(19) Morgan Cooper - David Goldfarb
BCC July-Aug Marathon Berkeley (3), 23.07.2004

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.f3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 'This line is one of the best ways to meet the Sicilian Dragon.' 'This line is one of the best ways to meet the Sicilian Dragon.' 9...d5 'The central reaction is one main alternative, and years ago it was deemed as easily equalizing, but theory had gone so far, and Black has not an easy life anyway.' 'The central reaction is one main alternative, and years ago it was deemed as easily equalizing, but theory had gone so far, and Black has not an easy life anyway.' [ 9...Nxd4 to follow with ...Be6 and/or ...Qa5 is the other main variation. 10.Bxd4 Be6 11.g4 Qa5 See for example, the game Castillo-Godlauskas, in this same issue of CBM Telechess.] 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.g4 [ 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bd4 ( 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Qxd5 Qc7 14.Qc5 Qb7 15.Qa3 Bf5 16.Bd3 Rab8 17.b3 Rfc8 18.Bxf5 gxf5 19.Rd3 Qc6 20.c4 Qg6 21.f4 Qxg2 22.Rg1 Qe2 23.Rc3 is but one of many book lines in this well-analyzed variation (Goldfarb(?))) According to the Informator Monograph I own (though never tread into) by Tivjakov from 1995, the mainline (by transposing.. the exchange on d5 comes before the one on c6, in the accepted accurate move order) runs 12...e5 13.Bc5 Diagram

13...Be6 is the most popular variation, since White is not advised to take the exchange because he loose the important dark squared Bishop. ( 13...Re8 14.Nxd5 This move takes profit of Black's omission of playng 13...Be6. ( 14.Ne4 Be6 transposing to the main line.( 14...f5 A dangerous line for Black. 15.Nd6 Bf8 16.Bb5! Bd7 17.Ba4!?N ( 17.Ba6!? 1-0 Dworakowska,J-Macieja,B/Polanica Zdroj 1996(56)) 17...e4?! ( 17...Re6 18.c4 ( 18.Nb7 Qh4) 18...Nf6 ( 18...Nb6 19.Bb3|^) 19.Nb7 Qc8 20.Bxf8 Qxf8 21.Qf2 Qb4 22.Nc5 Re7 23.Kb1+/- e4? 24.Nxd7 followed by Bxc6 and Bd5.) 18.Bb3! 