1. d4 d5 2. c4 Sc6 3. cxd5 3. Sf3 Lg4 4. Sc3 e6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Lf4 3... Dxd5 4. Sf3 4. e3 e5 5. Sc3 Lb4 6. Ld2 Lxc3 7. Lxc3 exd4 8. Se2 Sf6 9. Sxd4= 4... Lg4 5. Sc3 Da5 6. e3 A passive alternative 6. e4 e5 7. dxe5 (7. d5 Sd4 8. Le2=) 7... Lb4 8. Ld2 O-O-O= 6. d5! O-O-O 7. Ld2 Lxf3 8. gxf3 Se5 9. e4 6... e5 7. dxe5 7. d5 O-O-O 8. Ld2 Sb4 9. a3 Sa6 7... Sxe5 8. Le2 8. Lb5+ c6 9. Dd5 Dxb5 10. Dxb5 Sxf3+ 11. gxf3 cxb5 12. fxg4= 8... Lxf3 9. gxf3 This pawn formation is usually not bad in the centre, the only drawback is the unsafe King 9. Lxf3 Td8 10. Db3 Sxf3+ 11. gxf3 Lb4 9... Td8 10. Dc2 Sf6 11. f4 An recommendation of my nearly 6 year old son, I analysed his idea, and he's right it improves my piece play and limits blacks choices 11... Sc6 12. Ld2 Lb4 12... Sb4 13. Db1 Le7 14. a3 Sbd5 15. Dc2 13. Lf3 13. Tg1 O-O 14. O-O-O Lxc3?? 15. Lxc3 Attacks the Queen and Nf6 ! 13... O-O 14. Tg1 Tfe8 15. Tg5? 15. O-O-O 15... Sd4 A real Exploitation of the Kings unsafe position ! 16. Dd1 Sxf3+ Not really the best, but quite understandable, not that white is too happy about it...either 16... Da6 17. Lg2 Se6 18. Te5 Lxc3 19. bxc3 Sd7 20. Td5?? (20. Tf5 g6 21. Td5 Sxf4) 20... Sxf4 17. Dxf3 Db6 18. O-O-O Se4?! The combination is Ok, but somehow it arranges white affairs 18... Da6 19. Tdg1 g6 19. Sxe4 Dc6+ 20. Kb1 Dxe4+ 21. Dxe4 Txe4 22. Kc2 The position is flat 22... f6 22... Lxd2 23. Txd2 (23. Tc5 Te7 24. Txd2 Ted7 25. Txd7 Txd7 26. e4=) 23... Txd2+ 24. Kxd2= 23. Tb5 I was in no doubt that this was the best move, as it simplifies the game even further to a single rook ending, a territory 8 bitters are not particulary strong... 23... Lxd2 23... Tc4+ 24. Kb3 Tc6 25. Kxb4 Tc2 26. Kb3 Tdxd2 27. Txd2 Txd2 28. Txb7 24. Txd2 Txd2+ 25. Kxd2 b6 26. Td5 Kf7 27. f3 Te8 28. b4 With the idea to play b5 and hold 3 pawns with just 1 ! 28... Ke6 29. e4 c6 30. Td3 a6 30... c5?! 31. bxc5 bxc5 32. Ta3 31. f5+ Ke7 32. f4 c5 I don't like such moves in general, though My PC chess engine does not dislike it. First of all, it splits whites pawn formation, making an extra island. 32... g6 Good enough to keep the game under control, The Europa many times assessed it, but always skipped it in the end. 33. fxg6 hxg6 34. Ta3 Ta8 35. h4= 33. bxc5 bxc5 34. Kc3 Going for the all to obvious, but doing so , I missed a better move Rd5 ! 34. Td5! Tc8 35. Kc3 g6 36. Kc4 gxf5 37. Txf5 34... Kf8 A strange move, but even my PC engine plays it. 35. Te3 Ke7 36. Kc4? 36. e5 Td8 37. Td3 Tb8 36... Kd6 At this stage the e5 and all exchanges would lead to both players promoting for Queen, only Black has still the h7 pawn. This convinced me that a4 is the move to play, to gain a tempo ! 37. a4 g6 This move, played or not, does not count in the King+pawn vs King+pawn race, as g6 is not faster to g4 then g7-g5 (2 steps) tog4 37... g5 38. fxg5 (38. e5+? fxe5 39. fxe5+ Txe5 40. Txe5 Kxe5 41. Kxc5 g4 42. f6 Kxf6 43. a5 h5 44. Kb6 h4 45. Kxa6 g3 46. hxg3 hxg3 And black is first) 38... fxg5 39. Te2 38. e5+! fxe5 38... Kd7 39. Th3 fxe5 40. Txh7+ Kc6 41. fxg6 exf4 42. Tf7 39. fxg6 hxg6 39... e4 40. gxh7 Th8 41. Th3 40. fxe5+ Kc6 40... Txe5?? 41. Txe5 Kxe5 42. Kxc5 g5 43. Kb6 Kf4 44. Kxa6 Kf3 45. a5 Kg2 46. Kb6 Kxh2 47. a6 g4 48. a7 g3 49. a8=D 41. e6 Te7 42. Te5 Doesn't bring Joy 42. a5 g5 43. h3 Kd6 44. Td3+ Kxe6 45. Te3+ Kd6 46. Txe7 Kxe7 47. Kxc5 42... Kd6 43. Te4 g5 Thism oves brings the pawn closer to promotion whenever it comes to an Xchange on e6. 44. a5 This brings the white pawn one square closer to promotion.... 44. Te3 Txe6 45. Txe6+ Kxe6 46. Kxc5 Kf5 47. Kb6 Kg4 48. Kxa6 Kh3 49. a5 Kxh2 50. Kb7 g4 51. a6 g3 52. a7 g2 53. a8=D g1=D 44... Te8?? 44... g4 This pawn gets in the way of the King to find its shortest path to capturing the h2 pawn. .. 45. Te3 Txe6?? 46. Txe6+ Kxe6 47. Kxc5 Kf5 48. Kb6 Kf4 49. Kxa6 Kf3 50. Kb7 Kg2 51. a6 Kxh2 52. a7 g3 53. a8=D g2 54. Dh8+ Kg3 55. De5+ 45. e7 Txe7 46. Txe7 Kxe7 47. Kxc5 Ke6 48. Kb6 Kd5 49. Kxa6 Kc6 50. h3! Kc7 51. Kb5 Kb7 52. Kc5 Ka7 52... Ka6 53. Kd5 Kxa5 54. Ke5 Kb5 55. Kf5 Kc5 56. Kxg5 Kd6 57. Kf6 53. Kd5 Ka6 54. Ke5 Kxa5 55. Kf5 Kb4 56. Kxg5 1-0 [Stefan Timmermans]