1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 Nge7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nbd2 a6 7. O-O Ng6 8. Re1 Be7 9. h4 d4 10. e5 Qc7 11. Qe2 h6 12. c3 dxc3 13. bxc3 b6 14. a4 Bb7 15. Rb1 Na5 16. d4 Nf8 17. Nc4 Nxc4 18. Qxc4 Bd5 19. Qe2 cxd4 20. cxd4 Nd7 21. Bf4 Qb7 Black wants to exchange white-square bishops on the long diagonal and win the ending. Should White look to a kingside attack for counterplay? 22. g4 This move is defensive as well as offensive: the immediate threat was ...g5 followed by ...g4. If instead 22. Rec1 to make room for the knight on e1 22... g5 23. Be3 gxh4! 22... Rc8 23. Rec1 O-O 24. Qe3 Be4! 25. Ra1 b5 26. axb5 axb5 27. h5 27. g5 h5 28. Re1 Bd5 27... b4 28. Ne1 28. g5 hxg5 29. Bxg5 Bxg5 (29... Rxc1+) 30. Nxg5 Bxg2 31. f3 (31. Qd3 f5) 31... Rxc1+ 32. Rxc1 Bxf3 33. Qd3!? Fritz, of course 33... f5 34. Nxf3 This smells lost, too, but maybe some practical chances to draw? 28... Bxg2 29. Nxg2 Nb6 30. Qb3 30. Bxh6 gxh6 (30... Nd5 31. Qd2 gxh6 (31... Rxc1+ 32. Rxc1 gxh6 33. Qxh6 Rc8) 32. Qxh6 b3 33. Re1 b2 34. Rab1 Rfd8 35. Nf4 Nxf4 36. Qxf4) 31. Qxh6 b3 32. Rcb1 Nd7 33. g5 Rfd8 34. g6 Nf8 35. Qf4 30... Qd5 31. Qxd5 Nxd5 32. Bd2 32. Kf1 b3 (32... Rxc1+ 33. Bxc1 f5) 33. Rcb1 Rc3 34. Ra7 Rb8 35. Bc1 b2 36. Bxb2 Rcb3 37. Ne3 Nxe3+ 38. fxe3 Bg5 39. Ra2 Bxe3 40. Re1 R8b4 41. Ra8+ Kh7 42. Ba1 Bxd4 43. Bxd4 Rxd4 32... b3 33. Rxc8 Rxc8 34. Rb1 Rc2 35. Be3 b2 36. Ne1 Nc3 0-1 [Brock B.]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Nxd5 cxd5 9. Qg4 Qc7 10. Qe2 a5 11. a3? 11. c3 11... Ba6 12. Qe3 Bxf1 13. Kxf1 Qxc2 14. Qe2 Qxe2+ In the post mortem, Patrick Lacey advocated 14... Rc8 as even more effective: why help White get organized? 15. Kxe2 d6 16. Bf4 dxe5 17. Bxe5 f6 18. Bc3 Kd7 19. Rhd1 Bd6 20. Rd4 Be5 21. Rg4 g6 22. Kd3 Bxc3 23. bxc3 The c-pawn is weak, but Black's d-pawn is no longer passed.... 23... g5?! 23... Rhb8 24. c4 ...and White is able to trade the weakling. 24... dxc4+ 25. Kxc4? 25. Rxc4 seems more natural: the king on d3 is well placed as long as both sets of rooks are on the board, and the rook on g4 needs to be activated. 25... Rab8 26. Rd4+ Ke7 27. Ra2 Rhc8+ 28. Kd3 Rb3+ 29. Kd2 Rd8 30. Rxd8 Kxd8 31. Kc2

31... a4! Akiba would be proud. 32. Ra1 Ke7 33. Ra2 h5 34. Kd2 h4 35. Ke2 g4 36. Ra1 h3 37. g3 f5 38. Kd2 e5 39. Ke2 Ke6 40. Ra2 e4 41. Ra1 Ke5 42. Kf1 f4 43. gxf4+ Kxf4 44. Rc1 Rxa3 45. Rc8 Rb3 46. Rf8+ Ke5 47. Ke2 a3 48. Ra8 Rb2+ 49. Ke3 a2 50. Ra5+ Kd6 51. Ra6+ Kc5 52. Ra8 Kb4 53. Kxe4 Rxf2 54. Kd3 Rxh2 55. Rb8+ Ka5 56. Ke3 Rg2 57. Ra8+ Kb6 58. Kf4 h2 0-1 [Brock B.]