I hadn't played Stephen before and,having spent some time paying through his games on my database ,I decided that he could play almost anything and the position might become random.Forewarned is foretold....
1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
e6
3.Nf3
b6
4.a3
Bb7
5.Nc3
g6
I don't play many Queen's Indians.Mind one, I didn't expect 3.Nf3 of my opponent as well.So this system,attributed to Oleg Romanishin in the book by Bogdan Lalic on the Queen's Indian seemed worth a try ,especially as I had just been preparing against it for white!
6.Bg5
[6.Qc2!?
After which 6.....Bxf3 is the main idea.]
6...Bg7
7.e3
0-0
8.Bd3
h6
9.Bh4
d6
10.0-0
Nbd7
11.e4
g5
12.Bg3
Nh5
This idea ,collecting the dark-squared bishop King's Indian-style and thereafter utilizing the "flexible" pawn structure is the basis of black's interpretation.
13.e5??
Yeah well, you can only assume your opponent will play normal moves.White must've had a brain spasm.......
13...Nxg3
14.fxg3?!
dxe5
15.d5
Consistent..........
15...f5
16.dxe6
Nc5
17.Bc2
Nxe6
18.Qe2
e4
19.Rad1
Qe8
20.Ne1
My opponent has thus far played incomprehensably:how the roles are reversed in the ensuing moves goes to the heart of chess psychology!
20...Nd4
21.Qe3
Qe5
22.Ba4
Rad8
23.Kh1
f4!?
Black pushes,why not?
24.gxf4
gxf4
25.Qh3
Bc8?
[25...e3
26.Rg1
e2
27.Rd3
f3
and it's "finita la musica" time]
26.Qh4
Be6!?
[26...Nf5
27.Qxf4
(27.Qxd8!
) 27...Qxf4
(27...Rxd1
28.Qxe5
Bxe5
29.Nxd1
Ng3+
) 28.Rxf4
Ng3+
These sharp variations work,but it was only when the position arrived that I "saw" 27.Qxd8!]
27.Nc2
Bxc4
[27...c5!?
]
28.Nxd4!?
A plausible try.
28...Rxd4
[28...Bxf1
29.Nc6
Bxg2+!
(29...Rxd1
30.Nxe5
Rc1
was the variation I'd become entranced by."It be no simple" , as the Yugoslav used to say.) 30.Kxg2
f3+
31.Kh1
Rxd1+
32.Nxd1
Qe6!
where black's pawns and active pieces will carry the day.]
29.Rxd4
Qxd4
30.Rxf4
e3?
Too clever by half! Now the black king has safety issues. [30...Rxf4
31.Qxf4
e3
32.Qxc7
Qd3
33.h3
e2
]
31.Rxf8+
[31.Rxd4??
Rf1#
]
31...Kxf8
32.Qh3!
So now Stephen begins to find serious tricks.But "so what ",I thought, as I ran as short of time as my opponent.
32...Ke7
33.Qc8
Be5?
[33...Qd8
34.Qg4
Bxc3
35.Qxc4
Bd4
Was a safe idea that I'd seen;but with the win now getting further and further away,I wanted more...]
34.Qe8+=
Kf6
35.Qf8+
Kg5
36.Qe7+
Bf6
37.Ne4+
Kf5
38.Nxf6
e2!
Even though heavily into the increments,I was happy to have forseen this sharp shot.Black should be O.K. [38...Qxf6
39.Bc2+
Kg5
40.h4+!+-
]
39.Bd7+
Kg6
40.Be8+
Kf5
41.Bd7+
Kg6
42.Be8+
Kf5
Surely a draw?! I once had a game in the first round of a tournament in Uzes,France,1988.My "local" opponent had capitalized on a massive blunder that I had made to gain an immediately drawn position.He checked once, then twice and after I'd gotten up from the board,he declared to the sundry denizens gathered around,"Je joue pour le gain".It needs no translation ;suffice to say,he'd soon lost!
43.g4+??
Having built up a little bank of time, via the repetitions,Stephen,like the Frenchman,"punts" on a positive outcome.This was an irrational bet.... [43.Bd7+=
]
43...Kf4
Black is winning.In our pub post-mortem,the various checking sequences seemed unclear,but Fritz had found an elegant solution;would I have seen it ,with only a few minutes to play with ? Possibly not!
44.Kg2?
[44.Nh5+
Kf3
45.Qf8+
Bf7!!
A clever idea,decoying the Queen onto the white squares.Even so,there was another way. (45...Ke3
46.Qxh6+
Kf2
47.Qf8+
Ke1
48.Qb4+
Kd1
49.Ba4+
Kc1
50.Qe1+
Kxb2
51.Qb4+
Ka1
52.Qe1+
Ka2
is also winning!) 46.Qxf7+
Ke3
47.Qe7+
Kd2
]
44...Bd5+
Like the blind chicken finding corn,I was able to ""peck"a winner.
45.Nxd5+
[45.Kh3
Qe3+
46.Qxe3+
Kxe3
47.Nxd5+
Kd2
and wins. (47...Kf2??
48.Nf4
) ]
45...Qxd5+
46.Kf2
Qf3+
47.Ke1
Qf1+
48.Kd2
Qd1+
0-1