NM Michael Shapiro [Insufficient Losing Chances] - GM Joel Benjamin [U.S. Amateur Training Team], U.S.A.T.E. 2004
This game took place in round three of the tournament.
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qh5 9.Nxe4 Be6
10.Bg5
Another plan is 10.Neg5 Bb4?! (Black should castle queenside immediately which is disallowed after Shapiro's 10th move) 11.Rxe6+! fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qf7 13.Nfg5 Qe7 14.Qe2 Bd6 15.Nxg7+ Kd7 16.Qg4+ Kd8 17.Nf7+!? Qxf7 18.Bg5+ Be7 (Sergeant is mistaken in labeling White's 17th move "an unsound sacrifice" thinking incorrectly that after 18...Ne7 "Black escapes easily", but White still wins with 19.Ne6+ Ke8 20.Re1 Rg8 21.Qxd4 Qg6 22.Nxc7+ Kf7 23.Qc4+ Kf8 24.Bxe7+ Bxe7 25.Qf4+ Bf6 26.Qb4+! Kf7 27.Qb3+ Kg7 28.Nxa8 Kh8 29.Qxb7) 19.Ne6+ Kc8 20.Nc5+ Kb8 21.Nd7+ Kc8 22.Nb6+ Kb8 23.Qc8+ Rxc8 24.Nd7#, Morphy-Amateur, Paris 1859.
10...h6
The book continuation is 10...Bd6 11.Bf6 O-O 12.Nxd6 cxd6 13.Bxd4 Bg4 14.Re3 Rae8 with an equal position (ECO).
11.Bf6 Qg6
12.Nh4 Qg4 13.Nf3 Qg6 14.Nh4 Qg4 15.Nf3 Be7
Objectively speaking, Black should take the draw by repetition. Naturally, he is reluctant to split the point with his lower-rated opponent.
16.Bxe7 Kxe7 17.Nxd4 Qxd1 18.Nxc6+ bxc6 19.Raxd1 Rhd8 20.b3 Rd5 21.c4 Ra5
22.Rd2
White has the better endgame because of the c5 square which should be exploited by 22.a4 Rb8 23.Re3 Re5 24.f4 Bg4 25.Rd4 Re6 26.Kf2 Bf5 27.Nc5 Rxe3 28.Kxe3 a5 29.Kf3 h5 30.Kg3 g6 31.Kh4 when Black is tied up. The way the game develops, White's knight never makes it to c5.
22...g5 23.f3 Rd8 24.Rxd8 Kxd8 25.Re2 Ke7 26.Kf2 Re5 27.Ke3 Bf5 28.Kd4 f6 29.b4 c5+ 30.bxc5 Bxe4 31.fxe4 Re6 32.a4 Kd7 33.g4 Ra6 34.Ra2 Ra5 35.Kd5 Ra6 36.a5 Re6 37.Rf2 Re5+ 38.Kd4 Re6 39.Rf3 Ra6 40.Kd5 Ke7 41.Rh3 c6+ 42.Kd4 Rxa5 43.Rxh6 Ra1
44.Rh8
White should keep the game alive by 44.Rh7+ Ke6 45.Rc7 Rd1+ 46.Kc3 Rc1+ 47.Kd3 Rd1+ 48.Kc2 Rd4 49.Rxc6+ with good winning chances. Now Black escapes with a draw.
44...Rd1+ 45.Kc3 Rc1+ 46.Kd3 a5 47.Ra8 Rd1+ 48.Kc3 Rc1+ 49.Kd3 Rd1+ 50.Kc3 Rc1+, draw.
{This article originally appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of Atlantic Chess News}
