1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5

61% White in 2216 games. GMP

5... Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7 7. O-O Qh4 8. c4 O-O-O 9. c5 g5 10. Nc3 Bg7

This position has occurred 100's of times, now Ne2 has scored 61% White.

11. g3

11. Ne2 f5 12. f3 Rhf8 13. Qe1 Qh5 14. fxe4 dxe4 15. Bc4 f4 16. d5 Kb8 (16... Be5 17. c6 Bg4 18. Nc3 (18. h3 unclear) 18... Bd4+ 19. Kh1 Rf6 20. h4 Rh6 21. g3 Bf3+ 22. Kh2 Qg4 23. Rxf3 exf3 0-1, Hoellrigl Wilfried (AUT) 2235 - Leeb Hans-Peter, Austria 1997) 17. c6 Bc8 18. cxb7 Bg4 19. Nxf4 gxf4 20. Bxf4 Qg6 21. Qg3 Qb6+ 22. Kh1 h5 23. h3 Rh8 24. Rac1 Rd7 25. a4 Bd4 26. Bb5 Rg7 27. Rc6 Qxb7 28. Be5 Bxe5 29. Qxe5 Rhg8 30. Ba6 Qb4 31. Rc4 Qd6 32. Qxd6 cxd6 33. hxg4 hxg4 34. Rfc1 Rh8+ 35. Kg1 Rgg8 36. Rxe4 g3 37. Rb4+ Ka8 38. Rbc4 Kb8 39. b4 Rf8 40. b5 Re8 41. a5 Ref8 42. Rc8+ Rxc8 43. Bxc8 1-0, Mannion Stephen R (SCO) 2365 - Kobese Watu (RSA) 2280, Yerevan (Armenia) 1996

11... Qh3

11... Qh6!? 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Bxe4 f5 14. Bg2 f4 15. d5 Rhf8 16. c6 (16. Re1 Kb8 17. d6 cxd6 18. c6 bxc6 19. Re4 d5 20. Ra4 Ka8 21. Bd2 Bh3 22. Bh1 Qf6 23. gxf4 gxf4 24. Bxf4 Bh6 25. Bg3 Rd7 26. Bg2 Bxg2 27. Kxg2 d4 28. Qd3 Bf4 29. Rf1 h5 30. Qe4 Bxg3 31. hxg3 d3 32. Qe3 Qxb2 33. Rd1 Qc2 34. Rxd3 Rxf2+ 35. Qxf2 Qxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Rxd3 37. Rh4 Rd5 38. Rb4 Rb5 39. Rf4 Kb7 40. Ke3 Rd5 41. Rf8 Ra5 42. Rh8 Kb6 43. Kd4 Ra4+ 44. Ke3 Ra3+ 45. Kd4 Rxg3 46. Rxh5 Rg2 47. a3 Rg3 48. Rh1 Rxa3 49. Rb1+ Kc7 50. Kc4 Ra5 51. Rb2 a6 52. Rb1 Rb5 53. Ra1 Kb6 54. Ra4 a5 55. Kc3 Rb1 56. Rh4 Kb5 57. Rh8 Ka4 58. Ra8 Rc1+ 59. Kb2 Rh1 60. Rb8 Rh2+ 61. Kc3 Rh5 62. Kc4 Ka3 63. Rb3+ Ka2 64. Rb6 Rh1 65. Ra6 Rc1+ 66. Kd3 Kb3 67. Rxa5 Rd1+ 68. Ke2 Rd6 69. Rc5 Kb4 70. Rc1 c5 71. Rb1+ Ka3 72. Rc1 Rd5 0-1, Arencibia Walter (CUB) 2425 - Vladimirov Evgeny (KAZ) 2575, Leon (Spain) 1991) 16... Bxc6 17. Qb3 Bd7 18. Rd1 Qb6 19. Qxb6 axb6 20. a4 Bg4 21. f3 Be6 22. Bxf4 Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Bxd5 24. Bxg5 Bd4+ 25. Kh1 Bxf3 26. Re1 Bxb2 27. Bxf3 Rxf3 28. Re8+ Kd7 29. Re7+ Kd6 30. Rxh7 c5 31. Bf4+ Kd5 32. Rxb7 c4 33. Rxb6 c3 34. Rb8 Rxf4 35. gxf4 c2 36. Rd8+ Ke4 37. Re8+ Kxf4 38. Rc8 c1=Q+ 39. Rxc1 Bxc1 1/2-1/2, Cioara Andrei Nestor (ROM) 2396 - Goodger Martyn (ENG) 2133, Port Erin (England) 2002

12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Bxe4 Bb5 14. Bg2

14. Bxg5!? Rxd4 15. Bg2 Qf5 16. Qb3 c6 17. Be3 Bxf1 18. Rxf1 Rdd8 19. Qa4 Kb8 20. b4 Bd4 21. Bf4+ Be5 22. Bxe5+ Qxe5 23. b5 Qd4 24. Qb3 Qd3 25. Qxd3 Rxd3 26. bxc6 bxc6 27. Bxc6 Kc7 28. Be4 Rd4 29. Bf3 Rb8 30. Re1 Rd3 31. Re7+ Rd7 32. Re2 Kd8 33. Kg2 Re7 34. Rd2+ Kc7 35. Rd6 Rb2 36. Ra6 Kb8 37. Ra3 Rc2 38. c6 Rb2 39. h4 f6 40. Ra5 Re5 41. c7+ Kxc7 42. Rxa7+ Kd6 43. Ra6+ Ke7 44. a4 h5 45. Ra7+ Kf8 46. a5 Ra2 47. a6 Rea5 48. Rh7 Rxa6 1/2-1/2, Sziva Erika (NED) 2255 - Starr Nava (CAN) 2220, Genting Highlands (Malaysia) 1990

14... Qh6?!