1-0 De Firmian,N-Ernst,T/Stockholm 2002/CBM 91/[Rogozenko] (28)) ) 14...cxd5 15.Qxd5 Qxd5 16.Rxd5 Be6 ''!?' Ftacnik. ' 17.Rd6 a) 17.Rd3 Bf5 (a) 17...Rec8 18.Be3 Bxa2 19.Ra3 Be6 20.Bd3 Bd5 21.Rd1 Rcb8 22.Bxg6 e4 23.b3 exf3 24.Rxd5 fxg6 25.gxf3 a6 26.Bc5 Re8 27.Kd2 Bh6+ 28.Kd3 Re1 29.b4 Bf4 30.h3 Rd1+ 31.Kc4 Rh1 32.Kd4 Rxh3 33.b5 a5 34.b6 Rh2 35.Ra2 Re2 36.Kc4 a4 37.b7 Rb8 38.Rd7 g5 39.Kb5 a3 40.Rxa3 Re6 41.Ra6 1-0 Olivieri,L-Cialdea,A/SEMI 1999/Telechess CBM 93 (41)) 18.Rd5 Be6 19.Rd6 is merely a move repetition which leads the game to the position in the text. 19...Bxa2 20.b4 a5 21.Bb5 Rec8 22.Bd7 Rd8 23.Bc6 Rxd6 24.Bxd6 Rd8 25.Be7 Rb8 26.b5+/- Van der Wiel,J-Sosonko,G/Wijk/1986/; b) 17.Rd1 Rec8 18.Be3 Bxa2 19.Ba6 Rc7 20.Rd3 Be6 21.Rhd1 Bf6 22.Ra3 Be7 23.Ra1 Bb3 24.Bd3 Rac8 25.Rd2 Bb4 26.c3 a5 27.Bb6 Rd7 28.Bc2 Rxd2 29.Kxd2 Bc5 30.Bxc5 Bxc2 31.Rxa5 Bb3 32.Be7 Bc4 33.Bf6 h5 34.Ke3 Kh7 35.Bxe5 1-0 Bernal,N-Richardson,J/IECG 2002/Telechess CBM 95 (35); 17...Bxa2 ( 17...Rec8 18.Be3 Bxa2 19.Ba6 Bf8 ( 19...Rc7 20.Rhd1 h5 21.Rd8+ 1-0 Play-Morbioli, corr 1984) 20.Rd7 Bc5 21.Bg5 Be6 22.Bxc8 Rxc8 23.Rd8+ Kg7 24.Rxc8 Bxc8 25.c3 f6 26.Bd2 Be6 27.b4 Bb6 28.Re1 Bc4 29.Be3 h5 30.Kd2 h4 31.Rb1 Bb5 32.Bxb6 axb6 33.Ra1 Bc4 34.Ra7+ Kh6 35.Rc7 Bf1 36.g3 hxg3 37.hxg3 b5 38.Ke1 Bd3 39.c4 Kg5 40.cxb5 Bxb5 41.Rc5 1-0 Gomez Gomez,S-Alonso Moyano,J/Mondariz Balneario 2000 (41)) 18.b3 A quiet move, aimed to exploit the position of Black's bishop at a2, but Black has enough counterchances for a draw. a) 18.b4 is maybe the only chance to play for a win. 18...a5 '!?' Ftacnik. (a) 18...Bf8!? 19.Rc6?! (a) 19.Ra6 Bxc5 20.bxc5 Be6 21.Bb5 Rec8 22.c6 Rab8 23.Ba4?!~~ Kruppa,Y-Sulipa,A/Lvov/1990/) 19...e4! 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 (a) 20...exf3? 21.Bc5! Bd5 22.Bb5!+-) 21.Kb2 Bd5 22.Rc5 Rad8 23.Be2!~~ Sicilian Dragon-14.Nd5 cd5 15.Qd5 Qd6 16.Rd5/Survey 1993/MAS B75 LF/[Ftacnik] (23)) 19.Bb5 Rec8 20.Bd7 Rc7 21.Bc6 a1) 21.Bb6 Rb7 22.bxa5 Rxa5 23.Bxa5 Bh6+ 24.Kd1 Rb1+ 25.Ke2 Bc4+ 26.Kf2 Rxh1 27.Rc6 Rf1+ 28.Kg3 Bf4+ 29.Kh4 Be2 30.Bd8 Kg7 31.Bf6+ '1/2-1/2 Blees,A-Tiviakov,S/Haarlem 1999 (35)' 31...Kh6 32.Be7 Kg7 33.Bf6+ Kh6 34.Be7 Kg7 35.Bf6+ 1/2-1/2 Blees,A-Tiviakov,S/Haarlem 1999 (35); a2) 21.Rhd1 axb4 22.Bc6 Rf8 23.Bxb4+/- according to Van der Wiel, Ligterink, but some recent telechess games seems to prove that Black is OK.