This was the final round of the Gibraltar Masters and I needed at least a draw to end the tournament with a plus score. I had the black pieces against an Israeli IM, Danny Raznikov, who had a rating of exactly 200 elo above mine. Coincidentally, in the previous round of the tournament, I finished my game early and went to observe the 80 years old lengend GM Viktor Korchnoi in action, who was "schooling" his much younger adversary -- which happened to have been IM Raznikov. In the fashion of Jamaica's journeyman, CM Humphrey Gayle, it is obvious that "Korchnoi soft'en him up fi me!"

1. Nf3 My preparation for the game was limited to checking that Danny was a 'd4 player'. On realising this, I went to bed early with the expectation of reeling out "Ye Ole Faithful" -- referring to the Benoni -- in the morning! By playing the suprise move 1. Nf3, Danny shows that even IM's, at times, become afraid. The IM avoids the Benoni, which is understandable, given that I've traditionally scored very well with this opening, and I already won a nice game in round 2 with it. 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 My chosen move order gives my opponent the option of still entering the Benoni after 3. d4 c5, but of course, he was not interested. 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Nbd7 8. e4 cxd4 9. Nxd4

When 'd4' players avoid my Benoni, I usually aim for a Hedge-hog type position, which I have also done well with in the past. In my last Hedge-hog game, I drew against FM Urkedal Frode from Norway who had an elo of 2430, but was nonetheless another 'yellow-belly' in the spirit of the wild west. 9... Ne5 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. b3 a6 12. Bb2 Bd7 Usually I would fianchetto the bishop on b7, but I opted not to in this game. It seemed too slow since I would need to prepare it with Rb8, due to bishop posted on g2. 13. Rac1 Rac8 14. Kh1 Qc5 15. f4 Nc6 16. Nc2 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Nd5 exd5 18. cxd5 does not work because of(better is 18. exd5 Bd7 19. Qxe7 Rfe8 20. Bxf6 Rxe7 21. Bxe7 but black would still be better.) 18... Bb5 or even(18... Qb5) 16... Qa5 17. Rfd1 Rfe8 In retrospect, going to d8 with the rook would have perhaps been better, defending the bishop on d7 against the extray from d1. Rfe8 was to place the queen on e2 under extray and pursue the d5 break, with the idea of Bf8. But of course, black must to be careful that white cannot meet the d5 break with the pawn move to e5, which would close down the center and give white a free hand to attack on the king-side. 18. g4 h6 19. e5 dxe5 20. g5

20... exf4 21. gxf6 Bxf6 22. Rxd7 Bxc3 23. Bxc3 23. b4? Bxb4?? would allow white to get a ferocious attack after(23... Qe5 24. Qxe5 Nxe5 25. Bxc3 Nxd7) 24. Bxc6 Rxc6 25. Nxb4 Qxb4 26. Qe5 f6 (26... Qf8 27. Rg1) 27. Rxg7+ 23... Qxc3 24. Qd2 snatching the pawn on b7 would allow black pieces to come into the game with tremendous effect. e.g., 24. Rxb7 Ne5 treatning f3. 25. Rf1 Red8 treatning Rd2 26. Rf2 f3 27. Bxf3 Nd3 28. Rf1 Nc5 with the double treat of Rd2 and Nxb7, white would be forced to give up back material. e.g., 29. Rxf7! Rd2 (29... Kxf7 30. Bb7+ Ke7 31. Bxc8 Rxc8) 30. Qe3 Rxc2 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. Bg4 Kh8 24... Qf6 25. Rf1 g5 26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Rd1

Let's stop and analyse this critical position. The position is one of material equivalence, that is, black has three pawns (three points) for a knight (that values three points) -- all other material being equal. In such positions, it suits black to keep his major pieces and not trade them. White completely dominate the only open 'd' file, but black's rook on e8 and queen on f6 are well positioned to suport the 'e' and 'f' passed pawns respectively. Further, white is not able to penetrate the eighth rank, since the d8 square is well protected by black. Black passed pawns on the king-side creates a weakness for white since he will need to constantly keep these "criminals" under watch or "under lock and key" according to Nimzowitsch. In addition, the pawns take away important squares from white (for e.g., white cannot bring his knight into the game via e3, while if the Knight came to d4 it would allow the 'e' passer to get rolling with a tempo). However, to get a winning position, black needs to create one more weakness in white's position (the important principle of two weaknesses, you all know about), and I set out to accomplish this in the next moves to follow. 27... a5!? 28. c5 Qe5 29. Qd4 Qf5 30. Qf2 Rb8 31. Na3

The knight heads for the d6 square. However, after the pawn is pushed from e6 to e5, white rook on d7 will be attached by the queen on f5 and so, white will need to move the rook before he can play Nd6, since this move breaks the connecton between the rooks. In the meantime, my passed pawns will start rolling. 31... e5 32. Nc4 e4 The 'e' and 'f' passed pawns are already looking very dangerous with the rook and queen behind them. 33. R7d4 33. Qc2!? would have been an interesting move as 33... Qxc5 leads to the tatical shot 34. Rxf7! Rbd8 (34... Kxf7 35. Nd6+) 35. Rf6 (35. Rdd7 Rxd7 36. Rxd7 Qf5 37. Rd6 Qh3 38. Nd2 (38. Qd1 f3 39. Ne3 f2 40. Rd8 Rxd8=) 38... Re7 and Fritz gives this position as completely equal.) 35... Rd3 36. Rd6 Rxd6 37. Rxd6 Kh7 38. Rd7+ Kg6 39. Qb2 Kh5= 33... Qxc5 34. Nd6 e3 35. Qe2 Re6 36. Kg2 a4 36... Rd8 The silicon beast, Fritz, gives this move as a stonger continuation to a4, and of course 37. Rc4 would be met as follows: 37. Rc4 Rexd6 38. Rxc5 Rxd1 37. Ne4 Qf5 38. Nd6 Qg6 39. b4 a3

Black completes the creation of a weakness over the queen side in white's position and is already winning. At this point, my opponent was under severe time pressure to make the 40th move. He plays the non-committal and prophylatic pawn move to h3 and makes the time control but alas, it's too late, the game is already over after black's next shot! 39... Rd8 was perhaps more accurate, after which 40. Nf5 Rxd4 41. Nxd4 Qe4+ 42. Qf3 e2 43. Qxe4 Rxe4 44. Re1 Rxd4 45. Rxe2 40. h3 c5! 41. Rd5 41. bxc5 Rb2 41... Rxb4 42. Qa6 Rb2+ white resigns since Qc2 is treatened after which mate is only delayable by giving up massive material. 0-1 [Rowe D.]