1.d4 c5 2.e3 g6 3.c3 b6 4.Qf3 Nc6 5.h4 Nf6 6.Bb5 Bb7 7.Qh3 Bg7 8.Nf3 h5 9.Nbd2 Qc7 10.O-O O-O 11.Re1 Ng4 12.Nf1 d6 13.Ng5 e5 14.d5 Ne7 15.f3 Nf6 16.e4 Nh7 17.Bd3 Bc8 18.Qg3 Bd7 19.a4 Kh8 20.Kh2 Qc8 21.Be3 f6 22.Nxh7 Kxh7 23.Nd2 Qc7 24.Rec1 Bh6 25.Bxh6 Kxh6 26.Nc4 a6 27.a5 b5 28.Nb6 Rad8 29.f4 Bg4 30.b4 c4 31.Bc2 Rf7 32.Bd1 Bxd1 33.Rxd1 Rg8 34.Rf1 Nc8 35.fxe5 fxe5 36.Qg5+ Kh7 37.Nxc8 Rxc8 38.Rf6 Rxf6 39.Qxf6 Qd8 (39...Rg8 40.Rf1 Rg7 41.Kg3 Qd7 42.Qe6 !  42...Qxe6 (42...Qa7 43.Qxd6 Qe3+ 44.Kh2 Qxe4 45.Qd8 g5 46.hxg5 Qh4+ 47.Kg1 Qg3 48.Qf6 Rxg5 49.Rf2 Rg7 50.d6 Qd3 51.Qxe5 ) 43.dxe6 Re7 44.Rf8 Rxe6 45.Rf7+ Kh6 46.Ra7 d5 47.exd5 Rf6 (47...Rd6 48.Kf3 ) 48.Re7 ) 40.Rf1 Qxf6 41.Rxf6 Rd8 42.Rf7+ Kh6 43.g3

43...g5 Bill: I considered resigning hereabouts, both my king and rook are impotent and White can win both 'a' and 'd' pawns if I try to activate them. He can win the 'a' pawn even if I defend passively. So this was pure desperation  44.hxg5+?? (44.Rf6+ Kg7 45.hxg5 is an easy win for White ) (44.Ra7 [similar, but superior, to the game]  44...Rf8 45.Rxa6 Rf2+ 46.Kg1 Rf3 47.Rxd6+ Kg7 48.a6 Rxg3+ 49.Kf2 Rxc3 50.hxg5 h4 51.Rc6 ) 44...Kxg5 45.Rg7+ Kf6 46.Ra7 Kg5 47.Rxa6? (47.Kh3 ! ) 47...Kg4 48.Kg2 h4 49.gxh4 Kf4 50.Rb6 Kxe4 51.Rxb5 Kd3 52.a6 e4 53.a7? (53.Ra5 e3 54.b5 Rg8+ 55.Kh2 e2 56.Ra1 Ke3 57.b6 Kf2 = ) 53...e3? (53...Rg8+ Bill: To be honest I never considered this move, I assumed it would push White's king back into the game. After the game Brian suggested this idea though, he saw immediately that centralising the White king wasn't an option as Black gets mating opportunities then. However in the postmortem we wrongly concluded that this wouldn't work - I think we missed the idea of combining it with ...Ra8 next  54.Kh3 Ra8 55.Rb6 Rxa7 56.Rxd6 Kxc3 57.Re6 Kd3 58.d6 Rd7 [Black wins] ) 54.Rb8 e2 55.Rxd8 e1=Q 56.a8=Q Qe4+ 57.Kg3 Qg6+ 58.Kh2 Qg4 59.Qc8 Qf4+ 60.Kg2 Qe4+ 61.Kg3 Qe5+ 62.Kg4 Qg7+ 63.Kh3 Qg1 64.Qf5+ 1-0

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 The Maccutcheon variation, used most famously by Petrosian against Fisher in the 1962 Candidates.   5.e5 h6 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Fisher playes Bxc3 and lost, although it wasn't really because of doing that.   7...Ne4 8.Qg4 g6 9.Bd3 h5 9...Nxd2 10.Kxd2 and then either 10...c5 or 10...Qxg5+ give Black no problems.   10.Qf4 Nxd2 11.Kxd2 c5 12.Nf3 Nc6 Not so good. 12...b6 or 12...Qe7 were moves I also considered, which I think are better. White should just take the pawn now, although I didn't much like the move he played.  13.Ng5 Qe7 14.h4 I remember my last game against Arthur, where I barely got out of the blocks. I was having that feeling again, although his last move is not the best. He should still just take the pawn.   14...cxd4 Again I miss 14...b6, after which, contrary to my pessimisn, Black is doing alright.   15.cxd4 O-O

