[Event "12th ECC final"]
[Site "Budapest HUN"]
[Date "1996.11.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Sherzer, Alex ZLGS"]
[Black "Sakaev, Konstantin VNVS"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2490"]
[BlackElo "2600"]
[ECO "B56"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Annotator "Atlas,V"]
[PlyCount "93"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 
O-O 9.O-O Be6 10.Bb3 Na5 11.Qe2 Qc8 12.Rfd1 
    ( {Centralization of the king's rook promises more than more natural 
    at first glance} 12.Rad1 {, with the idea 12... Nc4 13.Bc1. Now after}
    12...Nxb3 
        ( 12...Bc4 $5 13.Bxc4 Qxc4 14.Qd2 $5 Nc6 $5 15.b3 Qb4 $13 )
        ( 12...Nc4 $6 13.Bc1 $14 {~~ Vlad,D-Nevednichy,V/ Bucuresti 1993} 
        )
    13.axb3 h6 {chances are about even.} )
12...Nc4 {All other continuations allow White to retain better chances:} 
    ( 12...Bg4 $6 13.Nd5 $1 
        ( 13.h3 Bh5 {/\} 14.g4 $2 Nxg4 )
    13...Nxd5 14.Bxd5 $16 {/\} 14...Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxc2 16.Rac1 Qxb2 17.Rc7 
    Bf6 $8 
        ( 17...Rae8 $2 18.Bg5 $1 Bxg5 19.Rxf7 )
    18.g4 $40 {><Na5, f7} )
    ( 12...Nxb3 13.axb3 a6 14.Bg5 $14 )
    ( 12...Ng4 13.Nd5 $14 )
    ( 12...Bc4 13.Bxc4 Qxc4 
        ( 13...Nxc4 14.Bc1 Qc6 15.b3 Na5 
            ( 15...Na3 16.Bb2 )
            ( 15...Nb6 16.Bb2 {/\ a4-a5 ><d5} )
        16.Bb2 b5 $5 17.Qxb5 Qxb5 18.Nxb5 Nxe4 19.Nc7 {/\ Nd5, c4+/=} )
    14.Qe1 Qc6 $1 
        ( 14...Rfc8 15.Bg5 $14 )
        ( 14...h6 15.b3 $1 Qc6 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Rxd5 $14 )
    15.b3 $1 b6 $5 16.Bg5 $14 )
13.Bc1 a6 
    ( {An interesting concept. The characteristic feature of this critical
    position is the tension at the diagonal a2-g8, determined by the 
    opposition between Bb3 and Be6. By means of 14.Ng5 White threatens to 
    exchange the light-squared bishop - the pivotal link in the triangle 
    Qc8, Be6, Nc4. The most natural reaction against this threat is 
    13...h6. The famous game Tal,M-Beliavsky,A/ Aker Brygge 1989 called 
    its value in question:} 13...h6 14.Nh4 Qc5 15.Qf3 Bg4 16.Qg3 Bxd1 17.
    Nf5 Bg4 18.Nxe7+ Kh7 19.Qh4 Nb6 20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Qxf6 Nd7 22.Qh4 Be6 
    23.Ncd5 Rae8 24.Rd1 Qa5 25.Nf6+ Nxf6 26.Qxf6 d5 27.exd5 {1-0. Sakaev 
    allows exchange of Be6, trying to support his active knight by the 
    pawn chain a6-b5.} )
14.Ng5 b5 15.a4 $5 
    ( 15.Nxe6 {was an interesting alternative, leading to the tactical 
    complications, in which Black would retain good counterchances:} 15...
    fxe6 {/\Na5} 16.a4 Na5 $1 17.axb5 
        ( 17.Ba2 $2 b4 18.Nb1 {gives an excellent play for black} )
    17...Nxb3 18.cxb3 axb5 19.Rxa8 Qxa8 20.Qxb5 Nxe4 21.Qd7 Rf7 
        ( 21...Kf7 $143 $2 22.Nxe4 Qxe4 23.Bg5 Re8 24.Bxe7 Rxe7 25.Qxd6 
        $16 )
        ( 21...Rxf2 $143 $2 22.Nxe4 Rxg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qxe4+ 24.Kf1 Qf3+ 25.Ke1
        Qe4+ 26.Kd2 Bg5+ 27.Kc3 $18 )
    22.Nxe4 
        ( 22.Qxe6 Nxf2 )
    22...Qxe4 23.Qxe6 Qf5 $1 
        ( 23...Qe2 $6 24.Rf1 )
    24.Qxf5 Rxf5 $44 {/\Rf8-b8, Kf7-e6} )
15...Bg4 
    ( 15...Bd7 16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Qxa8 18.Bxc4 
        ( 18.Nxb5 $6 Bxb5 19.Bxc4 Bxc4 20.Qxc4 h6 )
    18...bxc4 19.Qxc4 {and Black does not have a sufficient compensation 
    for the pawn.} )
16.Nf3 $1 
    ( 16.f3 $6 {achieves nothing after} 16...Bd7 17.axb5 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 axb5 
    )
16...b4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.Rxd5 Nb6 19.Rd1 Qc7 $2 {A serious positional 
mistake. Black definitely underestimated or completely overlooked White's 
reply here. The right continuation was} 
    ( 19...a5 20.Be3 Qc7 
        ( 20...Qc6 $2 21.Nxe5 $16 )
    )
20.a5 $1 $16 {><Pa6. This fixation of the chronically weak pawn e6 
stipulates White's lasting positional advantage.} 20...Nd7 21.Bd5 Rac8 22.
Be3 
    ( 22.Qxa6 {was less efficient, because of} 22...Qxc2 23.Be3 Nc5 )
22...Nf6 $6 {A decisive mistake. 22.. .Nc5 offered a trace of resistance.}
23.Bb6 
    ( 23.Qxa6 $143 $6 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Qxc2 $132 )
23...Qd7 24.Bc4 $1 
    ( 24.Qxa6 {would be an inaccuracy:} 24...Nxd5 25.Rxd5 Bxf3 
        ( 25...Be6 26.Rd2 Bc4 27.Nxe5 $16 )
    26.gxf3 Rxc2 {/\Qh3} )
24...Rxc4 25.Qxc4 Qb7 26.Re1 Rc8 27.Qxb4 {Black is lost.} 27...Rxc2 28.
Rac1 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Ne8 30.Qc4 Bd7 31.b4 Bb5 32.Qd5 Qxd5 33.exd5 f5 34.Rc8 
Kf7 35.Bd8 h6 36.Nd2 Bxd8 37.Rxd8 Ke7 38.Rb8 Nf6 39.Rb7+ Kd8 40.Nb1 Nxd5 
41.Na3 Kc8 42.Rxg7 Bd3 43.b5 f4 44.f3 Nb4 45.b6 Kb8 46.Re7 Kc8 47.Nc4 1-0