(a2) 23.Bxb4 f5 24.Ba5 '1/2-1/2 Copie,J-Simmelink,J/IECG 2002/Telechess CBM 95 (26)' 24...Rcc8 25.Bb4 (a2) 25.Bc3 '1/2-1/2 Siigur,J-Tilghman,J/ICCF Email 2000/ICCF tele 5/2001 (27)' 25...Rf6 26.Rd8+ Rf8 27.R8d6 1/2-1/2 Siigur,J-Tilghman,J/ICCF Email 2000/ICCF tele 5/2001 (27)) 25...Rc7 26.Ba5 1/2-1/2 Copie,J-Simmelink,J/IECG 2002/Telechess CBM 95 (26)) ; 21...Rb8 (a) 21...Rac8 22.b5 Bf8 23.Rhd1 Bxd6 24.Rxd6 Rb8 25.b6 (a) 25.Be3 Kg7 26.Bd2 Rxc6 27.Rxc6 Rxb5 28.Bc3 Kf8 29.Kd2 Ke7 1/2-1/2 Read,M-Nielsen,J/corr DSU 1998/79 telechess (29)) 25...Rcc8 26.Bf2= Kruppa,Y-Tiviakov,S/URS-chJ/1991/ (a) 26.Bf2 f5 27.Kb2 Bc4 28.Ka3 Bf7 29.Kb2 Kg7 30.Bb5 Bc4 31.Rd7+ 1/2-1/2 Johnson,N-Tilghman,J/ICCF Email 2000/ICCF tele 5/2001 (31)) ) 22.Rhd1 Bf8 23.Rd8 Rcc8 24.Rxf8+ Rxf8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.bxa5 Rb1+ 27.Kd2 Rxd1+ 28.Kxd1 Bc4 29.Bb7 1-0 Diesen,M-O'Donnell,T/Internet 2001 (29); b) 18.Ra6 Bh6+ 19.Kd1 Rad8+ 20.Ke1 e4 21.Rxa2 exf3+ 22.Kf2 fxg2 23.Bxg2 Rd2+ 24.Kg3 Re5 25.Bxa7 Rg5+ 26.Kf3-/+ Lausch,S-Fjolnisson,B/corr/1989/; c) 18.Bd3 Bh6+ 19.Kd1 Rab8 20.b3 Rec8 21.Bxa7 Rb7 22.Bb5 Bxb3 23.Ke2 Bxc2 24.Ba6 Bb3 25.Bxb7+- Wedberg,T-Kudrin,S/Kobenhavn/1983/; 18...Rec8 19.Rd5 a5 ( 19...Bf8 20.Bxf8 Bxb3 21.Rb5+/- Tiviakov 21...Rxc2+ 22.Kb1 Kxf8 23.Rxb3 Rac8 24.Ba6 R8c6 25.g4 Rf2 26.Bb7 Rcc2 27.Be4+/-) 20.Kb2 a4 21.Bb5 ( 21.Kxa2 axb3+ 22.Kxb3 Ra5 23.Bc4 Raxc5 24.Rxc5 Rxc5 25.Ra1 Rc7 26.Ra8+ Bf8= Gufeld,E-Kudrin,S/Hastings/1986/; 21.Bc4 axb3 22.cxb3 e4+ 23.Bd4 Rxc4 24.bxc4 Bxc4 25.Rd6 exf3 26.gxf3 Bxd4+= Schneider-Sax, Malta ol 1980) 21...axb3 22.cxb3 e4+ 23.Bd4 Rc5 24.Rxc5 Bxd4+ 25.Rc3 Ra5 ( >=25...exf3 26.gxf3 Ivanov,AV-Peshina,G/USSR/1980/ ( 26.g3? Rb8! ( 26...f2; 26...g5 27.Rd1 Bxc3+ 28.Kxc3 h5) 27.Bc4 Bxb3 28.Bxb3 Rc8 29.Rf1 Rxc3) 26...Bxb3 ( 26...Rb8 27.Bc4 Bxb3 28.Bxb3 Rc8 29.Rhc1+/-) 27.Kxb3 Bxc3 28.Kxc3 Ra3+ 29.Kd4 Rxf3= White is maybe a very little better, but.. how to break Black's position? Black could play ...h5, and then keep it's rook on the f-file. White would need to keep an eye on defending his h-pawn too. 30.Rf1? Rxf1 31.Bxf1= White's h-pawn is bad, since it promotes in a dark square.) 26.Bc4 exf3 27.g3!?N A new attempt to avoid a drawn position, but with a good defende it should prove useless. ( 27.gxf3 Rf5 28.Kc2 Bxc3 29.Kxc3 Rxf3+ 30.Kb2 Rf2+ 31.Ka3 Kg7 32.h4 f5 33.Ra1 Bxb3 34.Kxb3 Rh2 The h-pawn falls, and with it all White's hopes of a win. In fact, White needs to be careful about Black's 3 connected passed pawns. 