[Event "36th Olympiad"]
[Site "Calvia ESP"]
[Date "2004.10.22"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Williams, Leighton"]
[Black "Baburin, Alexander"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B05"]
[WhiteElo "2355"]
[BlackElo "2527"]
[Annotator "Alex Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2004.10.15"]
[Source "Chess Today"]
[SourceDate "2004.11.06"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 exd6 {Diagram #The Exchange
Variation is currently very popular vs. the Alekhine Defence. White hopes to
get a small, but stable advantage.} (5... cxd6 {is more interesting, but more
risky from strategic (structural) point of view - after the eventual d4-d5 the
e7-pawn can become a backward one. Because White started to do well after 5...
cxd6, the Exchange variation became fashionable.}) 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. Be2 (7. h3 {
is another way to play this line, but then the Black bishop might be happy
enough on f5.}) 7... Be7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Bg4 10. b3 Bf6 {Diagram #The
b6-knight is not a great piece, I agree, but at least the black bishop is now
well placed.} 11. Be3 d5 {Time to fight for some presence in the centre.} 12.
c5 Nc8 13. h3 Be6 ({According to GM Bagirov, much worse is} 13... Bxf3 14. Bxf3
N8e7 15. g4) 14. b4 a6 15. b5 (15. Rb1) 15... axb5 16. Nxb5 {Diagram #White
played all of this almost instantly, so he obviously had prepared this line.
Not a bad idea in general and particularly good when it comes to the new time
control. I had never faced 15.b5, but I doubt it should be too dangerous.
White's idea is to play Bf4 and put pressure on c7.} N6a7 {
This is a bit artificial.} ({Both} 16... N8e7 17. Bf4 Rc8) ({and} 16... N8a7
17. a4 b6 {are safer options.}) 17. Nc3 b6 18. cxb6 Nxb6 19. Ne5 c5 $1 {
Diagram #} 20. dxc5 {Very tactical approach.} ({I expected} 20. f4 {
which I was going to meet with} Nd7 {even though I did not see everything after
} 21. f5 {But it seems that Black is OK:} cxd4 22. Nxd7 (22. fxe6 Nxe5 23.
exf7+ Rxf7 24. Bxd4 Nac6 {is OK for Black too.}) 22... Bxd7 23. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 24.
Qxd4 Nc6 25. Qxd5 Ne7 {and Black has no problems:} 26. Qe5 Nxf5 27. Rxf5 $2
Bxf5 28. Qxf5 Qd4+) 20... Bxe5 21. cxb6 {Diagram #} d4 {
Ambitious move, which simply felt right to me!} ({Also good was} 21... Bxc3 $1
22. Rc1 (22. bxa7 d4 $1 ({White would be happy enough after} 22... Bxa1 23.
Qxa1) 23. Rc1 {leads to the same position.}) 22... d4 23. bxa7 {
with roughly equal chances.}) 22. bxa7 ({Better was} 22. f4 $1 Qxb6 23. Bf2
Bxf4 24. Qxd4 (24. Bxd4 $4 Be3+)) 22... dxe3 23. Qxd8 Rfxd8 {Diagram #} 24.
Rad1 $1 {Great move!} ({I counted only on} 24. Nb5 {when Black can play} Bxa1
25. Rxa1 Rd2 $1 {The e-pawn might come handy, so it is too soon to exchange it.
} (25... exf2+ 26. Kxf2 Rd2 27. Ke3 Rxe2+ 28. Kxe2 Bc4+ 29. Kd1 $2 (29. Kf2 $1
Bxb5 30. Rb1 Rxa7 31. Rxb5 Rxa2+ 32. Kf3 {and White should draw easily.}) 29...
