1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3
At this point, my opponent offered a draw, pointing out that I was in no mood for a fight, since I had played the exchange variation which has a drawish reputation. I asked him to make his move first before I would consider his draw offer.
4...Nf6?!
Had he played 4...Bd6 with 5...Ne7 to follow, I might very well have taken the draw, since this was the last round of a seemingly never-ending tournament.
5.Bd3 Bd6 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3
This was Morphy's favorite move in this position.
7...Bg4 8.h3
The immediate 8.Bg5 is more accurate, since now Black can play 8...Bxf3 9.Qxf3 h6.
8...Bh5 9.Bg5 c6 10.g4 Bg6 11.Ne5
11...Bxd3?!
In ECO, Larsen recommends 11...Nbd7 12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qf3 Rae8 with an unclear position.
12.Qxd3 Nbd7 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne2 h5!? 16.Ng3 Bxg3 17.fxg3 Kg7 18.Qf3 Qd6 19.gxh5 Rae8 20.h6+ Kxh6 21.Qxf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxf6+ Kg7 23.Raf1
White has won a pawn, but Black has drawing chances in the double-rook ending because his king is well positioned to block White's h-pawn.
23...Re3 24.R6f3 Re4 25.c3 f6 26.g4 Re2 27.R3f2 Rfe8 28.Rxe2 Rxe2 29.Rf2 Re1+ 30.Kg2 a5 31.Kf3 Kf7 32.h4 b5 33.a3 Rd1??
Either 33...a4 or 33...Kg6 was a better try.
34.g5! b4 35.axb4 axb4 36.Ke2! Rb1 37.Rxf6+ Kg7 38.Rxc6 Rxb2+ 39.Kd3 b3 40.Rb6 Kf7 41.h5 Rg2?
The win would have been more difficult after 41...Rh2.
42.g6+ Kg7 43.Rxb3 Rh2 44.Rb7+ Kf8 45.Rh7 Kg8 46.Ke3 Rh3+ 47.Kf4!, Black resigns.
{This article originally appeared in Atlantic Chess News in 1992}