35.Ra7+ Kh8 36.Kb4 Rxh4 37.Kc5 h5 38.Bd5 Rh2 39.Kd4 Re2 40.Bf7 Re4+ 41.Kc5 Rg4 42.Bd5 h4 43.Kd6 h3 44.Ke5 h2 45.Kf6 Rg1 46.Rb7 f4 47.Rb8+ Kh7 48.Bg8+ Kh8 1/2-1/2 Rivas Romero,G-Davila Texeira,M/ICCF Email 1999 (48)) 27...f2 a) 27...Rh5 28.Kc2 Bxc3 (a) 28...Bb1+ 29.Rxb1 Rxh2+ 30.Kd3 Bxc3 31.Kxc3 g5 32.b4 Rh6 33.b5 Rb6 34.Kd4+/-) 29.Kxc3 Kg7 (a) 29...f2 30.Kb2 Bxb3 31.Kxb3 Kg7 32.Kc3 Rf5 33.Rf1+/-) 30.Kb2 Ra5 31.Rf1 Ra7 32.Rxf3+/-; b) 27...g5!?; c) 27...h5!?; 28.Rd1 Bxc3+ ( 28...Bf6!? 29.Rf1 ( 29.Rd7? Rc5!) 29...Rf5 30.Kc2 Bxc3 31.Kxc3 h5 32.Kb2 Bxb3 33.Kxb3+/= h4 34.g4 Rf4 35.Be2 Kh7 36.Kc3 Kh6 37.Kd2 f5 38.gxf5 Rxf5 leaving White with a bad h-pawn again.) 29.Kxc3 Rh5 30.Rh1 f1Q?+/- A bad mistake. Black gives up his f-pawn in exchange for the -h pawn, but he forgets the weakness at f7... From now on we will see how Black plays without a concrete defensive plan (or better, with a wrong one) and looses the game. ( >=30...Rf5 with the idea of ...h7-h5-h4, and giving up the Bishop for White's b-pawn.) 31.Rxf1! ( 31.Bxf1 Bb1! ( 31...Rf5 32.Bc4 Rf2 33.Rf1) 32.Bc4 Bf5 ( 32...Be4 33.Re1 Bd5 ( 33...Bc6 34.Rf1 ( 34.Re7 Bd5 35.Bxd5 Rxd5 36.b4) 34...Bd5 35.Rf2) 34.Bxd5 Rxd5 35.Re2+/- White has the better prospects, since it's b-pawn is passed and supported by his King, and Black's King is cut off on the e-file.) 33.b4 Be6 34.Bxe6 fxe6 35.Kc4+/=) 31...Rxh2 32.Rxf7 Kh8 ( 32...Bxb3!? should give Black good chances for a draw. He only needs to exchange his h-pawn for the opponent's -g pawn, getting a R vs R+B ending, with a draw. 33.Bxb3 Kh8 ( 33...Rh3 34.Be6) 34.Kd4 ( 34.Rf6 Rg2 35.Rf3 h5 36.Bd5 Rg1 37.Bf7 Kg7 38.Kd3 h4 39.gxh4 Rg4 40.h5 gxh5 41.Bxh5 Ra4=) 34...h5 35.Rf3 g5 36.Ke5 g4 37.Rf5 Kg7 38.Bd5 h4 39.Rg5+ Kh6 40.Rxg4 hxg3 41.Kf4 g2) 33.b4! White is seizing his chances. He avoids, by the moment, the sacrifice of the B x b-pawn, and he wants to push his passed pawn. 33...Bxc4??