Milisits, Ryan - Papariella, Justin April 30, 2002 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bd3 cxd4 6.0-0 f6 7.Qe2 fxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.Bb5+ Kf7 11.Bf4 This is the position from which the exhibition game started. The opening to this point was from one of the decisive games of the 1989 Club Championship, Nedved-Meigs. White has a nice blockade of e5. If Black doesn't break this, or neutralize it, he doesn't equalize. Nedved-Meigs continued 11. ... Qb6 12. Bd3 Be7 13. Nd2 Rhd8 14. Nf3 Bd6 15. Qg5 Bxf4 16. Qxf4 Kg8. White could now have paused to consolidate with 17. b3; he would then have had a clear and dangerous advantage, due to the blockade. Black can regroup with 11. ... Ne4 (threatening ... Bd6) 12.f3 Nd6, with good chances. With the text move and the next two moves, Black "castles by hand". But his king was not in great danger, so this maneuver should not have been the highest priority. 11. ... Be7 12.Nd2 Rf8 13.Nf3 Kg8 14.Bd3 Black might now have forced a draw with 14 ... Ng4 15.Qh5 Rxf4 16.Qxh7+ Kf7 17.Qh5+ etc. White should have prevented this with 14.h3, a mistake that he corrects next move. 14. ... Bd7 15.h3 Qe8 16.g4?? White still has his blockade, and 16.Bh2 was a good way to maintain it while keeping a lid on counterplay. 15. ... Ne4! 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Qf7? 18. ... Bc6 wins a piece. 19.Ne5 Qxf4 20.Qxf4 Rxf4 21.Nxd7 Bd6 Fritz's recommendation was 21. ... Rac8, so that if 22.Rac1? Bg5 with strong threats. Instead White can try 22.Rae1, and now if 21. ... Kf7 22.Re2, or 21. ... Rxc2 22.Rxe6 Kf7 (not 22. ... Bh4? 23.Re8+ Kf7 24.Rf8+) 23.Ree1, and now 23. ... Rxb2? allows 24.Ne5+ and 25.Nd3, so perhaps White can hold things together. 22.Rae1 Rf7 23.Ne5 Rc7 24.Nd3 Kf7 25.Re4 Rd8 26.Rc1 Black could have taken the c-pawn on either of the last two moves, with equality. But that opportunity is gone, and suddenly he is much worse, perhaps losing, because White has a nice blockade on d3 and e4. It's hard to suggest a good defensive plan. Perhaps sitting tight with 26. ... Bc5 (to be followed by ... Bb6) was best. 26. ... g5 Black is trying to prevent White from taking over the whole board with 27.f4, but this creates a new weakness. 27.Kg2 e5 On 27. ... Be7 White could play 28.f4 anyway; but this might have offered better resistance than the text. 28.Nxe5+ Bxe5 29.Rxe5 d3 30.c3 Kf6 31.Re4 d2 32.Rd1 Rcd7 33.Kf3 Rd3+ 34.Re3 R3d5 35.Ke2 The game was broken off at this point. White can make progress by trading rooks; for example, 35. ... R8d7 36.Re4 Rd3 37.f3 h6 38.Rd4 R3xd4 39.cxd4 Rxd4 40.Rxd2. Black would be hard put to save the rook and pawn endgame.