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Notes by Ian George
The decisive game from the last round. Black fails to take the chance he is offered and the draw is sufficient for Mark to win the tournament (and retain the title) by half a point.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.g3 g6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qc2 Qa5 12.Rd1 Rab8 13.Rb1 Ng4 14.Bd2 Nge5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.b3 Bc8 17.h3 Bf5 18.e4 Bc8
The attempt to win the pawn back with 18...Bxh3?? fails to 19.Na4+-
19.f4 (=} 19...Nd7 20.Ne2 Qa7 21.Be3 Qa3 22.Bc1 Qa6 23.Be3 Nb6 24.Bf1 Qa8 25.Nc3 h5?
28.a4 f5?Wins for white but black is determined to continue taking risks in order to play for the win.
28...Rfc8 is objectively better
29...Bxb5 30.axb5 Qa5 31.b4 cxb4 32.Rd2+- ; 29...Rfc8 30.exd6 Bxb5 31.Bxb5 exd6 32.Bc6+-
30...Nxd5 31.Bc4 Bxb5 32.Bxd5 Bc6 33.Bxc6 Qxc6 34.Bxe7+/-
White, needing only a draw, plays cautiously but he is winning. 31.Bxb6+- fxg3 32.Qc5 Rfc8 33.Nc7
32.Nc7 Nxc7 33.Rxd7 Ne6 34.Bxe7 Rf7 35.Bc4 (35.Re1 Rb7 36.Bg2 Rxd7 37.Bxa8 Bd4 38.Rxe6 Bxf2+ 39.Kxf2 Rfxe7 40.Rxe7+ Rxe7. Black is the exchange up but white should not lose.) 35...Re8 36.Bxe6 Rfxe7 37.Rxe7 Rxe7 38.Re1+/-
A blunder. There is no win for black here but merely minimising white's advantage with 32...Bxb5 33.Bxd5 Bc6 34.Bxc6 Qxc6 35.Bxe7 Rfe8 did not appeal.
White's turn to make a losing blunder. He has an easy win with 33.Bxd5 Bxd5 34.Nc7
33...Nxc7 34.Bxc6 Qxc6 35.Rbc1 Qb7 36.Bxe7 Rfe8?
Throws away the advantage and the championship. 36...Rfc8 is an easy win
Panic stations with less than five minutes on the clock, but shortage of time is no excuse for this appalling move which finally hands the win back to white. 37...Rec8 38.Kh2 Qxb3 39.Rdxc7 Rxc7 40.Rxc7 Qxa4 41.Bf6 Rg8 42.Be5 Kh6=
...and white made a very generous draw offer which black is not in a position to refuse. Botvinnik's assessment of a particularly error-strewn game against Smyslov in one of their World Championship matches applies here: "Truly the two players were worthy of each other on this occasion!"
½-½