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Notes by Jeremy Menadue
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 Be7
The presumably now old main line was 5...d5
Now Kasparov won a number of games with 8.Bb5+ c6 9.Bd3
Qc2 looks artificial so black hits the centre
7.e4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 d6 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Be3 Rc8 12.f3 a6
Black has a very good version of the Hedgehog defence, a3 is not useful and white has to waste another move taking the Queen away from Rc8.
13.Qd2 Rc7 14.Rac1 Qa8 15.Na4 Nc5
Imaginative idea giving up the b6 pawn to activate pieces. Less risky is 15...Rfc8 16.Qb4 Qa7
White plays the most exciting possibility - as juniors do! 17.Qa5 Bd8 18.Nb5 Qb8 19.Nxc7 Bxc7 20.Bxc5 dxc5 21.Qxc5 Bxh2+ 22.Kh1 Qf4 23.g3 Bxg3 24.Kg2 Nxe4 wins horribly
17...Nxa4 18.Nxe6 Qb8 19.Nxf8 Bxf8 20.b4 Bc8 21.Rfd1 Nd7 22.Bf4 Rc6 23.Kh1
Faster is 23.c5
23...Qa7 24.Be3 Qc7 25.Bd4 Nab6
Black's defending sensibly.
26.Qa2 Be7 27.Qb3 Nf8 28.Qd3 Be6
Black has played carefully and well - now white misses something
Arguably it's black's solid organised defence that lead to this mistake. 29.b5! axb5 30.Bxb6 Qxb6 31.cxb5 Rxc1 32.Rxc1 and the connected passed pawns are dangerous - maybe not fatal ?
Note the odd freeing idea 30...Na4 31.Be3 Nc3
A terrible mistake - but "winning" isn't won. White should keep it simple 31.Rxc5 Rxc5 32.bxc5 Qxc5 33.Qxa6 and black might still draw but it's a struggle
This nice move wins. I suppose white expected 31...Qxd8 32.Rxd8 but now 32...Rd6 33.Rxd6 Bxd6 34.Rc6 Nc8[] 35.Bxa6 Bd7 36.Rxc8 Bxc8 37.Bxc8 and black has the better of the draw.
32.Qxc7 Rxc7 33.Bxa6 Rxc1 34.Rxc1 Bd7!
Striking how black has a rock solid formation without any queenside pawns at all !
35...Ng6 36.Bc6 Be6 37.Rb1 Ne5 38.Bb5 Nbc4
A key exchange - if white could exchange the white squared bishops there would be a real chance of black ending up with just two knights and no win.
39.Bxc4 Nxc4 40.Rb3 Kf8 41.g3 Be5 42.Rd3 Ke7 43.f4 Bb2
On "points" white is only a pawn down but he can't get the pawns moving.
Black needs the other B to reach d5 safely.
47.Kf3 Bg1 48.Kg2 Bb6 49.Kf3 Nc4 50.Rc3 Nd2+ 51.Ke2 Ne4 52.Ra3 f6 53.exf6+ Kxf6 54.Ra8 Nc3+ 55.Kf3 Nxb5 56.Rf8+ Ke7 57.Rh8 h6 58.g4 Nd4+ 59.Ke3 Nc6+ 60.Ke4
Assuming this was a blitz finish as Black should win eventually. If all the remaining pawns are exchanged Black mates with any two minor pieces. All the same a great effort and a very entertaining struggle!
½-½