The Lasker Sacrifice

(1) Ivanchuk,V (2710) - Sadvakasov,D (2595) [E12] 1st Samba Cup Skanderborg DEN (7), 17.10.2003 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Qb3 Nc6 10.0-0-0 Ne7 11.g4 g6 12.h4 Qd6 13.e3 a6 14.h5 0-0 15.Be2 Bg7 16.Kb1 Rab8 17.Rd2 c5 18.Qd1 c4 19.hxg6 fxg6 20.e4 Qf4 21.g5 b5 22.e5 Bc8 23.Rh4 Bg4 24.Ka1 Qf5 25.Ne1 Bxe2 26.Qxe2 Qxg5 27.Rg4 Qf5 28.Nc2 a5 29.a4 Bh6 30.f4 Bxf4 31.Rxf4 Qxf4 32.axb5 Qf1+ 33.Ka2 Qxe2 34.Rxe2 Rf4 35.Ka3 Kf7 36.Ka4 Ke6 37.Kxa5 Nf5 38.b6 Nxd4 39.Nxd4+ Rxd4 40.Ka6 Rf4 41.Ka7 Rg8 42.Nb5 Re4 43.Rd2 Kxe5 44.b7 Re3 45.Nc3 d4 46.Nb5 d3 47.Nc3 Kd4 48.b8Q Rxb8 49.Kxb8 Re2! Certainly the most beautiful way to win 50.Nxe2+ [ 50.Rxe2 dxe2 51.Nxe2+ Kd3 52.Nc3 h5 emphasizes White's hopeless situation] 50...Ke3 Amazing: White has a rook and a knight for three black pawns, but is helpless to do anything to prevent the immediate loss. Ivanchuk resigned. [ 50...Ke3 51.Rd1 Kxe2 52.Rh1 d2 ] 0-1

(2) Palo,D (2510) - Nielsen,P (2626) [D45] 1st Samba Cup Skanderborg DEN (7), 17.10.2003 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Bb4 8.Bd2 Qe7 9.Rg1 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 Ne4 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Bd3 0-0 13.0-0-0 Re8 14.Be1 c5 15.Kb1 c4 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5 19.Qxc4 Qxh2 20.Bc3 Be6 21.Qd4 Qh6 22.g5 Qg6 23.Ka1 b6 24.Qd6 Rac8 25.Kb1 a5 26.Ka1 b5 27.Bxa5 Ra8 28.Qb4 Bxa2 29.Kxa2 Qb6 30.Rd6 Rxa5+ 31.Kb3 Qc7 32.Rgd1 Rc8 33.Qc3 Nigel asked us to find the correct move here. We though for minutes but could not find the incredible 33...Ra3+!! 34.Kxa3 Qa7+ with mate to follow. [ 34...Qa7+ 35.Ra6 ( 35.Kb3 Qa4# ; 35.Kb4 Qa4# ) 35...Qxa6+ 36.Qa5 Qxa5+ 37.Kb3 Qa4# ] 0-1

(3) Hansen,C (2616) - Short,N (2701) [D58] 1st Samba Cup Skanderborg DEN (7), 17.10.2003 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Rc1 Bb7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b4 c6 12.Bd3 Be7 13.Qb3 Qd6 14.Rb1 Nd7 15.0-0 f5 16.Rfd1 Rad8 17.a4 Kh8 18.Bf1 g5 19.b5 c5 20.dxc5 Nxc5 21.Qa2 Bf6 22.Ne2 Ne4 23.Nfd4 Be5 24.Nf3 Bg7 25.Nfd4 f4 26.exf4 gxf4 27.Rbc1 Rd7 28.Nf3 Ng5 29.Ned4 Nxf3+ 30.Nxf3 d4 31.Qb3 Re8 32.Re1 Rxe1 33.Rxe1 Re7 34.Rxe7 Qxe7 35.h3 Bf6 36.Bc4 Qc5 37.Kh2 Be4 38.Kg1 Kg7 39.Nd2 Bg6 40.Qf3 h5 41.Qb7+ Qe7 42.Qxe7+ Bxe7 43.Nf3 d3 44.Kf1 Bf6 45.Ke1 Bc3+ 46.Kd1 Kf6 47.g4 fxg3 48.fxg3 Bf5 49.Kc1 Ke7 50.g4 hxg4 51.Nh4 d2+ 52.Kd1 Bd7 53.hxg4 Bxg4+ 54.Be2 Bxe2+ 55.Kxe2 Ke6 56.Kd1 Bb4 57.Nf3 Kd5 58.Kc2 Bc3 59.Ng5 Kc4 60.Ne4 Bb4 61.Ng5 Ba5 62.Ne6 Kb4 63.Nd4 Kxa4 64.Nc6 Kxb5 65.Nxa7+ Kc5 66.Nc8 b5 67.Ne7 Bc3 68.Nf5 b4 69.Ne3 Kd4 70.Nf1 b3+ 71.Kd1 b2 0-1