An explosive encounter not for the faint of heart!

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 The well-travelled Sicilian Najdorf. 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 g6 Heading for a curious variation of the "Dragdorf"! 8. Bb3 Bg7 9. Qd2 h5

A classic encounter more than 40 years ago was drawn after - 9... h6 10. Bh4 Nc5 11. f3 Be6 12. O-O-O Nxb3+ 13. axb3 Qa5 14. Kb1 O-O-O 15. Qe3 g5 16. Bf2 Nd7 17. g3 Ne5 18. h3 Qc5 19. Qe2 Qa5 20. f4 Nc6 21. f5 Bd7 22. Nd5 Rde8 23. b4 Nxb4 24. Qc4+ Nc6 25. b4 Qd8 26. Nxc6 Bxc6 27. Bb6 Qd7 28. Bd4 Bxd4 29. Rxd4 Kb8 30. Nc3 f6 31. Kb2 Rc8 32. Qa2 Qc7 33. Qa5 Rhe8 34. Qxc7+ Kxc7 35. Nd5+ 1/2-1/2 Bitman,A-Aronin,L/ Soviet Union 1967/EXT 2010 10. O-O-O Nc5 11. Rde1 Damion also had the option - 11. Rhe1 and in the line - 11... O-O 12. Kb1 Nxb3 13. axb3 Re8 14. h3 Bd7 15. Bh6 Qa5 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. f4 White has a promising initiative. 11... Nxb3+ 12. axb3 Qa5 13. Kb1 Bd7 14. f4

14... Nh7?? A mistake that will be swiftly punished by the "Eagle eye" two-time Jamaican champion. Black should arguably have castled 14... O-O!? 15. e5 (15. Nf3!?) 15... Nd5 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. Qxd5 Qc7 with what looks to me to be an unclear position. Castling long also seemed like an option. 14... O-O-O!? averting what was to come. 15. Rhf1 Rde8 with any result possible. 15. Bxe7! A nice, winning tactical stroke exploiting the position of the uncastled king and the fact that the Qa5 is hanging. 15... Qc5 Objectively the best square for the queen. 15... Kxe7?? 16. Nd5+ picks up the black queen. 15... Qc7? was bad as shown by the following variation - 16. e5! dxe5 17. Nd5 Qb8 18. fxe5 Bc6 (18... Be6 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. Rhf1 Bxe5 21. Bf6! (21. Nb6 Qc7 (21... Ra7 22. Qd7#) 22. Nxa8) 21... Nxf6 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Rxf6 Rh7 24. Rfxe6+ Kf7 25. Qd7+ Kf8 26. Qxh7) 19. Bd6 Bxd5 (19... Qc8 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. exf6+ Kd7 22. Re7+ Kxd6 23. Qb4+ Kd5 24. c4+ Kxd4 25. Rd1#) 20. Bxb8 16. Nf5!

Booyakka!! Bram Bram! A marvellous Tal-like stroke. The sacrifice is totally correct. 16... gxf5 Practically forced. 16... Bf8 runs into 17. Bxd6 Bxd6 18. Nxd6+ Kf8 19. Nxb7 (19. f5!? g5 20. Nxf7! Kxf7 21. Qxd7+) Not much better for Black was 16... Bxc3 17. bxc3 (Of course not 17. Qxc3?? Qxc3 18. bxc3 gxf5 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Bf6+ Kd7 21. Bxh8 Rxh8 when it is Black who is superior.) 17... gxf5 18. exf5 Qxf5 19. Qxd6 Be6 20. Bh4 Nf6 21. Re5 Rd8 22. Qxd8+ Kxd8 23. Rxf5 Bxf5 24. Bxf6+ and White cleans up. 17. exf5 Be6 This was probably the best defence. If 17... Qxf5 18. Ne4! (18. Bxd6+ Be6 19. Nd5 Rc8 20. Ne7 Qf6 21. Re5 Rd8 22. Nd5 Qh4 23. Nc7+ Kd7 24. g3 Qg4 25. Rc5 Qf3 26. Bf8+ is crushing for White.) 18... Kxe7 19. Nxd6+ Kf8 20. Nxf5 Bxf5 21. Qd5 Be6 22. Qxb7 Rd8 23. f5! Bd7 24. Qc7 Bf6 25. Rd1 Bxf5 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8 27. Qxd8+ Kg7 28. Qd5 There is no hope for Black in the capture - 17... Bxc3 18. Bxd6+ Kd8 19. bxc3 18. Bh4!? Still winning but easier for Ramsay. The most powerful continuation looked to have been - 18. Bxd6! Qxf5 19. Nd5! Rc8 20. Ne7 Rxc2 21. Qxc2 Qxc2+ 22. Kxc2 Bf6 23. Nd5 Kd7 24. Rd1 (24. Nxf6+ Nxf6 25. Be5 Rc8+ 26. Bc3 Nd5 27. g3) Also possible for White was - 18. Ne4 Qd4 19. Qxd4 Bxd4 20. Bh4 Bc8 21. Nxd6+ Kd7 22. Nxf7 Re8 23. Rd1 Re4 24. c3 Kc6 25. Rxd4 Rxd4 26. cxd4 Bxf5+ 27. Ka2 18... Qxf5 19. Qxd6 Nf6

