[Event "Friendly Match Norway - Canada"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.02.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lahlum, Hans Olav"]
[Black "Stone, Raymond"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D20"]
[WhiteElo "2249"]
[BlackElo "2189"]
[Annotator "Hans Olav Lahlum"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2005.09.25"]
[EventType "corr"]
[SourceDate "2005.09.25"]
[WhiteTeam "Norway"]
[BlackTeam "Canada"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 {This ambitious central thrust has given me many
advantages but very few points OTB. Luckily, the problem in CC is usually the
other way round.} e5 {Most common, but 3/\. c5 is a sound alternative.
Switched off his opening library Fritz blows his materialistic horn by trying
to hold on to the pawn with 3/\.b5.} 4. Nf3 exd4 {
The principal reply; 4...Bb4+ and 4... Nf6 are wait-and-see alternatives} 5.
Bxc4 $5 {The sharpest move - White develops quickly and gets a nice view
towards f7, but he must be prepared to sacrifice a pawn in many variations. 5.
Qxd4 Qxd4 5.Nxd4 is safer, but there is no advantage to White after exchanging
Queens.} Nc6 $5 {Possibly more playable in CC than OTB, but still very risky:
White invariably gets a strong initiative for the pawn. 5...c5? 6.Ne5! Be6 7.
Bxe6 fxe6 8.Qh5+ is not playable in CC (either). 5... Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2
Nc6 or 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.O-O Nf6/Be6 is supposedly the slightly safer main
variation of accepted opening theory.} 6. O-O g6 $6 {We are entering a very
open landscape, more akin to Guico Piano or Scotch than Queen's Gambit. That
Black has to look after f7 is clearly seen in 6.. Bg4? 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.Bxf7+! Qxf7
9.Qxb7 Rc8 10.Qxc6+ (Pytel - Castro, Dortmund 1977) and 6... Bc5? 7.Ng5 Nh6 8.
Nxf7 Nxf7 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxd5 (Stein - Kvyatosky, Ukraine, 1959),
in both cases with a clear attacking advantage for White after he has
reclaimed his pawn and Black has lost his castling rights. After the main
variation 6... Be6!? 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8..Qb3 Qd7 White can win back his pawn with 9.
Qxb7 Rb8 10.Qa6 or 9.Ng5 O-O-O Nxe6, but it is not quite clear who is best
after this. The text move holds on to the pawn provided correct play on
Black's part, but White gets a strong and lasting initiative.} 7. e5 $1 {
Fritz cowardly refuses (for as long I cared to wait) to even check this
positionally critical pawn break and prefers 7. Bb5?! to regain the d4 pawn.}
Bg7 8. Qb3 {Consistently following up with pressure on f7. Fritz nurtures no
particular warm feelings for the a2-g8 diagonal and once again prefers to hold
on to the pawn with 8.Bb5?!} Qe7 $6 {Surprisingly a TN and a clear improvement
to accepted theory - but not clear enough to save the variation. The only
earlier known attempt with 6. g6?! is Lehmann - Bellon, Malaga 1970, where the
later IGM lost decisive material after 8. Qd7? 9.Ng5!  Nd8 10.Nxf7 Nxf7 11.e6.
I give Fritz his first plus mark due to his second choice as 8... Be6!? 9.
Qxb7?! (9... Bxe6 is probably better, but even if White regains his pawn on b7
or e6 the advantage is not obvious.) Nge7 10.Bb5 O-O! 11.Bxc6 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Nxc6
actually gives compensation for the pawn and is Black's most active attempt to
save the variation. On the other hand Fritz does not believe in Black's
positional compensation after 12... Nxc6 and therefore prefers - as Stone does
- 8... Qe7?!.} 9. Bg5 {This rather obvious move is given by FIDE-IM Jakov
Neistadt, in his spare time a leading theoretician on Queen's Gambit Accepted
- but now we left the Cape Farewell of the theory map. Fritz is afraid of
losing the e5 pawn and prefers to give it extra support with Bf4 or Re1.} Qd7 {
9/\. Na5?? 10.Qb5+, in case anyone was wondering.} 10. e6 $5 {It was difficult
to assess the consequences of this second pawn sacrifice - so difficult that I
soon gave it up and instead simply concluded that the half-open e-file, a wide
open a2-g8 diagonal and in general active pieces should give first-class
compensation for two hanging central pawns: especially since it is difficult
to see where Black in the foreseeable future can hide his King. A good
alternative was 10.Bd2 threatening 11.Ng5 Nh6 12.Nxf7! Nxf7 13.e6 - or to
prepare the e6-break with 11.Re1. However, Black can then invite to move