Rd8+ 30. Kc1 Bxb5 31. Rb1 Bc6 32. Rb8 Rf8) 26. Bf3 (26. Kf1 Kf8 $1 (26... Rxe2
27. Kxe2 Bc4+ 28. Ke1 Bxb5 29. Rb1 exf2+ 30. Kxf2 Rxa7 31. Rxb5 Rxa2+ 32. Kf3
$15) 27. a4 exf2 28. Rc1 Bd5 {and White has to fight for a draw.}) 26... exf2+
27. Kh2 Rxa7 $1 28. Nxa7 Rxa2 $1 {and Black is on top.}) 24... exf2+ $1 {
I spent 29 minutes on this move.} ({My first intention was to play} 24... Bxc3
{but after} 25. Rxd8+ Rxd8 26. Bf3 ({Also good for White is} 26. fxe3 Ra8 27.
Rb1 Be5 28. Rb7) 26... e2 27. Bxe2 Ra8 28. Rb1 Be5 29. Rb7 {
White is OK, for example:} Kf8 30. Bf3) 25. Kxf2 Bd4+ (25... Bxc3 $2 26. Rxd8+
Rxd8 27. Rd1 Re8 28. Bf3 g6 29. a4 $1) 26. Rxd4 $1 Rxd4 27. Rb1 Rdd8 {Diagram #
} 28. Rb7 $6 ({Better was} 28. Nb5 $1 Kf8 29. Rd1 $1 {
and now it is Black has to be careful!} ({After} 29. Bf3 Bd5 30. Bxd5 Rxd5 {
White cannot play} 31. Nc7 {because of} Rf5+) 29... Rxd1 30. Bxd1 Bd5 31. Bf3 (
31. Nc7 Rxa7 32. Nxd5 Rxa2+ $11) 31... Bxf3 32. Kxf3 Ke7 33. Ke4 Kd7 34. Kd5
Rc8 $1 $11 (34... f5 $4 35. Kc5 $18)) 28... Bc8 $1 {
White obviously missed this move, as he spent 9 minutes on his reply.} 29. Re7
(29. Rb8 Rxa7) 29... Bd7 $1 {
Finally Black is able to eliminate the annoying a7-pawn.} 30. Bc4 (30. Nb5 Bxb5
(30... Kf8 $5) 31. Bxb5 Rd2+ 32. Kf3 Rxa2 33. Bc4 R2xa7 34. Bxf7+ Kf8 35. Rxa7
Rxa7 36. Bd5 g5 $1 $19) 30... Rxa7 31. Rxf7 Kh8 {Diagram #} 32. Bb3 $2 ({
Better was} 32. Ne4) ({or} 32. Be6 $1 Ra3 33. Rxd7 Rxd7 34. Bxd7 Rxc3 35. h4 $3
{and White will be able to build a fortress - g2-g3, bishop to the long
diagonal, etc. Interestingly enough, the move 35.h4!! was a real revelation
for my opponent when I showed it in the post-mortem. He is a talented player,
but must do some work on the endgame.} ({I believe that} 35. a4 $2 g5 $1 {
just loses.})) 32... Raa8 {During the game I felt that Black must be winning
here. White was short of time and his position collapsed quickly.} 33. g4 Rf8
34. Kg3 Rxf7 35. Bxf7 Bc6 36. g5 Rf8 37. Bh5 Rf5 38. h4 h6 39. Bg6 Rf3+ 0-1

[Event "Hodzhaev mem"]
[Site "Tashkent URS"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shabanov, Yuri"]
[Black "Kuzmin, Alexey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C66"]
[WhiteElo "2410"]
[BlackElo "2440"]
[Annotator "Mikhail Golubev (www.chesstoday.net)"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Chess Today"]
[SourceDate "2004.11.06"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. O-O Be7 8.
Nf5 O-O 9. Nxe7+ Qxe7 10. Nd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Ne5 12. Bxd7 Qxd7 13. b3 Qf5 14.
Bb2 Rfe8 15. Qd2 Ng6 16. Rae1 Nf4 17. f3 Rxe1 18. Rxe1 Nxd5 19. Re4 h5 $4 {
Diagram #} 20. Qd3 $1 (20. Qd3 g6 21. g4 hxg4 22. fxg4 Qg5 23. Qd4 f6 24. h4 $1
c5 25. Qd3 $18) 1-0

