Nis Grandmasters' Invitational 1988

White: grandmaster Ian Rogers
Black: Dr Alex









1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Nc3 Rb8 8.e4 b5 9.Bg5

[ 9.d5 has been tried before: 9...Nb4 10.Ne5 Bd6 11.f4 exd5 12.exd5? Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Bb7, and white is in trouble. Instead of 12.exd5 white should play 12.a3 Nd3! 13.Nxd3 ( The 13.Nc6 fork does not work: 13...Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Ng4! 15.Nxd8 Ngf2+ 16.Rxf2 Nxf2+ 17.Kg1 Nxd1+ 18.Kf1 Nxc3 19.Nc6 Rb6, and black wins.) 13...cxd3 14.Nxd5! ( Immediate 14.exd5 fails because of 14...Bf5! ) 14...Nxd5 15.exd5 0-0 16.Qxd3, with equal play. ]

9...h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.e5 Qd8 12.d5 exd5 [ 12...Nb4 deserves attention. ] 13.Nxd5 Be7 14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.Nh4 Qc5 16.a3 Nxe5 17.Re1 0-0 18.Qh5 Nd3 19.Qxc5 Nxc5 20.Re7 Nd3 21.Rb1 g5 22.Nf3 c5 23.Ne5 Be6 24.Nd7 Bxd7 25.Rxd7 Rfd8 26.Ra7 Rb6 27.Bf1 Rbd6 28.Rc7 R8d7 29.Rc8+ Rd8 30.Rc7 Rd5 31.Rc6 R8d6 32.Rc8+ Kg7 33.Bg2 Rf5 34.f3 Re5 35.Bf1 Rf6 36.b3 Rxf3 37.bxc4 bxc4 38.Rd8 Rfe3 39.Rd1 Nb2 40.Rc1 c3 41.Kf2 c4 42.Rd4 Nd3+ 43.Bxd3 cxd3 44.Rxc3 Re2+ 45.Kg1   0-1