[Event "47th Mid-South Open"] [Site "Memphis, TN"] [Date "2007.11.17"] [Round "1"] [White "Polk, William"] [Black "Kovalic, Jeff"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D10"] [WhiteElo "1400"] [BlackElo "1820"] [Annotator "Fritz 11 (57s)"] [PlyCount "118"] [EventDate "2007.??.??"] {D10: Slav Defence: 3 cxd5 (without early Nf3) and 3 Nc3} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Bf4 dxc4 {last book move} 4. e4 b5 5. g3 {Black's piece can't move: f8} (5. Nf3 $5 $11) 5... Nf6 $15 {Black threatens to win material: Nf6xe4} 6. Bg2 e6 (6... Na6 $142 7. a3 g6 $15) 7. Nd2 $2 (7. Ne2 $142 $11 {is a viable option}) 7... Qxd4 $19 8. Ne2 Qxb2 9. a4 (9. O-O Na6 10. a4 $19) 9... Bb4 $4 {gives the opponent counterplay} (9... c3 $5 10. Nf3 b4 11. Rb1 $19) 10. axb5 $2 (10. O-O Bd7 11. Rb1 Qa3 $11) 10... Bxd2+ $4 {releasing the pressure on the opponent} ( 10... c3 $142 {would have given Black the upper hand} 11. O-O cxd2 $19) 11. Bxd2 $15 Qxb5 (11... cxb5 12. Bc3 Qb3 13. Qd2 $18) 12. O-O {White castles and improves king safety} Qb7 (12... O-O $5 $15 {has some apparent merit}) 13. Qa4 Nbd7 {Black is behind in development.} 14. Nd4 {White threatens to win material: Nd4xc6} (14. Rfb1 Nb6 15. Qa3 Qc7 $14) 14... O-O 15. Nxc6 (15. Qxc4 $5 {looks like a viable alternative} c5 16. Rfb1 $14) 15... Nb6 {Black threatens to win material: Nb6xa4} 16. Qb4 $4 (16. Qb5 $142 {this is the best bet to save the position} Re8 17. Ne5 $15) 16... Qxc6 $19 17. e5 (17. f3 { cannot change destiny} Bb7 $19) 17... Nfd5 18. Qa5 Qc7 19. Bb4 Rd8 20. Bd6 Rxd6 21. exd6 Qxd6 22. Rfb1 Bb7 23. Ra2 (23. Rb5 {hardly improves anything} Bc6 24. Rc5 Rd8 $19) 23... g6 24. Rd2 Qe7 25. Re1 (25. Bxd5 {does not save the day} Nxd5 26. Rd4 c3 $19) 25... Nf6 (25... c3 {might be the shorter path} 26. Rc2 $19) 26. Red1 (26. Bxb7 {does not solve anything} Qxb7 27. Rb2 Nfd5 $19) 26... Bxg2 27. Kxg2 Nfd5 28. Rd4 (28. Rc2 {doesn't improve anything} c3 29. Rxc3 Nxc3 30. Qxc3 Qb7+ 31. Kg1 a5 $19) 28... c3 29. Qa6 (29. Rc1 {doesn't change the outcome of the game} Qf6 30. Rdd1 Nc4 $19) 29... c2 30. Re1 (30. Rc1 {doesn't get the bull off the ice} Rc8 $19) 30... Qc5 31. Rd2 (31. Qa1 {a fruitless try to alter the course of the game} Nc4 $19) 31... Nb4 (31... Qc6 $142 {seems even better} 32. f3 c1=Q 