B01 Sutovsky Emil (ISR) - Sermek Drazen (SLO) Terme Zrece (Slovenia) 2003

[#]1.e4 d5 2.ed £d5 3.¤c3 £d6 4.d4 ¤f6 5.¤f3 a6 6.g3!? b5 This is rather a suspicious decision in apparently suspicious opening scheme. 7.¥g2 ¥b7 8.O-O e6 9.¥f4 £b6 10.a4 ¥d6 11.¥e3! b4

[It all has already happened in the game Almasi - Kuraica, Bled 2000. After 11...c5 12.ab ab 13.£e2 ¦a1 14.¦a1 ¥f3 15.dc ¥c5 16.¥c5 £c5 17.¥f3 b4 18.¤e4 ¤e4 19.£e4 White obtained a clear advantage.]

12.a5 £a7

13.d5!! Having encountered a novelty, White chooses the most principled way. My intuition insisted on implementing some concrete measures when the opponent played the opening in such a provoking manner. 13...¥c5 14.de ¥e3 Sermek casts prudence to the wind and captures the piece.

[However, the alternatives were also cheerless for him: 14...fe 15.¥c5 £c5 16.¤a4 £a5 17.£e1 O-O 18.£e6 ¢h8 19.¤e5 ¥g2 20.¢g2 , and White's advantage is nearly decisive;

or: 14...bc 15.ef ¢e7 16.¦e1 , and Black could not avoid the defeat.]

15.ef ¢f7 16.¤e5 ¢e7

[When sacrificing a piece, White also had to calculate 16...¢e6 , but Black could not defend himself there too: 17.¥b7 £b7 18.¦e1! ¥f2 19.¢f2 bc 20.¤c6 ¢f7 21.¦e7 ¢g6 22.¤e5 ¢f5 23.g4 , and the game was over.]

17.¥b7 £b7 18.£d3!

[After 18.£e2 ¤bd7! 19.£e3 ¤e5 20.£e5 ¢f7 White's victory is not yet guaranteed despite his extra pawn;

one more attractive for White continuation is 18.¦e1 bc 19.¦e3 ¦e8 20.¤d7 ¢f7 21.¤f6! ¦e3 22.£h5 ¢f6 23.fe , and it seems that Black's chances for a successful defense are miserable after attaching the white a1-rook to the attack. However, after 23...£e4! 24.¦f1 ¢e7 25.£c5 ¢e6 there is no win for White.]

18...bc

[After 18...¦e8 19.£e3 ¤bd7 20.¤d7 ¢d7 21.£g5 Black fails to consolidate his position in time.]

19.£e3 ¤bd7

[Black cannot save himself also with other continuations: 19...cb 20.¤c6 ¢d7 21.¦fd1 ¢c6 22.£c3 ¢b5 23.£b2 ¢c4 24.£d4 ¢b5 25.¦ab1 ¢a5 26.£a1#;

or: 19...¦e8 20.£c5 ¢e6 21.¦ae1 £d5 22.£c3 ¢f5 23.g4 ¤g4 24.¤g4 ¦e1 25.¦e1 ¢g4 26.¦e5]

20.¤d7! ¢d7 21.¦fd1 ¢c8 22.£e6 ¢b8

23.¦a3! The only move to victory!

[The apparent 23.bc? fails to 23...¦e8 24.£f5 £c6!]

23...¦e8

[23...£e4 24.¦b3 ¢a7 25.¦d7!!

]

24.£f5 cb

[24...£c6 is already failing there: 25.¦b3 ¢a7 26.¦c3 £b5 27.¦c7 ¢b8 28.¦c5 £a4 29.¦d8! , and White checkmates.]

25.¦b3 ¦a7 26.£d3! White is winning a queen, but he must play cautiously all the same since the black b2-pawn demands his attention. 26...¢a8 27.¦b7 ¦b7 28.¦b1!

[The careless 28.£a6? ¢b8 29.¦b1 ¦e5 gives Black strong counter play as well as real chances for survival.]

28...¦b5 29.£c3 ¦eb8 30.£c7 ڄb7 31.£d6 White wins by combining his c-pawn advance with attacking the black b2-pawn. 31...¢a7 32.c4 ¦b4 33.£d4 ¢a8 34.¢g2 h5 35.h3 ¦b8 36.£d6 ¢a7 37.£c5 ¢a8 38.£d6 ¢a7 39.£e7 ڄb7 40.£e3 ¢a8 41.c5 ¦c4 42.£e6 ¦c1

[42...¦c5 43.£a6 ¢b8 44.£d6 ¦cc7 45.a6]

43.c6 ¦b4

[43...¦b1 44.£c8]

44.£c8 Black resigned. [...]

[After 44...¢a7 45.£c7 ¢a8 46.£d8 ¦b8 47.c7 decides the issue.]

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