(The issue was wrongly dated November 2007.)

Pittsburgh Chess League
White: Alex Shabalov, Phalanx I
Black: Bruce Leverett, Rocky's Rooks I
January, 2008

 1 e4    c6

   Still a new opening for me, although I played it against Don Meigs a
   couple of years ago, and played it in a game at Somerset state prison,
   which you can find in Lev Alburt's column in the November 2007 Chess Life.

 2 d4    d5
 3 e5    Bf5
 4 Nd2!?

   I expected this move, as I had played over a game between Alex Shabalov
   and Amon Simutowe, from the 2007 U.S. Open, with the same strange variation.
   But I neglected to ever look it up in a database.  A gross failure of
   preparation.  Sorry folks.

 4 ...   e6
 5 Nb3   c5?

   In the French defense, which I have been playing for almost 40 years, Black
   usually plays this move as soon as possible.  But in the Caro-Kann, one must
   be a little circumspect.  With the white-squared bishop gone, Black must
   first make sure he has enough pieces to interpose to a Bishop check on b5.
   I thought I did, but as we shall see, I didn't.  Instead of 5 ... c5, I
   might reasonably have finished my development with ... Nd7, ... Ne7, ... Nc8,
   ... Be7, and ... O-O first, and only then thought about ... c5.  This kind
   of endless preparation seldom works in the French; there's not enough room
   to maneuver.

 6 dxc5  Nc6

   Now it hit me -- what if he plays 7 Nd4?  Now 7 ... Nge7 is met by 8 Nb5,
   and 7 ... Nxd4 8 Qxd4 looks like just a pawn down, and 7 ... Nxe5? 8 Bb5+
   is frightening.  But 7 ... Bxc5 is OK.  The ragged-looking pawns after
   8 Nxf5 exf5 may not be such a big deal.  Still, I should have played the
   immediate 6 ... Bxc5.

 7 Nf3   Bxc5
 8 Nxc5  Qa5+
 9 c3    Qxc5
10 Qb3   Rb8

   The first sign of danger -- an ugly move.  I didn't see any special
   compensation after 10 ... Nge7 11 Qxb7 O-O; 10 ... Qb6 11 Qxb6 axb6 12 Be3
   loses the pawn again; 10 ... Qe7 blocks the king knight.

11 Nd4!

   Now I rejected 11 ... Nxd4 12 cxd4 Qxd4 because of 13 Bb5+.  Back on move 5,
   when I had two knights and neither was too far from c6, who would have
   thought that Bb5+ would give me trouble?  I leave it as an exercise for the
   reader to convince himself that White has more than enough for one or two
   pawns.

11 ...   Nge7
12 Nb5   O-O
13 Be3   d4

   Black's last three moves were forced, but he gets approximately nothing for
   the pawn.

14 cxd4  Qd5?

   After the game my opponent suggested 14 ... Qb4+, which seems sturdier.
   Play might continue 15 Qxb4 Nxb4 16 Kd2 Rbc8.  When I had looked at this
   during the game I didn't think there was much compensation, but it is White
   who must think about how to complete his development and get his king out
   of the way.

15 Qxd5  Nxd5
16 Bc4!  Nb6
17 Be2   Rfd8
18 O-O   a6?!

   18 ... Bg6 was more level-headed.  Black now loses his whole queenside.

19 Nd6   Bg6
20 Rac1  Nc8
21 Nxb7  Rxb7
22 Rxc6  Rxb2
23 Bxa6  Ne7
24 Rd6   dRb8

   Not 24 ... Rxd6? 25 exd6 Nf5 26 d7 Rb8 27 Bc8, or 25 ... Nc6 26 Rc1.

25 Bc4   Be4

   After 25 ... Nf5 26 Rd7 Nxe3 27 fxe3 Be4 28 Rf2 Rb1+ 29 Bf1, Black does
   not have time for a good follow-up because his f-pawn is hanging.  But
   now at least Black gets one of the pawns back.

26 Bc1   R2b4
27 Bb3   Nf5
28 Rd7   Rxd4
29 Rd1   Rxd1+
30 Rxd1  h6

   Finally Black has decent piece placement.  How will White make progress
   in this endgame?

31 f3    Bc6
32 Kf2   Ra8
33 Be3   Ra5
34 Bb6!

   Taking the bull by the horns.  I now rejected 34 ... Rxe5 because I didn't
   like the looks of 35 Rd8+ Kh7 36 Bc2 g6 37 g4 Ng7 (not 37 ... Nh4 38 Bd4)
   38 a4, or some similar variation.  But if I had realized what White was up
   to, I might have kept the rook on my fourth rank with 34 ... Rb5.

34 ...   Ra6
35 Bc5   Ra5
36 Rc1!

   The bishop isn't bad any more; it dominates the knight.

36 ...   Ra8

   Careless.  I missed 37 g4 Nh4 38 Be7 Ng6 39 Rxc6 Nxe7, which looks like
   a good trade for White.  But what my opponent played was good too.

37 Rc3   Ra6
38 g4    Nh4
39 Kg3   g5

   Desperation.  After 39 ... Ng6 40 f4, with White's king in the game and his
   kingside in good shape, he has everything he could want.

40 Be7   Ng6
41 Bf6   Nf4
42 Rc4   Nd5
43 h4    Nxf6
44 exf6  gxh4+
45 Kxh4  e5

   So that after 46 ... Bxf3 47 Rc8+ Kh7 48 Bc2+ won't be mate.

46 g5    Bxf3
47 Rc7   Rd6
48 Bxf7+ Kf8
49 Bb3   hxg5+

   49 ... Bd5 50 g6.

50 Kxg5  Bd5
51 Bxd5  Rxd5
52 Kg6   Rd8
53 Rh7   Resigns