[Event "City Championship"] [Site "Memphis"] [Date "2002.02.01"] [Round "5"] [White "Mah, Evan"] [Black "Howell, Ken"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C19"] [WhiteElo "1697"] [BlackElo "1673"] [Annotator "Fritz 11 (57s)"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2002.??.??"] {C19: French: 3 Nc3 Bb4: Main line: 7 Nf3 and 7 a4} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 7. Nf3 Ne7 8. Bd3 b6 9. O-O Ba6 {last book move} 10. Bd2 Bxd3 11. cxd3 c4 12. dxc4 (12. Bg5 cxd3 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Qxd3 Nc6) 12... Qxc4 13. Ne1 Nbc6 14. f4 h5 15. Nc2 Nf5 16. Rf3 O-O-O 17. Nb4 (17. Ne3 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 f6 (18... Qxc3 {would be great except for } 19. Rc1 Qxa3 20. Bf2)) 17... Nxb4 18. axb4 Kb7 {Black king safety dropped} 19. Qa4 {White threatens to win material: Qa4xa7} Ra8 (19... a6 20. Be1) 20. Rff1 (20. Qd7+ Qc7 21. Qxc7+ Kxc7) 20... a6 21. Rfb1 b5 { Black threatens to win material: b5xa4} 22. Qd1 Qd3 23. Kf2 h4 24. Qe2 Qxe2+ 25. Kxe2 Ne7 {Begins the manoeuvre Nf5-e7-c8-b6-a4} 26. Ra2 Nc8 27. Kf3 Nb6 28. Rba1 h3 29. g3 Na4 {The black knight is well posted.} 30. Ke3 Rhc8 {Attacking the backward pawn on c3} 31. Kd3 Rc4 32. Rc1 a5 33. Rac2 (33. bxa5 Rxa5 34. Ke3 Ra8) 33... Nb6 (33... axb4 34. cxb4 Nb6) 34. bxa5 Rxa5 35. Rb2 ( 35. f5) 35... Rca4 36. Rcb1 (36. Rbc2 Nc4) 36... Kc6 (36... Nc4 37. Rxb5+ Rxb5 38. Rxb5+ Ka7 39. f5) 37. Rb4 (37. Rc2 { is the best option White has}) 37... Nc4 (37... Ra2 {and Black can already relax} 38. R4b2 Nc4) 38. Bc1 {White has lost his nerve... understandable when you consider his position} (38. Rxa4 Rxa4 (38... bxa4 39. Ra1) 39. Rh1 Ra3) 38... Ra2 (38... Rxb4 {secures victory} 39. cxb4 Ra2) 39. Bb2 R5a4 (39... Nxb2+ 40. R4xb2 Kb6 41. g4) 40. Kc2 {terrible, but what else could White do to save the game?} (40. Rb3) 40... Na3+ (40... Na3+ 41. Kc1 Rxb4 42. cxb4 Nxb1 43. Kxb1 Ra8) (40... Nxb2 $6 {is the weaker alternative} 41. R1xb2 Rxb2+ 42. Kxb2 (42. Rxb2 Ra1 $17)) 0-1