You know you're going to lose. Even when I was ahead I knew I was going to lose. -- on playing against Fischer.
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[Event "Linares Anibal op"]
[Site "Huntsville"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khalifman, GM."]
[Black "Wojtkiewicz, Alek"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Many"]
[BlackElo "2680"]
[ECO "D17"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "unknown"]
{ On 23 April 2001 two-time USCF Grand Prix points winner Grand Master Alek
Wojtkiewicz (volt' - ka - vics) visited the Huntsville Chess Club in Alabama.
At the time of his visit, he was fifth on the USCF ratings list with a rating
of 2680. Just off his victory at the HCC Space City Open the day before, he
give a lecture and a simul before heading back to New York. This is the game
he proudly presented at that lecture.|GM Wojtkiewicz fell into a line that
GM Khalifman had prepared in the Queen's Gambit / Slav Defense. GM
Wojtkiewwicz explained that this was the first time he had ever seen this
line. The following play was incredibly sharp but GM Wojtkiewicz continually
found the only moves that didn't lose the game, until he came up with a
novelty of his own with 19... Bc8! GM Khalifman apparently did not consider
this move in his home preparation. It busted the line and GM Wojtkiewicz
ended up winning the game despite the time trouble he was in due to the
complications.|This win helped him tie for first place in the tournament. } 1. d4 { D17: Slav Defence: 5 a4 Bf5: Lines with 6 Nh4 and 6 Ne5 } 1... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 { Consolidates d5. } 7. g3 { This
move caught GM Wojtkiewicz by surprise. He never saw it before this occasion.
It is the beginning of a prepared line. } 7... Bb4 8. Bg2 Ne4 9. O-O { Offering
black another free pawn with no apparent compensation. } 9... Nxc3 { Black accepts
this sacrifice. } 10. bxc3 Bxc3 11. Ba3 Qxd4 { Black declines the exchange.
After 11. Bxa1? 12. Nxc4! Qc7 13. Nd6+ Kd8 14. Qxa1 black maintains only a
slight advantage. However, his king is very vulnerable. 11... Bxd4 13. Nxc4
Bxa1 13. Nd6+ Qxd6 (what else?) 14. Qxd6 (14. Bxd6?! Bf6) give white a strong
advantage. } 12. Nxc4 Qxc4 { On 12...Qxd1 13. Raxd1 and black can't stop Nd6+
winning material. And on 12...Bxa1 13 Qb3! with many threats. White is now
down a knight and two Pawns, but has considerable play in the position. } 13. Qd6 $2 { 13. Rc1 Nd7 14. Bb2 is better, but in black's favor. } 13... Bf6 14. Rfd1 { If white now would get Qc7 in, then he might survive. } 14... e5 { Now if 15. Qc7
Nd7 16. Qxb7 Rd8 17. Bxc6 and black is uncomfortable, but defending well.
Black cannot afford to go pawn-grabbing. 14... Qxe2? 15. Qc7 e5 16. Qxb7 +-. } 15. Rab1 { Now if 15... Bxb1 16. Rxb1 Qd4 (16... Qxe2? 17. Rxb7 leads black to
a brutal end.) 17. Rxb7 Qxd6 18. Bxd6 Kd8 white's attack fizzles. } 15... Qe6 16. Qc7 Qc8 { 16... Bxb1?! is weaker 17. Qxb7 c5 (to clear a path for Nc6, and
hopefully allow black to castle) 18. Bxc5 = with blinding complications that
favor white. } 17. Qxb7 Qxb7 18. Rxb7 e4 { If instead 18... Bd7 19. Bd6! Na6
20. Ba3 and black still has problems. } 19. g4 Bc8 $1 { This is the move that
busted the whole line! Apparently, white did not anticipate this move. 19...
Bc8! forces the rook off the critical b7 square. Other lines are weaker. On
19... Bxg4 20. Bxe4 Bd7 21. Bd6 Na6 22. Ba3 and black will draw at best. On
the immediate 19... Bd7 20. Bxe4 Be7 (what else?) 21. Bxe7 Kxe7 22. Bxc6
black remains uncomfortable as he bleeds material. Of course not 19... Bg6?
20. Rc7! (threatening Rc8. Also interesting is 20. f4!?) is very strong. } 20. Rc7 { Again threatening mate. } 20... Bxg4 21. Bxe4 Bd7 22. Bd6 { White's threats are
not as strong with the rook on c7 as opposed to b7. } 22... Be7 { Black has weathered
the worst of the storm. Now he just needs to make time control and win the
game. } 23. Bf4 f5 24. Bd3 Be6 25. Bc4 Kf7 { 25. Bc4 is a deflection tactic. If
black accepts the bishop gambit 25... Bxc4, then white plays 26. Rc8+ a
double attack that wins. } 26. Bxe6+ Kxe6 27. Rd3 Bc5 28. Rxg7 Na6 29. Rh3 Rag8 30. Rxh7 Rxh7 31. Rxg8 Bb6 32. Rg6+ Kd5 33. Rd6+ Kc5 34. Rf6 Rh5 35. Bd2 Kd5 36. a5 Bc7 37. h4 Be5 38. Rf7 Nc7 39. Bg5 Ke6 40. Re7+ Kd6 41. Rf7 Ne6 42. Rxf5 Nxg5 43. hxg5 Ke6 44. e4 Rh4 { White resigned because after 45.
f3 Rf4 the rooks are traded off. Then it is an easy win for black. } 0-1