1.d4
Nf6
2.Nf3
e6
3.c4
b6
4.e3
Bb7
5.Bd3
Bb4+
6.Bd2
Qe7
7.a3
Bxd2+
8.Nbxd2
d6
9.0-0
e5
10.e4
Nbd7
11.Re1
0-0
I spent a ludicrous 20-minutes on this - deciding not to play ...g5 and not to play ...Nf8, nor ...0-0-0, nor any of a dozen other moves. Most worrying, at some point I also seem to decide not to play ...a5, which (at least after W's next move) is a natural choice.
12.d5
I'd half-expected him to try to keep d5 availableto a N, but White is "playing the long game" as he put it. W has a bit more space and playing c5 is a long-term goal, but B isn't too cramped - the exchange of B-squared Bs seems to ease B's game.
12...g6
13.Nf1
Nh5
14.Ne3
Nf4
15.Bc2
Kh8
White is playing a nice simple game. My impression of my play at the time was "Black is trying too hard". I should have been concentrating on getting ...f5 played, but instead I was chasing phantom attacking ideas.
16.g3
Nh5
17.Qd2
Ndf6
18.b4
Bc8
19.Bd3
Bh3
20.Rac1
Nxe4
At this point I'd used up an hour, Bill had used about half that. If I could make this sacrifice work, my faintly artificial play would suddenly look inspired - especially since it's hard to see that White has done anything wrong.
21.Bxe4
f5
22.Bb1
f4
23.c5
White has now just about caught me up on the clock, deciding which piece to return to break the attack. This gave me plenty of time to work out my continuation...
23...fxe3
...so this move is a real disappointment. The move is not out-and-out bad, but it gives W what he wants. Instead, 23..fxg3 could lead to something like: [23...fxg3
24.fxg3
Rxf3
with a safe pawn plus; 23...fxg3
24.Qd1
gxf2+
25.Kxf2
not 25...Qh4+
(25...e4
26.Qd4+
) 26.Kg1
Qf4
which looks good for black e.g. 27.Nd2
Ng3
28.hxg3
Qxg3+
29.Kh1
Rf2
0 - 1 This is human analysis and your computer might give you other lines. So much for the dream - back to the game.
The computers agrees - this is winning for Black (webmaster)]
24.Qxe3
Rae8
[24...Nf6
]
25.Ng5
Bc8
26.Rc4
White now makes use of his Q-side space advantage to pursue an attack on B's K - and produces a fine finish of his own, with a little help from his opponent.
26...Nf6
27.Rh4
Kg7
28.Nxh7
Nxh7
29.Qh6+
Kh8
30.Bxg6
Rf7
31.cxd6
cxd6
32.Bxf7
Here B sealed 32 .. Qxf7 but resigned without resuming.
32...Qxf7
1-0