Two Knights DefenseC55

Van Tonder R.
Kobese W.

South African Closed Championship (1)
Kempton Park, 2003


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 The Two Knights Defence. 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 8. Be3 Theory dictates 8...Bd7. Watu's Castling move led to the speculative exchange sacrifice, and spells trouble. 8... O-O 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bxc5 Nxc5 11. Bxc6 Ba6 12. Nc3 d4 13. Bxa8 Qxa8 14. Qxd4 Rd8 15. Qg4 h5 16. Qf3 Qb8 17. Rd1 Rxd1+ This position was reached in Kobese-Van Tonder Match. Then play continued 17... Re8 18. Qe3 (Watu himself during the postmortem suggested 18. Rd5 as an improvement.) 18... f6! This gave black compensation for the sacrifices. Then Black went on to win. 18. Nxd1 Qb4+ 19. Qc3 Qg4 20. f3 Qxg2 21. Nf2 Nd7 22. Qc6 Nb6 23. Qe8+ Kh7 24. Qxf7 Qg5 25. f4 Qg2 26. Qxh5+ Kg8 27. Qg4 Qd5 28. Rg1 Qf7 29. Qg6 Qd7 Perhaps Kobese underestimated his opponent by overlooking this move. From here it was downhill. 30. Ne4 Kf8 31. Nc5 Qh3 32. Qxg7+ [Annotations by NM Stanley Chumfwa (Zambia) - in South Africa] 1-0

Game(s) in PGN