14... Qf5!? 15. Be3 Bxf1 16. Bxf1 has scored 79% for White in 14 games.

What should White play ?

15. Bxb7+!?

15. Qg4+ Kb8 16. Rd1 f5 17. Qxf5 Rxd4 Gibbs-Dartnell, BCCC 1994

15. Re1!? Rxd4 (15... Bxd4 16. Qg4+ Kb8 17. Bxg5) 16. Qf3 Bc6 17. Qf5+ Bd7 18. Qxf7 Rf8 19. Qb3 Bc6 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Bxg5

15... Kxb7 16. Qb3 Qa6

16... Ka6 17. Qa3+ Kb7 18. Qb3=

16... Kc6! 17. Rd1 Rd5 appears to be winning for Black

17. a4 Rxd4 18. Qxb5+ Qxb5 19. axb5 Rb4

19... Rd5 20. Be3

20. Be3

20. Ra5!?

20... Rxb5 21. c6+ Kxc6 22. Rfc1+ Kd7 23. Rxa7 Rc8 24. Rd1+

24. b4!?

24... Ke6 25. Re1

25. b4=

25... Kf5 26. Rc1

26. b4 Bc3 27. Rc1 Bxb4 28. Rcxc7 Rxc7 29. Rxc7 Ke6=

26... Be5

White has a weak b pawn

27. b4 Rxb4 28. Rc5

risky, the White Rooks are forkable

28. Ra5

28. Bxg5 Kxg5 29. f4+ Bxf4 30. gxf4+ Rxf4 31. Rcxc7 Rxc7 32. Rxc7 h5 and White has some drawing chances as the pawns are all on the same side

28... f6 29. Kg2

White was rather short of time to be able to calculate all of

29. f4 gxf4 30. gxf4 (30. Bxf4 Rb2 (30... Rxf4 31. gxf4 Kxf4) 31. Bxe5 fxe5 32. Rcxc7 Rxc7 33. Rxc7 h6) 30... Ke4 (30... Rxf4!? 31. Bxf4 Kxf4 the Wh R's are clumsy) 31. fxe5 Rg8+ 32. Kf2 Rb2+ 33. Kf1 Kxe3 34. Rc3+ Kd4 35. Rcxc7 fxe5 36. Rxh7 Rf8+ 37. Ke1 is uncomfortable but probably drawing

29... Ke6

Black is now a comfortable pawn up

29... Kg6!?

30. Rc6+ Kd7 31. Rc5 Bd6 32. Rd5 Ke6 33. Rd1 Rcb8 34. Re1 Rb1 35. Rxb1 Rxb1 36. Ra8 c5

its not the number of pawns but where they are that matters. Black is content if White wastes time winning the h pawn

37. Ra7 Kd5

37... h6!?

38. Kf3 h5 39. h3 c4 40. Rh7 c3 41. Rxh5 Re1

41... c2 42. Rh8 (42. h4 Rb3) 42... c1=Q 43. Bxc1 Rxc1

41... Bc5 42. Bxc5 c2 (42... Kxc5 43. Rh8 Kd4) 43. Ba3 Rb3+ 44. Ke2 Rxa3 45. Kd2 Rc3 46. Kc1 Ke4 47. h4 gxh4 48. Rxh4+ Kd3 49. Rf4 Rc6 50. g4

42. Rh8 Bc5 43. Bxc5 Kxc5 44. Rc8+

44. h4 is a better chance, mobilizing a White passed p

44... Kd4 45. Kg4

White is lost

45... Re5! 46. f4 Rc5 47. Rd8+ Ke3 48. Rd1 gxf4 49. gxf4 Rc4

49... c2 50. Rc1 Kd2 51. Rg1 c1=Q 52. Rxc1 Rxc1 53. Kf5 Ke3 also wins , but Black is exploiting White's recurring time trouble to play devious moves

50. Re1+ Kd2 51. Rh1 c2 52. Rh2+

52. Kf5 c1=Q 53. Rxc1 Kxc1 (53... Rxc1! 54. Kxf6 Ke3 55. f5 Ke4 56. h4 Kf4 57. Kg6 Rc6+ 58. f6 Ke5 59. h5 Rxf6+ 60. Kg5 Rf1) 54. Kxf6 Rxf4+ 55. Kg5 Rf1 56. h4 Rg1+ 57. Kf5 Rh1 58. Kg5 Kd2 59. h5 Ke3 60. Kg6=

52... Ke3

and White's flag fell. A difficult and complex struggle.

0-1 [v Kemenade]