20. Bxf6!? At first blush this looks like a mistake that throws away White's huge advantage but is, in fact, still winning for Davy. Damion had the strong alternative - 20. Ne4! Black's Nf6 should not move due, inter alia, to the mate on e7. 20... Rh6! (if he is bold enough to move the steed then White responds 20... Nd5?! 21. Nc5! Rh6 22. Re4 Bf6 23. Qd7+! Very picturesque! 23... Kf8 24. Nxe6+ fxe6 25. Rxe6 Qg4 26. Qd6+ Kf7 27. Rhe1 Bxh4 28. Rxh6 Rd8 (28... Bxe1 29. Qxd5+ Kg7 30. Rxh5 Rf8 31. Rg5+ Qxg5 32. Qxg5+) 29. Rh7+ Kg8 30. Rxb7!) 21. Ng3 Qd5 22. Qxd5 Nxd5 23. f5 Kf8 24. fxe6 Also good for White was - 20. Re5!? when Black is forced to play 20... Rd8 (20... Qg6?? runs into the crushing line - 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Nd5 Qd8 23. Nc7+ Qxc7 24. Qxc7 Bxe5 25. Qxb7 Rb8 26. Qc6+ Bd7 27. Qe4 O-O 28. fxe5) 21. Qc7 Qg4 22. f5 O-O 23. fxe6 fxe6 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Re3 20... Bxf6 20... Qxf6!? 21. f5! Rd8 22. Qc5 Qe7 23. Qa5 Rh6 24. fxe6 Rxe6 25. Rxe6 Qxe6 26. Qxh5 21. Nd5 White is a piece down but still has a strong initiative. 21... Rc8 22. Re5! A bold stroke. 22... Qxc2+ 23. Ka2 White's king is perfectly safe here. 23... Bd8 If 23... Bh4 then 24. f5 Rc5 25. Qb8+ Bd8 26. Nf6+ Kf8 27. Nd7+! Kg7 (27... Bxd7 28. Qxd8+ Kg7 29. Qg5+ Kh7 30. Qxh5+ Kg8 31. Qg5+ Kh7 32. f6 Qg6 33. Rxc5 Qxg5 34. Rxg5) 24. Rhe1 Black has a piece for a pawn (which he will soon lose!) but with his king precariously placed and all the white pieces in their optimum positions, the second player is truly busted. 24... Rh6 25. f5 Rc6 26. Qb4! 26. Qb8?? blunders into a loss after 26... Rc5! 27. fxe6 Ra5# 26... b5?

Ramsay misses his last chance to make Damion fight for the spoils. 26... a5! was the most stubborn defence when Davy should continue 27. Qb5! a4 28. bxa4 Qc4+ (Black has too many weaknesses after - 28... Kf8!? 29. fxe6 Rhxe6 30. Rxe6 Rxe6 31. Rxe6 fxe6 32. Nf4 Qe4 33. g3 Ke7 34. Nxh5) 29. Qxc4 Rxc4 30. fxe6 Rxe6 31. Kb3 and White should still win. 27. Qf4! Rh7 28. fxe6 Pinned for what seems like an eternity, the holy man goes to meet his maker. 28... Rxe6 29. Rxe6+ fxe6 30. Rxe6+ Kd7

Hastening mate. Zachary was, however, well beyond redemption. 30... Re7 31. Nxe7 Bxe7 32. Qd6! Qh7 33. Qc6+ Kf7 34. Rxe7+ Kxe7 35. Qc7+ Kf6 36. Qxh7 31. Qd6+ Kc8 32. Re8

Bringing down the curtains. A strong performance from the Jamaican champion and recently-minted FCM. For posterity, note that quicker was- 32. Nb6+ Bxb6 (32... Kb7 33. Qd5+ Kc7 34. Qa8! Qc5 35. Qc8#) 33. Re8+ Kb7 34. Rb8+ Ka7 35. Qxb6# 1-0 [Wilkinson I.]