Mackenzie,Dana - Waymouth,Tim [C63]
U.S. Open, 1998
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d4 fxe4 5.Bxc6 bxc6?! I was skeptical of this move, because Black has trouble developing his queenside.
6.Nxe5 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c3 Rb8 9.Qa4 ... An interesting possibility
that I discovered after the game was 9.Nd2 Bb7 10.Nxe4?! However, the ruthless
precision of computer analysis shows that this doesn't really work for White:
10...Nxe4 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Nxg6 Nf6 13.Qh6 Rg8 14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.Bg5 Rg6! So White
apparently does not have a direct refutation of Black's opening setup. 9...Rb6 10.Re1 d5 11.c4 Ra6 12.Qd1 0-0? Now White is able to seal in Black's rook. After 12. ... c5 Black's position would have been fine.
13.c5 Qe8 14.b4 ...
A very interesting position. The computer and I disagree on how to evaluate it. Fritz thinks Black is better after 14. ... Nd7. But I think White has a strategically won game. All I have to do is play a2-a4-a5, and then trade down to an endgame, where I will be effectively a rook ahead because Black's rook on a6 is paralyzed. Note that White doesn't actually have to win the rook, just contain it.
Obviously there are some formidable practical obstacles to this plan -- for it to work, White must first survive Black's kingside assault. Over the next couple moves we have an little skirmish, where Black is trying to play ... Ng4 and I am trying to prevent it.
14...h5 15.Qb3 Kh8 16.Bg5 Bf5 17.Nc3? ...
White's pieces start getting in each other's way. Better was 17.Nd2 Ng4
18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nxg4 Bxg4 20.Qe3 and White threatens to start chasing Black back
with f2-f3.
17...Ng4 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nxg4 Bxg4 20.Nd1 ...
Now 20.f3 Bxf3! 21.gxf3 Rxf3 22.Rf1 Qg5+ 23.Kh1 Qg4 would give Black an
extremely dangerous attack.
20...Qg5 21.Qe3? ...
White's pieces continue to step on each other's toes. Now the queen is in the way of the knight and the rook, while the knight is in the way of both rooks. Black takes advantage of all this confusion in beautiful fashion. White could still defend successfully with 21.Ne3,
where 21...Bf3 achieves nothing after 22.Kh1.
21...Qh4 22.h3 ...
22...Rf3!!Incidentally, 22. ... Bf3! also works, but this move is certainly more picturesque. Instead of moving his bishop, Black puts another piece
en prise.
23.gxf3 ...
I actually saw 22. ... Rf3 coming, and my intention had been to play 23.hxg4
Rxe3 24.Rxe3 However, I belatedly realized that Black can play 24...Qf6 and
White's pawn on d4 falls.
23...Bxf3 24.Kh2 ...
Now Black's other rook, long buried on a6, suddenly roars back to life!
24...Ra3!! 25.Rg1 ...
Of course, White gets mated if he accepts the sacrifice: 25.Qxa3 Qf4+ 26.Kg1
Qg5+ 27.Kf1 Qg2 mate.
25...Rxe3 26.fxe3 Bxd1 27.Raxd1 Qf2+ 28.Rg2 Qxe3 29.Rb2 Qf4+ 0-1
I can't say enough good things about the way my opponent played this game.
From beginning to end he never swerved from his goal of attack on the kingside.
When I defended in less than perfect fashion, he seized his opportunity with a
brave and ingenious combination worthy of any grandmaster.
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