+- Strategical mistake. The R ending, despite being leveled in material, is won by White, since he has a remote passed pawn, well supported by his K and besides Black's king is unable to pass through the f-file. ( White should do better in keeping it's Bishop, so he still has the possibility of giving it up for the opponent's b-pawn. 33...Bb1 34.b5 Rc2+ 35.Kd4 Rb2 36.Kc5 Be4 37.b6 ( 37.g4 h5 38.g5 Rg2 39.Kd4 ( 39.b6 Rxg5+) 39...Rg4 40.b6 Bg2+ 41.Kc3 Rxg5=) 37...g5 38.Bb5 Kg8 39.Re7 Bf3 40.b7 Bxb7 41.Rxb7 Rg2 42.Bc4+ Kh8 43.Rb3 h5 44.Bd5 Rg1 45.Rc3 h4 46.gxh4 gxh4=) 34.Kxc4 Rc2+ 35.Kb3 Rc1 36.b5 Rb1+ 37.Kc4 Kg8 38.Rf3 . 1-0 Bergmann,M-Simmelink,J/Chessfriend.com 2003/Telechess CBM 97/[Alvarez,Roberto] (38) Black's king cannot cross the f-file, so, the b-pawn easily wins. White resigned.) 14.Ne4 Re8 'transposing to the main line.' 15.h4 ( 15.Ba6 Qc7 16.g4 Red8 17.Qe1 Nf6 18.Rxd8+ Rxd8 19.g5 Nxe4 20.fxe4 Bf8 21.Bxf8 Kxf8 1/2-1/2 Keres,P-Averbakh,Y/Tbilisi 1959/URS-ch (21)) 15...h6 16.g4 Qc7 17.g5 h5 18.Bc4 Red8 19.Qe1!? Rab8 ( 19...a5 20.a4 Rab8 21.Rh2 Qb7 22.Bb3 ( 22.b3!?) 22...Qa8 23.Rhd2 Nf4 ( 23...Rxb3!? 24.cxb3 Qb7©) 24.Bxe6 Nxe6 25.Bd6 Rbc8 26.Nf6+ Bxf6 27.gxf6+/- 1/2-1/2 Riva,F-Fleetwood,D/Martinez Acosta mem-B corr 1995 (40)) 20.b3 Rd7 ( 20...a5 21.a4+/=) 21.Rh2 Rbd8 22.Rhd2 Qa5? 1-0 Pilgaard,K-Dimitrijevic,A/Subotica 2003/CBM 95/[Rogozenko] (27) ( 22...a5 23.a4+/=; 22...Nf4 23.Bxe6 Nxe6 24.Rxd7 Rxd7 25.Rxd7 Qxd7 26.Qa5+/=) ] 11...Be6 [ interestingly, perhaps David finds a improvement on theory. In my "Megabase," I found 4 games in which white scored 3.5 out of 4 with Morgan's move! 11...Qa5 Diagram

12.exd5 cxd5 13.Bd4 Rb8 14.g5 Qb4 15.b3 Nh5 16.Bxg7 Nxg7 17.Nxd5 Qa3+ 18.Kb1 Be6 19.Nf4 Bf5 20.Bd3 a5 21.Qc1 Qc5 22.Bxf5 Nxf5 23.Rd5 Qb6 24.Qa3 Qe3 25.Qc1 Qb6 26.Re1 a4 27.Qd2 axb3 28.cxb3 Ra8 29.Ng2 Rfb8 30.Ne3 Nd6 31.Ng4 Nc4 32.Nh6+ Kf8 33.Qd4 Qxd4 34.Rxd4 Nd6 35.Rc1 Ra5 36.h4 Re5 37.Ng4 Re2 38.Rc2 Re6 39.Kb2 Nf5 40.Rd3 Ra6 41.a3 Rba8 42.b4 Nd6 43.Rc5 Nb7 44.Rc7 Nd6 45.Ne3 Nf5 46.Rdc3 Nd6 47.R7c5 Rb8 1/2-1/2 Castaneda,K-Duran,L/Barquisimeto 2001/EXT 2003 (47); 11...e6 12.Bh6 Qc7 ( 12...Rb8 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.h4 Qb6 15.Na4 Qb4 16.Qxb4 Rxb4 17.Nc3 dxe4 18.a3 Rb8 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 20.fxe4 e5 21.Bh3 Be6 22.g5 Bxh3 23.Rxh3 Rfd8 24.Rhd3 Rxd3 25.Rxd3 Rb7 26.Rd6 Rc7 27.Kd2 h6 28.c4 hxg5 29.hxg5 c5 30.Kc3 Kf8 31.Rd5 f6 