1.c4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6
By an unusual move order, a position from the King's Indian Defense has been reached. White probably played this way in order to avoid the Grunfeld Defense.
5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Nd3 f5 11.Bd2 c5
This last move by Black is Fischer's suggestion from My 60 Memorable Games. Perhaps White's best plan at this point is 12.a3 and 13.b4.
12.f4
At the time when this game was played, I did not own ECO which I finally purchased in early 1989. So I was unfamiliar with this move, given as the main line in ECO.
12...exf4
ECO recommends 12...a6 13.a4 and only then this move.
13.Bxf4 Bxc3!?
I thought a long time before making this move, since one does not give up the fianchettoed king bishop lightly.
14.bxc3 fxe4 15.Ne1 Nf5 16.g4 Ng7
Unwittingly I played all the "book" moves, except that the moves 12...a6 13.a4 were omitted. During the post mortem analysis, Brian and I came to the conclusion that my move order may be more correct, since the move 12...a6 is a one-move threat easily parried by 13.a4 after which the white queen rook has the option of playing to a2. In many of the subvariations, we found that a timely Ra2 would have been strong for White.
17.Ng2
The critical variation, which I analyzed out over the board, was 17.Bxd6 Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1 Nf6 19.Bxc5 Nxg4 after which I felt that Black is better. ECO reaches the same position, with the white a-pawn on a4 and the black a-pawn on a6, and gives (after 20...Nxg4) 21.Ra2 with an unclear position.
17...Qe7
Now Black is better anyway and with an extra pawn to boot.
18.Qd2 Ne5 19.Bg5 Rxf1+ 20.Rxf1 Qe8 21.Qf4 Bd7 22.Qxe4 Nxg4!
This surprising move keeps Black a pawn up. After the game, Brian and I looked at 22.h3 instead of 22.Qxe4. We decided that Black retains a plus after 22.h3 b5! 23.cxb5 Bxb5 24.Bxb5 Qxb5 25.Qxe4 Re8.
23.Be7 Bf5 24.Qf4 Qxe7 25.Bxg4 Qe4!
The trick is that 26.Bxf5 Qxf4 27.Be6+ Nxe6 28.Nxf4 Ng7 leads to a winning endgame for Black.
26.Qxe4 Bxe4 27.Rf6 Rd8 28.Be6+ Nxe6 29.dxe6
On 29.Rxe6, Black plays 29...Bf5 30.Re7 Rd7.
29...Bxg2 30.Kxg2 Re8 31.Kg3 Re7!
Now the white e-pawn must fall because, on 32.Kg4 Kg7 33.Kg5?, there is 33...h6+!.
32.a4 Kg7 33.Rf2 Rxe6 34.Rb2 b6 35.a4 bxa4 36.Rb7+ Kh6 37.Rxa7 Re3+ 38.Kf2 Rxc3 39.Ra6 Rxc4 40.Rxd6 a4
With three pawns to the good, Black has an easily won rook and pawn ending.
41.Rd3 Rc2+ 42.Kg1 c4 43.Ra3 Rb2
Black gives back one pawn to promote another.
44.Rxa4 c3 45.Rh4+ Kg7 46.Rc4 c2 47.Rc7+ Kh6, White resigns.
{This article originally appeared in Atlantic Chess News in 1989}
