A.Morozevich (2734) - Art.Minasian (2614) [B14]
Istanbul ol (12) 2000 [A. Morozevich, notes adopted by A. Baburin]
1. e4
c6
2. d4
d5
3. exd5
cxd5
4. c4
Nf6
5. Nc3
Nc6
6. Bg5
e6
7. Nf3
Bb4
8. Bd3?! Better was 8.Rc1.
dxc4
9. Bxc4
h6
10. Bh4?!
Better was to play 10.Be3 Nd5 11.Qd3 0-0 12.0-0, with unclear position. Bxc3+?
Instead of this move Black could and should have played more aggressively - 10...g5. After 11.Bg3 Ne4 12.Qd3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 g4 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qxd3 16.Bxd3 chances are equal.
11. bxc3
Qa5
12. O-O
Nd5
13. Rc1!
This pawn sacrifice is much more attractive for White than the line 13.Bxd5 Qxd5 14.Qd3 Na5 15.Ne5, where Black has 15...Nc6!, with almost a full equality.
Nxc3
14. Qd3?? White had to play 14.Qb3 instead.
Nd5?
Black had top grab yet another pawn with 14...Nxa2!. After 15.Ra1 Nab4 White has a wide choice, but his initiative is not enough to compensate for 2 pawns.
15. Bxd5
exd5 After 15...Qxd5 16.Qa3 f6 White has a very nice move - 17. Ne5!. Then Black has to choose between 17...Bd7 18.Ng6 Kf7 19.Nxh8+ Rxh8, and White is better or 17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5. In the latter line after 19.Bg3 Qb5 20.Rc7 Bd7 21.Rd1 Rd8 22.h4! White maintains the attack.
16. Rfe1+
Be6
17. Rxe6+
fxe6
18. Qg6+
Kf8
19. Ne5!
Nxe5
20. dxe5
Qb4
21. g3??
This is bad slip, while after 21.h3! Black would be in serious trouble, for example: 21...Kg8 22.Qxe6+ Kh7 23.Qf5+ Kg8 24.Rc7 Qf8 25.Qe6+ or 21...Re8 22. Bf6!. Relatively best is 21...Qe4 22.Qxe6 g5 23.Rc8+ Rxc8 24.Qxc8+ Kg7, but even then White is close to winning.
Re8
22. h3? Yet another mistake. .. Better was 22.Bf6! Rg8 23.Qh5! gxf6 24.Qxh6+ Ke7 25.exf6+ Kd6 26.f7 Rgf8 27. fxe8Q Rxe8 and now 28.Qg7 Re7 29.Qf8 Qb6 30.h4! e5 31.h5 Ke6 32.h6 leads to White's advantage.
Rg8!
23. a3
Qe4!
24. Be7+
Kxe7
25. Rc7+
Kd8
26. Qf7
Qe1+
27. Kg2
Qxf2+
28. Kxf2
Rgf8
29. Rd7+
Kc8
30. Rxb7
Rxf7+
It's tempting to take the queen immediately, but better was to play 30.. .a5! - after 31.Ke3 Rxf7 32.Rxf7 g5 33.Rh7 Rf8 34.Rxh6 Kd7 35.Rh7+ Ke8 36.Rh5 the ending is drawn.
31. Rxf7
Rd8
32. Rxa7
Rd7
33. Ra8+
Perhaps 33.Ra6 would be a better winning try. Kc7
34. Ke3
Kb6=
35. Re8
Ra7
36. Rxe6+
Kc5
37. Rg6
Rxa3+
38. Kf4
Ra7
39. h4
Rf7+ After 39...Kd4 40.Kf5 Ke3? Black loses: 41.Rd6 d4 42.e6 d3 43.Rd7 d2 44.e7.
40. Ke3
Re7
41. Kf4
Kd4
42. e6
Ra7 Safer was 42...Kc5 43.Ke5 d4 44.Rg4 d3. However, Black decided to play for a win, which in this position was a sure way to a disaster!
43. Rg4!
h5? This is the final mistake. Black could still make a draw by playing 43...Kc5 44.Ke5 Kc6 45.h5 Rb7 46.Ra4 Rb1 47.g4 Re1+ 48.Kf5 Kd6.
44. Rg5
Re7
45. Kf5
Kc5
46. Ke5
d4? Better was 46...Ra7, but after 47.Rxh5 Ra3 48.Rg5 Re3+ 49.Kf5 Kd6 50.Rxg7 Rxe6 51.Rg8 White wins anyway.
47. Rxh5
d3
48. Rh8
Kc4
49. Rc8+
Kb3
50. Rd8
Kc2
51. Kd6
Re8
52. e7
d2
53. Ke6 This game with full annotations by Alexander Morozevich will appear (or has appeared, depending when you read this) in the
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