32.gxf6 Kf7 33.Rd6 g5 34.b4 cxb4+ 35.axb4 g4 36.c5 g3 37.Rd3 g2 38.Rg3 Kxf6 39.Rxg2 a5 40.Kc4 axb4 41.Kxb4 Rb7+ 42.Kc4 Rb1 43.c6 Rc1+ 44.Kd5 Rd1+ 45.Kc5 Ke7 46.Kb6 Rb1+ 47.Kc7 Rb4 48.Rg4 Rb1 49.Rg7+ Kf6 50.Rg8 Ke7 51.Rb8 Rc1 52.Rb7 Kf6 53.Rb4 Ke7 54.Rb7 Kf6 55.Rb5 Ke6 56.Kb7 Kd6 57.Rd5+ Ke6 58.c7 Rb1+ 59.Kc6 Rc1+ 60.Rc5 Rxc5+ 61.Kxc5 Kd7 62.Kd5 1-0 Pietzsch,M-Becker,M/Koerbecke 2000/EXT 2002 (62); 12...Qa5 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.h4 h5 15.e5 Nh7 16.gxh5 gxh5 17.Rg1+ Kh8 18.Qh6 Rg8 19.Bd3 f5 20.exf6 Qc7 21.Rxg8+ Kxg8 22.Rg1+ Qg7 1-0 Delescluse,P-Stankovic,S/St Affrique 2001/EXT 2003 (22)) 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.h4 Rd8 15.h5 Bb7 16.hxg6 fxg6 17.e5 Qxe5 18.Re1 Qd6 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.g5 Nh5 21.Bd3 e5 22.Rxh5 gxh5 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 24.g6 Rd7 25.Qh8+ Ke7 26.Rxe5+ Qxe5 27.Qxe5+ Kf8 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.g7 Rxg7 30.Qxg7 Bc8 31.Qc7 Bd7 32.Bg6+ Ke7 33.Qe5+ 1-0 Papadopoulos,G-Nikolopoulos,O/Niforeika 2000/EXT 2004 (33)] 12.g5 Nh5 Diagram

from my perspective facing the dragon, this move represents a wonderful "die blocade" versus white's essential kingside attack. Hence, I avoid such an untimely push such as this 12.g5 like the plague.13.exd5 cxd5 14.Bd4 Qa5 15.Bxg7 Nxg7 16.Qd4 [ Fritz points out that 16.Nxd5 Qxa2 17.Nxe7+ Kh8 18.Qc3 Qa1+ 19.Kd2 Rad8+ 20.Bd3 , the insane machine.] 16...Nf5 17.Qa4 [ 17.Qe5 Diagram

may be better (Goldfarb(?)) Fritz concurrs. As white, I would not be ready to trade queens. White's kinside is gross, compared to black's scary dragon skeleton. On the other hand, white's queenside majority can be an asset in the endgame, while in the middlegame the queenside pawn situation is just plain scary. We've trade two pairs of minor pieces, though, and black's minors are only tentatively poised to attack. A big boon to white's position right now is that the queen is pinning the d5 pawn. If black could play ..d5-d4 that could be serious devastation.] 17...Qb6 18.Rd3 Rab8 19.b3 Qf2 [ Ironically, only _after_ white makes an ugly concession on his queenside dark squares (less relevant thanks to the absense of the dragon breath Bg7) does Fritz and Crafty suggest this push. Now the Be6 is biting granite. 