Yes I know...castling in to it. But what is Black to do if he wants to get any development? I knew that White was significantly better but at least Black can do something.   16.Nf3 Kg7 17.c3 A careful move, but I thought 17.g4 was better, as does the software...Black would be close to busted then.   17...Bd7 18.Rag1 It funny what you think during a game. Here I was remembering a story about the Karpov-Korchnoi match in 1978. After Karpov won Game 8 he was presented with a cake that had the final position on it. Naturally, he cut off the piece that had the Black King on it! I looked up at Arthur and I could see he was wanting to do the same to my King!   18...Na5 This is an outright blunder, after which White should be winning. 18...f5 or 18...f6, which I considered, were better. But a reluctance to make more weakening pawn moves prevented me.   19.g4 Rh8 20.gxh5 Rxh5

Here I really was worried. The software says 21.Ng5 followed by Be2 and h5 is winning. I thought White might play 21.Qg4 with possibilities of smashing throught on g6, although that may not quite work.   21.Rg5 White is still much better after this move, but I have to say I relaxed a little. I started to wonder...is White playing for an endgame?  21...Rah8 22.Rhg1 Nc4+ Here I was expecting 23.Ke1, as 23.Ke2 allows Nb2 and Bb5+ when Black has some play.  23.Bxc4 another memory occurred to me. I was watchin one of the BBC Master Games from the 1980's, in one game Bent Larsen suddenly realised that the game was turning in his favour, and he said with a Danish accent 'What's Happening? What's Happening?' I was thinking this now...surely White does not want to exchange this Bishop off...surely I'm not surviving this?  23...dxc4 24.Rxh5 Rxh5 25.Rg5 Yes, I am surviving this!  25...Rxg5 26.Nxg5 I understood this, as capturing with the Queen or pawn gives White nothing, but Arthur thought he could get a favourable endgame.  26...Bc6

As a player of the French Defence, I always take a particular satisfaction when the light-squared Bishop comes in to play...important to keep the Knight out of e4.   27.Ke3 Bd5 28.Nh3 Bg2 29.Ng5 Bd5 30.f3 b5 The position is now level, and Black finally gets some play, reminding White that he can make do so.   31.Nh3 a5 32.Nf2 White should have played 32.a3. This move is an error. Black should now play 32...b4 where there is a significant advantage. But, short of time, and relieved to have come through unscathed, I saw a way to force a draw, and took it.   32...f5 33.exf6+ Qxf6 34.Qc7+ Here Arthur offered me a draw which I accepted after a few seconds. Good defence is very rewarding. 1/2-1/2

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Bc4 e6 4.Qf3 Nb6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Ne2 Nxe5 7.Qc3 Ng6 8.O-O d6 9.d3 d5 10.Nf4 d4 11.Qa5 Bd6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.h3 f6 14.Re1 g5 15.Bxe6 Bxe6 16.Rxe6+ Kf7 17.Re4 Qd7 18.Nd2

18...Rxh3!! 19.Kf1 (19.gxh3 Qxh3 20.Nf1 Rh8 and that's that ) 19...Rh1+ Black finishes off with some powerful play  20.Ke2 Re8 21.Nf3 Rxe4+ 22.dxe4 Qe6 23.Qf5

23...Qc4+! 24.Kd2 Bf4+ a pretty final picture 0-1

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.cxd5 Bf5 4.Nc3 Nxd5 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Nd7 7.Nxd7 Qxd7 8.f3 Bg6 9.e4 Nc7 10.Be3 e6 11.Qb3 Be7 12.O-O-O b5 13.d5 O-O

14.d6! A neat tactic to win a piece, however...  14...Bxd6 15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.exd6 Rfc8+ 18.Kd2 Bc2 Black gets some serious comp  19.Qxb5? And after this move all the lines open up and Black is actually winning  19...Qxd6 20.Rc1 Rab8 21.Qa5 d4 22.Bg5 d3 23.Be3 Rxb2 24.Ke1 Rd8 25.Bf4? Qd4

White is in a truly piteous state with hardly a playable move  26.a3 Ba4 27.Bd2 Rb5! ( I was watching and convinced that 27...Rd5?? introducing the other rook to the attack was the more precise finishing touch. Unfortunately Black is the one who gets finished off - I missed   28.Rc8+ and mates. Embarrassing, especially as I made the mistake of speaking up after the game. ) 28.Qxd8+ Qxd8 29.Bxd3 Rd5 30.Ba6 Rxd2 (30...Rxd2 31.Rc8 Qxc8 32.Bxc8 Rd1+ ) 0-1

