(1) Laiz,Carlos (1078) - Perry,Glen (1531) [B50]
ACC January Swiss (1), 06.01.2008
[Newsham,Joshua]



1.e4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.Be2 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.c3 a6 7.Bg5 b5 8.Nbd2 Bb7 9.a3 Qd7 10.Qc2 h6 11.Be3 Rc8
White has played a rather artificial system against the Sicilian, and Black has no real problems. White's next changes the natural course of the game dramatically.

12.b4? cxb4 13.axb4 Nxb4 14.Qb3 Bxc3 15.Rac1 Bxd2 16.Bxd2 Nc6
Black is up two clean Pawns, but his lack of development and potentially weak squares make the position still quite interesting.

17.Be3?!
[17.d4 ,taking the center, was natural and good.]

17...e6
[17...Nf6 , developing and pressuring the e-pawn was simpler. ]

18.Rfd1
[Now White could have thrown in 18.Qb2 , forcing 18...Rh7 and White's compensation grows.]

18...Nge7 19.d4
[19.Qb2 again was stronger.]

19...d5 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Rxc1 22.Bxc1 Qc7 23.Bd2 h5?
[This gives back a good chunk of advantage. 23...dxe4 is quite good for Black.]

24.Qa3 dxe4
[24...Nc6 would have kept things much simpler. Now play gets concrete.]

25.Ba5 Qc8 26.Qd6?!
[Winning the Q for R+B with 26.Rd8+ is clearly best, but the resulting position is not simply converted to a win. White prerfers to keep things sharp.]

26...Nd5 27.g4 hxg4 28.Bxg4 Qd7??
Black had an unhappy task trying to untangle, but this desirable move is tactically refuted. Fritz suggests a slow maneuver involving ...Rh4, ...Rh7, ...Rh8 and ...g5. Who knows if it makes any sense!

29.Rxd5!
Wins a piece and Black must swap Queens to avod being mated. 29...Bxd5, the move Black would like to play, is mated after 30.Qb8+,

29...Qxd6 30.Rxd6 0-0 31.Bd2 Ra8 32.Ba5 Rc8 33.h4 Rc1+ 34.Kh2?!
[34.Rd1 kept things under control. Now Black has a few tricky ideas.]

34...e3! 35.fxe3 Rh1+ 36.Kg3 Rg1+?
[36...g5! White must give up the h-pawn now, or submit to a perpetual attack. 37.Rd2 (37.hxg5? Rg1+ Here is the draw. White cannot avoid the checks and at the same time protect the Bishop.) 37...Rxh4 38.Rd7 White is firmly in the driver's seat, of course, but Black has at least caused some trouble.]

37.Kf4 Kg7 38.Bf3 Rf1 39.e4 Ra1 40.Bd8 b4
Black was dead lost no matter what, but now White has a mate in 6 beginning with 41.Bf6 Kh7 42.Rd8.

41.Rb6
This should not alter the result, but of course the mating line was quicker.

41...Bxe4 42.Bxe4 a5 43.Rb7 Ra3 44.Be7 Rc3 45.Bf6+ Kg8
White has overlooked the mating concept the last few moves, but here it's three moves away: 46.Rb8+, 47.Rxc8+ (assuming Black prolongs the game) and 48.Rh8#.

46.Kg5 Rc8 47.Ra7 Rb8 48.Rxa5 b3 49.Kh6 b2 50.Bb1 Re8 51.Ra4 Rb8 52.Rg4 Kf8 53.Rd4 Ke8 54.Kh7 Rc8 55.Rb4
The scoresheet ends here, with "Black Won" circled! I checked the wallchart and it said the same. I can only assume White lost on time, which can also explain the numerous missed mates. A truly nerve-wracking game to play, I am sure! 0-1