No. 1  Karagianis-Muhammad (2003 Linsborg Open, Linsborg, Kansas)
An interesting game that had a bit of intrigue early. Karagianis played an unambitious line against the King's Indian and Muhammad equalized fairly easily. While the central pawns had been traded, all pieces remained on the board until Muhammad hit his opponent with a thunderous blow 28… Rxc3! An intense firefight ensued as pieces started zipping across the board and mass exchanges occurred. In the diagrammed position, there are several ways that black can go wrong, but the IM-elect played 34…Nxg3! The only winning move. On 34…Bxe5 35.Bxe5 Nxe5 36.Bxe2 the game is equal as are 34…Nf4 and 34…Nxe5. The game ended neatly after 35.Nf7+ Kg8 36.Nxc8 Bc3+! 37.Kd1 Ne3+ and black will net a piece.  Mr. Karagianis later wrote to The Chess Drum, "I was too quick to play 28. Qd3? which allowed the equalizing sacrifice Rxc3! After 28. Kh1! however, finding a way to defend the kingside light squares is quite difficult." (See game)

No. 2 Rogers-R. Byrne (1992 World Open; Philadelphia, PA)
This is certainly a crowd-pleasing game. Norman "Pete" Rogers shows that he doesn't back down from a fight with higher-rated opponents as he demolishes the famous GM with a blistering attack. The opening was the Velimorovic Attack, the same system that FM Emory Tate used in this month's "Fire on Board!" game. Black's king is in obvious trouble after he was fed a piece sack and met a pawn avalanche. Then "Pete" sacked another piece, then an exchange to totally shatter the king's position. Byrne missed a chance to defend properly and when his black queen finally tried enter the fray, she was hit with a barrage of tactics starting with 36.f4+! (36.Rh5+ Qxh5 37.Qd5+ Kf6 38.Qxh5 and black is still breathing.) 36…Qxf4 37.Qd5+ and the Grandmaster resigned in lieu of 37…Kf6 38.Rf8+.  (See game)

No. 3  Elliott-Matthews (2000 Jamaican Championship)
In the year 2000, Shane Matthews was Jamaica's "King of the Hill" and Warren Elliott was the island's rising star. This tournament would become a breakthrough for Elliott and this game served as a sign of great things to come. In the diagrammed position, white has conjured up a kingside initiative against the Najdorf Sicilian. Matthews has just played 16…Qc5 in order to create indirect threats on the white queen perched on h5. However, Elliott plowed forth with 17.f6! Matthews saw that he would win the queen after 17… Bxf6 18.gxf6 Nd3+ so why did Elliott play into this line? Because after 19.Rxd3 Qxh5 white would play 20.Rxg7+ Kh8 21.Rh3! Black would have to give up his queen with 21…Qg6 and thus, giving white a decisive advantage. (See game)

No. 4 Simutowe-Alayola (2003 Carlos Torre Memorial, Yucatán, México)
This game was the subject of a brief article written by the Zambian star. He detailed a particular attacking pattern he used to perfection.  In this game, Simutowe grabbed central control in the opening to make way for a vacating sacrifice of 16.d5! and 17.e5. This set his unsuspecting opponent up for a devastating attack after 17…Re8 18.Qf4 Nd7 and then  19.Bxh7+! While this isn't the typical "Greek Gift," its effect is equally decisive. Black's defense was shattered and the king was soon pinned to the edge of the board waiting to be mated after 19…Kxh7 20.Ng5+ Kg6 21.Qxf7+ Kxg5 and the rook-lift of 22.Rd3. Beautiful attack! (See game)