1.e4 c5 2.c3 a6 3.d4 e6 4.Nf3 d5 5.e5 Bd7 6.Na3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Qa5+ 8.Bd2 Qb6 9.Bc3 Ne7 10.Qd2 Nf5 11.Ba5 Qa7 12.Rc1 Nc6 13.Bc3 Be7 14.Nc2 b5 15.a3 O-O 16.Bd3 Rfb8 17.b4 (17.Bxf5 exf5 18.Nb4 a5!? 19.Nxc6 (19.Nxd5 Bf8 20.Qg5 Kh8 21.Qh4 (21.Qh5 Be8 22.Qxf5 b4 ) 21...Be6 ) 19...Bxc6 20.Bxa5 Qxa5 21.Qxa5 Rxa5 22.Rxc6 b4 23.O-O bxa3 24.bxa3 Rxa3 25.h4 ) 17...Rc8 18.O-O Rc7 19.Ne3 Nxe3

20.Qxe3 (20.fxe3 Rac8 = ) 20...Rac8 21.Bb2 Nd8 22.Rxc7 Rxc7 23.Rc1 a5 24.Rxc7 Qxc7 25.bxa5 Qxa5 =  26.g3 Nc6 27.Nd2 g6 28.Bf1 Qa4 29.Qb3 Qa7 !?  30.Qe3 (30.Qxb5 Nxe5 ) (30.Bxb5 Nxd4 31.Bxd4 Qxd4 32.Bxd7 Qxd2 33.Kg2 Bc5 34.Qf3 Qg5 35.Qc3 Qe7 ) 30...Na5 31.Nb1 Nc4 32.Bxc4 ?!  32...dxc4 33.Qc3 Bc6 34.f3 Bg5 35.Kf2 Qd7 (35...Qa8 36.h4 Bh6 37.h5 Bd5 38.Ke2 (38.f4 Bh1 ! ) 38...Be4 !  39.Nd2 Bxd2 40.Kxd2 Bxf3 ) 36.Nd2 Qb7 37.f4 ?!  37...Be7 38.Ke2 (38.a4 bxa4 39.Nxc4 Bh1 ) 38...Bd5 39.Nf3 ??  39...Qa6 (39...b4 !  40.axb4 Bxb4 41.Qe3 Ba5 42.Ba3 (42.Bc3 Bxf3+ ) 42...c3 ) 40.Ne1 Bb7 41.Qe3 ?? (41.Kf2 Be4 ) 41...b4 42.Ba1 c3+ 43.Qd3 Qxa3 44.Nc2 Qa2 45.Kd1 ??  45...Ba6 46.Qe4 (46.Qe3 Qb1+ 47.Qc1 Be2+ ) 46...Qb1# 0-1

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Nc6 6.O-O Qc7 7.a3 Bd6 8.Bb2 O-O 9.Nc3 a6 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.e4 d4 12.Ne2 Rd8 13.Ng3 e5 14.Qe2 Ne7 15.Nh4 Ng6 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Rfc1 Qe7 18.b4 Ba7 19.h3 Be6 20.Bc4 Bxc4 21.Qxc4 Rac8 22.Qd3 Qe6 23.Rd1 Rd7 24.Ne2 Qc6 25.f3

White's c2 pawn has been increasingly looking like a broken tooth, now it is infected  25...Qa4 The treatment is removal of the infection  26.Rd2? The patient is not cooperative  26...Rc3! And he ends up suffering more as a result 0-1

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.cxd5 Bg7 7.Be2 O-O 8.Bf3 Na6 9.Qb3 Nc7 10.Bf4 Nfe8 11.Nge2 Nd6 12.Rc1 a5 13.O-O Ra6 14.Na4 Bf5 15.Ng3 Bd7 16.Rfe1 Re8 17.Be2 b5 18.Nc3 Qa8 19.a4 bxa4 20.Nxa4 Rb8 21.Qa2 Nxd5 22.Bf3 Nb4 23.Qa1

This is the high point for Black  23...Qa7 ( The comp recommends 23...Bc6! for example  24.Bxc6 Rxc6 25.Rxe7 Nd3 26.Rxc6 Qxc6 27.Be3 Qc2 recovering the pawn with initiative ) 24.Nc5 Forcing Black to sac the exchange (maybe this is a synonym for 'winning the exchange')  24...Bxd4 (24...Rab6? 25.Rxe7 is fatal ) 25.Nxa6 Bxf2+ 26.Kh1