repetition by 11/\. Qe7, which in some variations allows Black to counter e6
with f6/f5 if White deviates, or even to capture on e5. 11.Bd2 Qe7 12.Bg5 Qd7
13.e6!? would be obvious OTB, but in CC I preferred to take the e6 path right
away rather than paying a fee of 2 stamps at the toll plaza and taking a
detour. Fritz has no plans involving e6 and no misgivings in allowing Na5xc4,
giving 11.Re1 and 11.Na3?! as equal alternatives with a small advantage in
both cases.} fxe6 11. Bd2 $1 {At first this felt like admitting not only the
fact that White has no directly decisive plan, but also admitting my, in the
OTB community, well-known direction blindness. What will become of Nb1 and Ra1
in life was also a source of worry here. However, it doesn't look much better
for Black's Bc8 and Ra8, and he was ready to exchange one of his main problems
with Na5 followed by Nxc4: 11.Re1? Na5! 12.Bxe6 (12.Rxe6? Qxe6 13.Qa4+/Qb5+
Bd7!) Nxb3 13.Bxd7+ Kxd7 14.axb3 and it is doubtful whether White has full
compensation for the pawn at the threshold to the end-game: Black's exposed
King is in far less danger after the exchange of Queens, while the Bishop pair
as well as the pawn structure will be to his advantage in the long run. The
text move weeds out Na5 (with an iron rake), and threatens friendly, but
determinedly  to increase the pressure on e6 with Re1 or Ng5, in some
variations even a tactical Bxe6. Fritz considers the variation played in the
game, but cannot find anything better than 14.Bf7+ - concluding with advantage
for Black!} Nge7 12. Ng5 Nd8 {Probably not posted with a light heart, but
against 12/\ e5?, 13.Be6 followed by 14.Bxc8 and 15.Qf7+ is the simplest lock
on the mailbox.} 13. Re1 e5 14. f4 $5 {Fritz wants to play 14.Bf7? Kf8
(possibly to deny Black the right to castle, which anyway is only hypothetical
at the moment), but cannot find any better continuation than 15.Bc4, whereupon
Black threatens to win material by 15/\. h6.  15.Qf3 is met with Qf5, and 14.
Nf7? Nxf7 15.Bxf7+ Kf8 and 16/\  Nc6/Qf5 was even less tempting: White has -
without collecting an exchange fee - swapped the active Ng5 for its passive
counterpart at d8. Better then to park the pieces in their present active
positions, discretely awaiting how Black intends to develop his pieces - and
threatening less discretely to win back one of the pawns and/or to open the
f-file as well.} Nec6 $1 {Planning Qe7 and developing Bc8 - the only good plan
I can see in this position. 14... a6?! might help black after 15.a4?!, but as
pointed out by Fritz white can roll on with 15.fxe5 since 15... b5? 16.Bf7+
Kf8 17.Rf1 is a one way driven road to chess Hell. I rejected on principle
opening the e-file with 14.. exf4?!, since it doesn't even win another pawn.
Fritz at first flags clear advantage for Black after capturing on f4, but
characteristically turns around to clear advantage for White when he
eventually discovers some concrete tactics in the shape of 15.Bb5! c6 16.Bb4
Bf6 17.Nxh7! Rxh7 18.Qg8 mate.} 15. fxe5 {Winning back a pawn, threatening the
reappearing 16.Nxf7 Nxf7 17.e6 theme. Closing the e-file feels a little bit
dubious, but it is very temporarily.} Qe7 16. Ne4 $1 {Sacrifices pawn number
two for the second time - this time with the intent to open both the e- and
f-files against Black's King, and also immediately threatening 17.Nf6+.
Possibly White has compensation for one pawn after 16.e6??, but that move is a
grave positional misunderstanding that allows Black to castle out of his
biggest problems. Black's main problem is still the King, and White should
rather give another pawn to open the e-file, than to close the a2-g8 diagonal
and holding on to the pawn. Fritz impresses by actually finding 16.Ne4! Nxe5
17.Bg5 Qf8, but refuses to admit that White has an advantage afterwards.} Nxe5
$6 17. Bg5 Qf8 18. Nbd2 $1 {I looked for a win after 18.Rf1 Bf5, but found
none. With 6 black pieces crowding the 8th row I then prefer to develop my
remaining light piece, delay Rf1 until Rae1 is available, and launch Nf3 as a
new critical possibility. I ask nothing more - for this move.} d3 $6 {
This was about the last legal move I expected: Black seems to settle down to
the idea that he has a lost position on his hands, and instead of trying to
get his pieces into play he dreams of swindles based on d2, Bd4+ and/or Qc5+
in a later variation. What I actually expected at this stage I cannot really
say. Opening the e-file for White's Rook with 16... Nxc4?? is just as suicidal
as it looks: 16.Nf6++?! Kf7 20.Qxc4 Ne6 21.Rf1 wins, but even simpler is 19.