33. Rxc1 Qxc1 34. Qe2 $19) 32. Qb7 Qc8 (32... Qc3 $142 {might be the shorter path} 33. Rxc2 Qxc2 34. Kg1 $19) 33. Qe4 N6d5 (33... Qc3 $5 {seems even better} 34. Qe3 Qc6+ 35. Qf3 $19) 34. Rd4 (34. Rc1 {does not help much} Qc6 35. Kg1 Rc8 $19) 34... Rb8 (34... Nc3 $142 {and Black can already relax} 35. Qg4 Rb8 36. Rxb4 Rxb4 37. Qxb4 $19) 35. Rc4 Qa6 (35... Qb7 $142 {makes it even easier for Black} 36. Kg1 $19) 36. Qd4 (36. Rxc2 {doesn't get the cat off the tree} Nxc2 37. Qxc2 Rb4 $19) 36... Qa3 (36... Rc8 $142 $5 { keeps an even firmer grip} 37. Rxb4 Nxb4 38. Qxb4 Qc6+ 39. Kh3 $19) 37. Ra1 Qb3 38. Qxa7 (38. Rc1 $19 {otherwise it's curtains at once}) 38... Qxc4 39. Qxb8+ Kg7 40. Ra8 (40. Qe5+ {is the last straw} Nf6 41. Qf4 $19) 40... c1=Q 41. Qh8+ (41. Qf8+ {doesn't do any good} Kf6 42. Qxf7+ Kxf7 43. Ra7+ Ne7 44. Rxe7+ Kxe7 45. h4 Q4f1+ 46. Kf3 Qfd1+ 47. Kg2 Qh1#) 41... Kh6 42. Qf8+ (42. Qxh7+ { doesn't change anything anymore} Kxh7 43. Rh8+ Kxh8 44. h4 Q4f1+ 45. Kf3 Qc2 46. h5 Qce2#) 42... Kh5 43. Qxf7 (43. Qh6+ {cannot undo what has already been done} Kxh6 44. h4 Q4f1+ 45. Kf3 f5 46. Ra7 Qc3#) 43... Qe4+ (43... Q1f1+ 44. Kf3 Qce2#) 44. Qf3+ Qxf3+ 45. Kxf3 Qd1+ (45... Qh1+ 46. Ke2 Nc3+ 47. Kd2 Nb1+ 48. Ke3 Qe1+ 49. Kd4 Qc3+ 50. Ke4 Nd2+ 51. Kf4 Nd5#) 46. Ke4 (46. Kg2 {is not much help} Nd3 47. Ra5 Qe2 48. h4 Nxf2 49. Ra4 Ng4+ 50. Kg1 Qf2+ 51. Kh1 Qf1#) 46... Qd3+ (46... Nc6 47. g4+ Kh4 48. Ra3 Qd4+ 49. Kf3 Qxg4#) 47. Ke5 Nc7 ( 47... Qc3+ 48. Kxe6 Qf6+ 49. Kd7 Qe7+ 50. Kc8 Qc7#) 48. Rc8 (48. g4+ {does not win a prize} Kh6 49. g5+ Kxg5 50. h4+ Kh5 51. Rd8 Nc6+ 52. Kf6 Qxd8+ 53. Kg7 Qd7+ 54. Kg8 Kh6 55. h5 Qg7#) 48... Qd5+ (48... Nc6+ 49. Kf6 Kh6 50. Kf7 Qd7+ 51. Kg8 Qg7#) 49. Kf6 Nc6 50. Rxc7 Qd8+ (50... Qe5+ 51. Kf7 Nd8+ 52. Kf8 Qxc7 53. g4+ Kxg4 54. Ke8 Kg5 55. f4+ Kf6 56. f5 Qe7#) 51. Kxe6 $19 Qxc7 52. f3 Qe5+ 53. Kd7 Nb4 54. f4 (54. g4+ {does not improve anything} Kh6 55. h4 Qd5+ 56. Kc8 Qc6+ 57. Kd8 Nd5 58. g5+ Kg7 59. h5 Qc7+ 60. Ke8 Qe7#) 54... Qd5+ 55. Ke7 (55. Ke8 {cannot change what is in store for ?} Nc6 56. h4 Qe6+ 57. Kf8 Kh6 58. h5 Qe7+ 59. Kg8 Qg7#) 55... Nc6+ 56. Kf6 (56. Ke8 {is not the saving move} Qd8+ 57. Kf7 Qe7+ 58. Kg8 Kh6 59. f5 Qg7#) 56... Kh6 (56... Qd7 57. g4+ Kh4 58. f5 Qe7#) 57. g4 Qd6+ 58. Kf7 Qe7+ 59. Kg8 Qg7# 0-1