26...Nd3? Adding fuel to the fire looks very plausible but ultimately costs Black material. Trying to calculate in this insane position where everything is mutually en-prise is impossible ( but apparently 26...Bxe1 is best ) 27.Rxe7! Qxa6 28.Be2 Bb5 29.Bxd3 Bxd3 30.Qa3 Rd8 31.Rd1 During this phase Black's problem is that he has too many loose pieces. White has easy play as he can keep making threats for free  31...Nc4 32.Qb3 Qf6

33.Rxd3! Rxd3 (33...Qxe7 34.Rxd8+ Qxd8 35.Qxc4 and White is covering f1 ) 34.Re8+ Kg7 35.Qxd3 Qxf4 36.Qc3+ Kh6 Desperation ( but 36...Qd4 37.Qxd4+ Bxd4 38.Re4 ) 37.Re4 Qd2 38.Rh4+ ( I was watching and predicting moves and at this stage I was expecting 38.Qxd2+ Nxd2 39.Re2 which doesn't work because now simply  39...Bxg3 This is one of the many reasons I am not playing on the top boards I guess ) 38...Kg5 39.Ne4+ I thought White was winning the Queen and didn't notice it is also mate next move (39.Ne4+ Kf5 40.Qf6# is pretty ) ( or more obviously 39.Ne4+ Kxh4 40.Qh3# ) 1-0

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 a6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 b5 6.Bd3 Bb7 7.O-O Nc6 8.Nc3 Bd6 9.Ne4 Nf6 10.Nxd6+ cxd6 11.a3 O-O 12.b4 Qb6 13.Bb2 Rfe8 14.e4 e5 15.d5 Ne7 16.Nd2 Ng6 17.g3 Bc8 18.Kg2 Bg4 19.f3 Bd7 20.Nb3 Rec8 21.Qe2 Rc7 22.Rac1 Rac8 23.Rxc7 Rxc7 24.Rc1 Nh5 25.Qd2 h6 (25...Nhf4+ !?  26.gxf4 Nxf4+ 27.Kh1 (27.Kg3 ??  27...Rxc1 28.Qxc1 (28.Nxc1 Qg1+ 29.Kh4 g5# ) 28...Nxd3 ) 27...Rxc1+ 28.Bxc1 (28.Nxc1 ??  28...Bh3 29.Bf1 Bxf1 30.Bd4 Qxd4 31.Qxd4 exd4 ) (28.Qxc1 ??  28...Qf2 29.Qf1 Qxb2 ) 28...Bh3 29.Bb1 (29.Qe3 Qd8 ! (29...Qxe3 30.Bxe3 Nxd3 ) 30.Qg1 !?  30...Nxd3 (30...Bg2+ 31.Qxg2 Nxg2 32.Kxg2 ) ) 29...Bg2+ 30.Qxg2 Nxg2 31.Kxg2 Qc7 32.Bb2

Houdini says Black is better, but I have my doubts ) 26.Rxc7 Qxc7 27.Nc1 (27.Qc2 Qb6 28.Bc1 ) 27...Qc8 28.Ne2 f5 29.Qc3 (29.Qc2 fxe4 30.Qxc8+ Bxc8 31.fxe4 Kf7 32.a4 bxa4 33.Kf2 ) 29...Qf8 !? (29...Qxc3 30.Bxc3 fxe4 31.fxe4 Nf6 ) 30.exf5 ?! (30.Qc7 fxe4 31.Bxe4 Bf5 32.Bxf5 Qxf5 33.Qxd6 Kh7 34.Qc5 (34.Qxa6 Qc2 35.Qxb5 Qxb2 ) 34...Qb1 ) 30...Bxf5 31.Bc1 Ne7 32.Bxf5 Qxf5 33.g4 Qg6 34.Kf2 Nf6 35.Ng3 ?! (35.Qc7 Nexd5 36.Qc8+ Kh7 ) 35...Nfxd5 36.Qb3 Kh7 37.Ne4 Nf6 38.Qd3 (38.Nxd6 Nxg4+ 39.fxg4 Qxd6 ) 38...d5 39.Nc5 e4 40.fxe4 ?! (40.Qe3 ) 40...dxe4 41.Qg3 Nxg4+ 42.Ke1 Nf5 43.Qf4 Nf6 44.Nxa6 ? (44.Nxe4 Nxe4 45.Qxe4 Qg1+ 46.Ke2 Qxh2+ ) 44...Nd4 45.Be3 Nd5 46.Qf2 Nxe3 0-1