Qxc4! threatening several decisive discovered checks. Even in the age of
computers the threat is often stronger than its execution. Against the direct
18... Bf5?! White can capture on d6 or b7, and after the quiet 19.Nf3 or 19.
Bf4, Ne5 begins to look unstable. Fritz admits to a clear advantage and gives
in to the - at best - very patiently 18... a5? (White can capture on d8, or if
he wants to be a sadist he can insert 19.a3 a4 20.Qg3, but after 19.Nf3 Black
cannot play Qb4 because of the threatening an avalanche in the e-file!)
Instead he will then try to force a declaration from Bg5 with 18... h6!?,
possibly Black's best try. Fritz once again underestimates White'scompensation
when he only gives a small advantage after 19.Bxd8 Kxd8 20.Rf1 Qe7 21.Rae1 and
must eventually admit that 19.Bh4 g5 20.Bg3 Ndc6 21.Bb5/Bd5 quickly hurts in
the e-file.} 19. Rf1 {Fritz's 19.Nf3 d2 20.Re3 surely also wins, but White's
position becomes completely overwhelming when Ra1 is transferred to the f-file.
} Bf5 20. Rae1 {Or 20.g4 Nxg4 21.Rae1, but now White's pieces have occupied
nearly optimal squares - and 21.g4 winning a piece is only one of several
threats.} Kd7 {Under very difficult conditions the most creative try: the King
leaves the e-file and if he reaches c8 the game may be a long one.} 21. Bxd8 $1
{As a die-hard chess dogmatic I at first had principal objections against this
move. It should not be correct to exchange an active Bishop on g5 against a
flattened Knight on d8. However, Black's position has reached the critical
stage where the position can be brought down by concrete computations, and
with all of White's remaining pieces in good positions it is only logical to
exchange a piece - even a good one - for the active defender Nd8. Having moved
his King to d7, Black makes a Queen invasion on b7 look more tempting. The
Bishop's use of the key square g5 is a story within the story of this game:
Both 9.Bg5-d2 and 17.Bd2-g5 were good moves increasing White's advantage - and
when the Bishop finally leaves g5 the advantage becomes decisive.} Rxd8 $6 {
21/\. Qxd8? 22.Nc5+ or 21/\ Kxd8 22.Qxb7 Rc8 23.Be6/Qd5+ doesn't last long -
but the pin in the f-file can be utilised after the text move as well. Fritz
points out an opportunity to capture on c4 at last: 21/\. Nxc4! 22.Nxc4 Rxd8
is possible since 23.g4? Bd4+ doesn't win material, but as he admits, Black
has decisive attack after the simple 23.Qxb7.} 22. Be6+ {Fritz flags clear
advantage after 22.Qb5+ Nc6 23.g4 Bd4+ 24.Kh1 Qb4 25.gxf5 or 22.Qxb7, which
also should win. Even though it was on a day nearly (but note: only nearly) as
beautiful as my ex-girlfriend, I was surprised when two weeks after the Bishop
check I found "My position in the A game is hopeless. Well done", postmarked
Canada, in my mailbox. After quarrelling a bit with Fritz I concluded that the
resignation was in place. 22... Ke7?/Ke8? 23.Bxf5 gxf5 24.Ng5 wins material
and/or mates in a few moves. If Black gives up his Queen with 22... Bxe6, 23.
Qa4+! Kc8?! 24.Rxf8 Rhxf8 25.Nc5! Bd5 26.Qxa7 b6 27.Na6 is The Ultimate End.
(23.Qb5+? also looks natural. After 23... Nc6? White must not play 24.Nc5+??
Qxc5! 25.Qxc5 Bd4+, suddenly giving Black jackpot for 18... d3 - but 24.Rxf8
Bxf8 25.Nf6+ Ke7 26.Qg5 looks convincing. 23... Kc8! 24.Rxf8 Rhxf8 25.Nc5 Bd5
is much less clear because a7 isn't en prise anymore). Fritz first hinted that
Black should be perfectly happy with Rook, Bishop and two pawns for the Queen
after 23... Nc6 24.Rxf8 Bxf8, but let himself relatively soon be convinced
that White still has a decisive advantage when 25.Nf6+! Ke7 26.Qf4 (with the
idea 27.Qg5 or 27.Nfe4) Rd4 27.Qe3 Rd6 28.Nfe4 or 27... Kxf6 28.Qxe6+ Kg7 29.
