(1) Harper,M - Lin,Daniel [B50]
West Nottingham 4 – Gambit 4 (1), 21.11.2005

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.c3 0-0 7.h3 Nc6 8.Bb3 Bd7 9.Be3 Rc8 [This is where we leave theory. 9...Qc7 was played in Ondrusko–Zbirka, Slovakia 1998, when White mishandled the rest of the opening but held on for a draw. Daniel's move is in no way inferior.]

10.Nbd2 b5 11.d4 c4 [This concedes space in the centre. Instead, 11...cxd4 12.cxd4 a5 gives Black plenty of queenside play.]

12.Bc2 d5 13.e5 White should have maintained the central tension. The question now is whether White's kingside attack is stronger than Black's queenside advantage.

13...Ne8 14.Nh2 Nc7 15.f4 f5 [An immediate strike with 15...b4 16.f5 Nb5 might be better. The position is becoming quite sharp.]

16.a4 [16.exf6 Bxf6 keeps open lines for the bishops.]

16...a6 17.Ndf3 Ne6 18.Qe1 Qb6 19.b4 Nc7?! [Another sign of how sharp the position has become. Black should play more actively on the queenside and not worry too much about his king: 19...cxb3 20.Bxb3 Nc7 21.Qh4 Na5 is roughly level.]

20.Qg3?! [The immediate 20.Qh4 was preferable.]

20...a5 21.Ng5? [White makes a significant error. 21.bxa5 Qxa5 22.Bd2 b4 23.cxb4 Nxb4 24.Rfb1 would hold the balance.]

21...axb4 22.Nhf3 [White cannot recapture: 22.cxb4 Nxb4 23.Bd1 bxa4 24.Bxa4 Bxa4 25.Rxa4 Nc2 26.Bf2 Nxd4 gives Black a big advantage.]

22...Ne6 [The computer gets very confused about what's best here. A sample variation might be 22...Ra8 23.Nxh7 Kxh7 24.Ng5+ Kg8 25.Qh4 Rfb8 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Qxg6 Nd8 , which looks good for Black, although White may well be able to improve.]

23.Qh4? [23.Nxe6 Bxe6 keeps things more or less level.]

23...Nxg5 24.Nxg5 h6 25.Nf3 b3 Black now has a winning advantage, but there is a lot of work still to be done.

26.axb5 Qxb5 27.Rab1 Ra8 28.Qg3 Be8 29.Nh4 Kh7 Black has secured the king's position. Now he can proceed on the queenside.

30.Nf3 Ra2 31.Rf2 Qa4 32.Bd1 Ra1 33.Rc1 [33.Rfb2 Rxb1 34.Rxb1 Qa2 35.Nd2 is a better defence, although it should make little difference in the long run.]

33...Qa3 34.Rxa1 Qxa1 35.Rf1 Qxc3 36.Bd2 Qb2 37.Qe1 Bd7 38.Bc3 Qa3 39.Rf2 Rb8 40.Bb2 Qa6 41.e6 White tries to break out, but Black's position is too strong.

41...Be8 42.Ne5 Nb4 43.Be2 Qa2 44.Bc3 Nc2 45.Qd1 b2 [A final mistake, but White is quite helpless. The finish might be 45...b2 46.Bxb2 Rxb2 47.Bf1 Bxe5 48.dxe5 , when Black is a piece up and about to roll the two passed pawns through.] 0-1