Brunei vs. Barbados

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ndf3 Be7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 cxd4 10. cxd4 f5 A move endorsed by Nigel Short. 11. O-O Nb6 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. Qe1 Rc8 14. b3 Ba3 15. h3 Qe7 16. g4 Bb4 17. gxf5 Bxd2 18. Nxd2 Nb4 19. Qg3 Nxd3 20. f6! Qf7 21. Qxd3 gxf6 22. Kh2 Kh8 23. Nf3 a6 24. a4 Rc7 25. Rf2 Rfc8 26. Rg1 Rc2 27. Rfg2 f5 28. Rg7? White has played well up to here, but should have tried Ng5. 28... Qxg7 29. Rxg7 Kxg7 30. Ne1 Rb2 31. Kg3 Nxa4 32. Kh4 If the knight is taken 32. bxa4 then 32... Bxa4 threatens both Rb3 and Bb5. 32... Rxe2!? Better was 32... Nc3! when 33. Nxc3 is met by 33... Rxb3 33. Qxe2 Nc3 34. Qg2+ Kf7 35. Nf3 h6 36. Kh5 Rg8 37. Qc2 Rg3!! A sudden and dramatic turning of the tables... 38.Qc3? loses to 38...Rh3+. 38. Qh2! Now after 38...Rf3 39.Qg2 White has a draw by perpetual check. But now comes a truly beautiful problem-like move! 38... Ne2!! Black threatens Nf4+ and Rh3. The attempt to defend by 39.Ng1 loses to 39...Rg2!! So White grabbed the insolent knight. 39. Qxe2 Rxh3+ 40. Nh4 Be8 41. Kxh6 41. Qg2 loses to 41... Ke7+ 42. Kxh6 Rxh4+ and Rg4+ winning White's Queen. 41... Rxh4+ 42. Kg5 Rg4+ 43. Kh6 Not 43. Kh5? Kg7# 43... Kg8!! The elegant point of Black's combination is that Black threatens a check at g6 followed by a discovered check winning White's queen, and against this threat the Queen has nowhere to hide! So: 0-1 [Corbin P.]