2 and O-O gives White some edge due to his control of d5 but Black has lots of resources.

 

12. Bxb5! axb5 13. Nxb5 Be6

a) 13... Rb8?? 14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. Qg4+ f5 16. Qxf5#

b) 13... Qg5 14. Nbc7+ (even stronger may be 14. Ndc7+! Kd8 15. Qd5!! Bb7? (15... Qxg2 16. O-O-O) 16. Qxf7 Qe7 17. Qf5 Qd7 18. Qf6+ 1-0 Shamkovich,L-Wachtel,C/Columbus,OH 1977) 14... Kd8 15. Nxa8 Qxg2 16. Rf1 Bh3 (16... Ba6 17. Ne3 Qf3 18. Rg1 Bd3 19. Qxf3 exf3 20. Rd1 e4 21. Rxd3 exd3 22. Nb6 Bh6 23. Nbd5 Ne5 24. b3 Kd7 25. Kd2 Ke6 26. c4 f5 27. h3 Rb8 28. Kc3 Rb7 29. a4 Nf7 30. b4 Ng5 31. Kxd3 Nxh3 32. Rf1 Rg7 33. a5 Bg5 34. a6 Bd8 35. Nc2 1-0 Almasi,Z-Kahn,E/Budapest Nuovo B 1992) 17. Ne3 Qf3 18. Qd5 Bxf1 19. Nxf1 Kd7 20. Nb6+ Kc7 21. Qb5 Rg8 22. Nd5+ Kd7 23. Qb7+ Ke6 24. Qxc6 Rg1 25. c4 Rxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Qh1+ 27. Ke2 Qf3+ 28. Ke1 Qh1+ 29. Kd2 e3+ 30. Ke2 1-0 Bobras,P-Tuka,O/Slavutich UKR 2005.

 

14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. Nxa8 Bxd5

Not 15... Qxa8?? 16. Nb6+

 

16. Qxd5 f5!?

Many games reach this position and continue 16... Qxa8 17. Qxf7+ ( White is also winning after 17. O-O f5 18. a4! Be7 19. Rfd1 Qg8 20. Qb5 Qb8 21. Qe2 h5 22. b4 Rg8 23. a5 Nd8 24. Qa2 Ne6 25. Qa4+ Kc7 26. b5 Kb7 27. Qc4 Nc5 28. Qd5+ Ka7 29. b6+ Ka6 30. Qc4+ Kb7 31. a6+ Kc6 32. Qd5+ Kd7 33. Qxc5 Ke6 34. Qd5+ Kf6 35. a7 1-0 Denny,K-Corbin,P/Bridgetown BAR 2005) (or 17. Qxe4) 17... Ne7 18. O-O-O!? Rg8 19. g3 e3 20. Rhe1 Rg7 21. Qf6 Rg6 22. Qxe5 exf2 23. Re2 Qf3 24. Qb5+ Kc7 25. Rf1 Rg5 26. Qc4+ Rc5 27. Qe4 Qh5 28. Rexf2 Bh6+ 29. Kb1 Re5 30. Qxh7 Kc6 31. Qf7 Qh3 32. Qc4+ Kb6 33. Rf6 Nc6 34. Rxd6 Rc5 35. Qe2 Bg7 36. a3 Be5 37. Rg6 Qd7 38. Qc2 Qd5 39. Rd1 Qf7 40. Rh6 Bxc3 41. bxc3 Rb5+ 42. Ka1 Qf8 43. Rdd6 Ka5 44. Rhf6 1-0 Hamdouchi,H-Dorfman,J/Clermont-Ferrand FRA 2003.

 

17. b4! Be7 18. b5 Na5

19. b6?!

19. Rd1! Qxa8 20. Qxe5 leaves White firmly in control.

 

19... Qxa8 20. Qb5+

20. Qxa8? Rxa8 21. Ke2 Kc6 and Black wins at least a pawn, leaving White without the powerful queenside pawns that constitute his chief advantage in this line.

 

20... Ke6

The position is very dynamically balanced. Black's two pieces should be superior to a Rook, but White typically has dangerous passed pawns on the queenside that give him the edge. Here, the question is whether the passed b-pawn is dangerous or over-extended.

 

21. Rb1 Rb8 22. O-O Bd8!? 23. Qe8+ Be7 24. Qb5 Bd8 25. Qe8+ Be7 26. Qh5!?

Probably White should be satisfied with a draw, but anyone can win in this dynamic position.

 

26... Nc4 27. b7?!

27. Qxh7! Rxb6 (27... Qxa2? 28. Ra1 Qd2 (28... Qe2 29. Ra7!) 29. Qg6+! Kd7 30. Ra7+) 28. Rxb6 Nxb6 29. Qg6+ Bf6 30. Rb1! Nd5 (30... Qxa2?? 31. Qg8+) 31. g4

 

27... Rxb7 28. Rxb7 Qxb7 29. Qxh7 Qc8?!

29... d5

 

30. Qg6+ Kd7 31. Qxf5+ Kd8 32. Qxc8+?! Kxc8

The exchange of queens actually simplifies Black's task, since his King will no longer be in danger.

 

33. Rb1 Kc7 34. a4 d5 35. g3 Bc5 36. Rb5 Kc6 37. h4 e3!

38. Rxc5+??

Perhaps Ian thought that his outside passed pawns could beat the Knight, but he seems to have forgotten about Black's two pawns.

38. fxe3

 

38... Kxc5 39. fxe3 Nxe3 40. Kf2 Nd1+ 41. Ke1 Nxc3 42. h5 Ne4 43. h6 Ng5

1-0