Bauer and Skripchenko are French Champions

[Event "90th ch-FRA TB 2015"] [Site "Saint-Quentin FRA"] [Date "2015.08.20"] [Round "2"] [White "Gharamian, Tigran"] [Black "Bauer, Christian"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C10"] [WhiteElo "2644"] [BlackElo "2618"] [PlyCount "94"] [EventDate "2015.08.20"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 {Bauer has long been one of the more original theoreticians of opening theory, and also champions 1...b6 like no one else.} 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nb4 6. O-O {Other more popular options are 6.Bg5 and 6.e5} ({ Here is a game he played a couple of months before in the French top league:} 6. e5 Nd7 7. Bg5 Be7 8. h4 h6 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. a3 Nxd3+ 11. Qxd3 Nb6 12. a4 Bd7 13. a5 Nc8 14. Rh3 a6 15. Rg3 Qf8 16. Nd2 Ne7 17. h5 Nf5 18. Rh3 c5 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. Nb3 Qb4 21. Kf1 Rc8 22. Kg1 O-O 23. Rd1 Rc4 24. Rf3 Bc6 25. Rh3 Rc8 26. Rd2 Rg4 27. f3 Rh4 28. Rxh4 Qxh4 29. g4 d4 30. gxf5 dxc3 31. bxc3 Qg3+ 32. Rg2 Qe1+ 33. Qf1 Qxe5 34. fxe6 Qxe6 35. Qf2 Qf6 36. Nd4 Bd7 37. Qd2 Re8 38. Qf2 Re5 39. Qg3 Rxa5 40. Qb8+ Kh7 41. Qxb7 Qh4 42. Qe4+ Qxe4 43. fxe4 Rxh5 44. Kf2 Rh3 45. Rg3 Rxg3 46. Kxg3 a5 {0-1 (46) Edouard,R (2627)-Bauer,C (2624) Montpellier 2015}) 6... Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. a3 $6 {This move just doesn't seem right. Not only does it waste a tempo to force Black to take the bishop, but that bishop is a valuable piece for White.} ({Why not} 8. Bf1 {instead? If Black does insist with a followup such as} b6 {with the idea of Ba6 Bxa6 Nxa6 and ...Qc8 ...c5, then White can throw in} 9. a3 {to spoil the party.}) 8... Nxd3 9. cxd3 b6 $1 {Black's light-squared bishop is clearly going to be more than a spectator now.} 10. e5 Nd7 11. Ne2 c5 $1 {Black's chances are already to be preferred here thanks to the clear plan of action on the queenside, plus the two bishops.} 12. Nf4 a5 13. Be3 Ba6 14. g3 Re8 {White has delcared his intentions clearly, and Black gets ready to make sure he has room on f8 for one of his minor pieces. The only problem, however samll, is that the rook isn't really adding anything to Black's position from e8.} ({Therefore it was probably better to instead play} 14... Qc7 {and then Rfc8.}) 15. h4 Rc8 16. Nh2 Nf8 17. Qg4 Ng6 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Rad1 c4 $6 {Black has been slowly outplayed by White, and this last move puts his entire position in jeopardy.} 20. h5 $1 { It is a razor's edge he walks after this shot.} gxh5 $2 {It is hard to believe this seemingly obvious move is a blunder, but it is.} ({The engine's completely incomprehensible line goes:} 20... c3 21. bxc3 Rxc3 22. hxg6 Rf8 23. gxf7+ Kxf7 {... but good luck trying to find that over the board.}) 21. Qxh5 { Black's woes are not hard to see. His pieces are unable to coordinate on the kingside, and White's threats on the g-pawn and h-file with Kg2 and Rh1 are on the horizon.} f5 22. Nf3 Rf8 23. Qg6 Qe8 {Black needs to challenge the queen immediately or go down in flames on the spot.} (23... Rc6 {for example, falls to} 24. Bh6 Rf7 25. Kg2 $1 {followed by Rh1.}) 24. Qxe6+ Qf7 {In a normal game Black might already have resigned here, but this is not a normal game. This is a rapid game, and on the line is the title for the French Championship. It will be fought to the last breath.} 25. Qxb6 Ra8 26. Bf4 Rfb8 27. Qxa5 Qe6 {By now, both players were down to less than five minutes on their clocks, with Gharamian working with less than three. As a result, imprecisions and errors begin to kreep in, and the game now heads to a dramatic finish.} 28. dxc4 Bxc4 29. Qd2 Rb3 30. Re3 Rab8 31. Rxb3 Rxb3 32. Ng5 Qb6 33. Qc2 Bxg5 34. Bxg5 Qg6 35. Qd2 $2 {The moment Bauer had been hoping for and playing for!} Rd3 $1 36. Qc1 Rxd1+ 37. Qxd1 Qxg5 {The game is not decided yet thanks to White's numerous extra pawns, but it is obvious that Black is the one in the driver's seat. His bishop and queen make White's defense a difficult one.} 38. b3 Ba6 39. Qc2 $2 Qg4 $1 {Securing entry for the bishop, now it gets ugly very fast.} 40. Qc6 Bd3 41. Qc8+ Kh7 42. Qc1 Be4 43. Kf1 Qf3 44. Ke1 Qxb3 45. Qg5 Qc3+ 46. Kf1 Qd3+ 47. Ke1 Bf3 0-1