19...d4 20.Ne4] 20.Nd1 Qe1 21.Bg2 Qe5 22.f4 Qd6 23.Rf1 Rfc8 Black has built up a beautiful position 24.Qa5 Rb4?! [ 24...d4! 25.Be4 a6 26.Rf2 Rb5 and Black has a strong attack; just for chuckles, let's consider Fritz's suggestion 24...Rc6 25.a4 ( 25.Kb1 Ra6 26.Qd2 Qa3 27.Nc3 d4 Diagram

::CRUNCH::; 25.Bxd5? Ra6 26.Bxe6 Rxa5 27.Rxd6 exd6) 25...Qa3+ 26.Kd2[] Rbc8 27.Rc3 Nd4 28.Rf2 Rxc3 29.Nxc3 Qb2 30.Nd1 Rxc2+ Diagram

::CRACK::] 25.Bxd5 Rd4 [ 25...Rxf4 26.Rxf4 ( 26.Bxe6 Qxd3 27.Bxc8 ( 27.Rxf4?? Qxc2#) 27...Qxf1) ; 25...Rc5 26.Qxb4 Rxc2+ 27.Kxc2 Qxb4 28.Bxe6 fxe6 29.Nc3 Kg7 30.Re1 Qxf4 31.Rxe6 Kf7 32.Re4 Qxh2+ 33.Rd2] 26.Rxd4?! [ 26.Bxe6! looks more solid 26...Qxe6] 26...Nxd4 27.Ne3?! [ 27.Bxe6! is still probably best 27...Rxc2+ 28.Kb1] 27...Nxc2! [ 27...Bxd5! 28.Qxd5 Nxc2! is also strong] 28.Nxc2 Bxd5 29.Kb2 Diagram

I'm taking off the "?!" because 1) it was Fritz's favorite, and after considering for some time he maintains that it is essentially equivalent to the alternative already given by David, within 2 hundredths of a pawn and 2) it's a bad position, so the moves that deserved "?" "??" "?!" are behind us. Well.. this is true in real real bad positions, but this one qualifies enough in my estimation to forgive white for losing in it. [ 29.Rd1 Qxf4+ 30.Qd2 but Black still probably wins the ending] 29...Be4! 30.Rf2 [ 30.Nb4 Rc5 31.Qa6 ( 31.Qxa7 Qd2+ 32.Ka3 Rc8 ::CREEEAK::) 31...Rc2+ 32.Ka3 Qc5 33.Rd1 Bb7 34.Qa4 a5 ::CRUNCH::; the "best" is 30.Na1 according to Fritz, which of course can't be good, or can it? GM Watson discusses the strength of a knight move to the rook one square (Nh8 in that case) in his newest book "Chess Strategy in Action," though here, 30...Qd4+ 31.Ka3 Rc6 is just henious for white.] 30...Qd3! [ 30...Qd1! is even stronger 31.Ka3 Qc1+ 32.Ka4 Bxc2] 31.Qd2 [ 31.Ka3!? is a desperate try 31...Rxc2 32.Rxc2 Qxc2 33.Qd8+ Kg7 34.Qd4+ f6 35.gxf6+ Kf7 36.fxe7 Qc1+ 37.Kb4 Qxf4 38.Qd8 and Black has to work again to win] 31...Rxc2+! Diagram

::sigh:: all this punctuation.. actually Fritz assesses this as "only move," so failing to play it should be a "?" but what the hey.32.Qxc2 Qd4+! winning the queen or the rook. 0-1