Rf1 were banged (somewhat irritated) onto the keyboard. The conclusion of this
line is no coincidence: the Queen is more valuable when the opponent's King is
roaming the streets in the centre and White's pieces are still waiting on
every corner with loaded guns.} 1-0

[Event "Study, 1969"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dogorov"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4b3/1P5B/6P1/1p2R3/1P3k2/6p1/1PPKPq1p/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[SourceDate "2005.09.25"]

1. Re4+ Kxe4 2. g7+ Kd4 3. c3+ Kc4 4. Bg8+ Bf7 5. b8=Q h1=Q 6. Bxf7+ Qxf7 7.
Qc7+ $3 Qxc7 8. g8=Q+ Qd5+ 9. Kc2 $3 Qxg8 10. e4 $1 {#} 1-0

[Event "WC27SF10"]
[Site "ICCF Email"]
[Date "2003.12.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dobrei, Gheorghe (ROM)"]
[Black "Hradecky, Simon (AUT)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B22"]
[WhiteElo "2357"]
[BlackElo "2200"]
[Annotator "Simon Hradecky"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[SourceDate "2005.09.25"]

{B22: Sicilian: 2 c3  The value of Tempo} 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3
Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4 7. Bc2 Qc7 8. Qe2 g5 9. h3 Bg7 10. O-O Nxe5 11. Nxg5
h6 12. Nf3 d6 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. d4 cxd3 15. Bxd3 Rg8 $146 (15... Be6 16. Bb5+
Nd7 17. f4 Bf6 18. f5 Bd5 19. Rd1 Bc6 20. Be3 O-O-O 21. Bxc6 Qxc6 22. Na3 a6
23. Qc4 Rdg8 24. Qxc6+ bxc6 25. Nc4 Ne5 26. Nxe5 Bxe5 27. Rd2 f6 28. Rad1 Rg3
29. Re2 h5 30. c4 {
Deschamp,G-Ingersol,H/IECG 2002/Telechess CBM 99/1/2-1/2 (53)}) 16. Bh7 $4 {
A natural looking move, however the decisive mistake, loosing a valuable tempo
to defend against the threat of Bxh3 and therefore loosing thewholegame} (16.
Kh1 $142 Be6 17. Na3 Qc8 18. Qh5 Nd7 19. Rg1 a6 20. Be3 $11) 16... Rg7 $19 17.
Be4 ({probably better is} 17. Qd3) 17... Bxh3 18. Bxh6 Rg8 19. Na3 ({
more resistance and some counterplay promised} 19. Re1 Bg4 20. Bf3 Bxf3 21.
Qxf3 Rg6 22. Be3 O-O-O 23. Nd2 Rdg8 24. Kf1 Rxg2 $19) 19... d5 20. Bf3 Bh2+ {
all black forces already eye White's king, now the final attack launches.} 21.
Kh1 $8 Bxg2+ 22. Bxg2 $8 Rh8 23. Qb5+ ({slightly better is} 23. Nb5 Qe5 24.
Qxe5 Bxe5 25. Kg1 Rxh6 26. f4 Bb8 27. Rad1 e6 28. f5 a6 29. Nd4 Bh2+ $19) 23...
Nd7 24. Rfd1 Rxh6 25. Rxd5 a6 26. Qe2 Ne5 27. Rad1 $2 {
trying to confuse the opponent?} ({much better is} 27. Rd4 e6 28. Nc2 Ke7)
27... e6 28. R5d4 $2 {enabling a beautiful final combination by Black} ({
significantly better is} 28. Rxe5 Bxe5+ 29. Kg1 Rh4 30. Qd3 $19) 28... Ke7 {
Black needs both rooks at the king side for the final blow} 29. f4 (29. Nc2 $19
{a feasable alternative}) 29... Rg8 30. f5 (30. fxe5 $2 {
looses the Queen on top of all pain} Bxe5+ 31. Kg1 Bxd4+ 32. Rxd4 Qh2+ 33. Kf1
Rxg2 34. Qxg2 Rf6+ 35. Ke2 Qxg2+ 36. Kd3) 30... Qc6 $1 {this queen sacrifice,
vary rare in correspondence chess of this level anyway, sends the strongest
possible message to the opponent, that he's lost the game. White promptly
resigned.} (30... Qc6 31. f6+ (31. Bxc6 Bf4+ 32. Qh2 Rxh2#) 31... Kxf6 32. Rf1+
Ke7 33. Nc2 Rg7 $19 34. a3 Qc8 35. Qe4 f5 36. Qh4+ Rxh4 37. Rxh4 Bg3 38. Rh3
Nd3 39. Nb4 Nf2+ 40. Rxf2 Bxf2 41. Nd3 Qe8 42. Rh6 Qa4 43. Nxf2 Qc2 44. Rh7
Rxh7+ 45. Kg1 Qc1+ 46. Nd1 Qxd1+ 47. Kf2 Qd2+ 48. Kf3 e5 49. b4 e4+ 50. Kg3
Rg7+ 51. Kh4 Qh6#) 0-1

