Nakamura,Hikaru - Shulman,Yuri [C18]
2010 U.S. Chess Championship Quad Final Saint Louis/USA (9), 26.05.2010
[GM Lubomir Kavalek/Huffington Post]

Huffington Post, May 26,

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4
The Queen sortie was Bill Hook's specialty. Black wants to assume control of the light squares, playing b7-b6 and exchanging the bishops with Bc8-a6.

8.Nf3
[Nakamura has in mind a pawn sacrifice invented by Garry Kasparov. Fischer tried 8.Qg4 Kf8 9.Qd1 but after 9...b6 10.h4 Ne7 11.h5 h6 12.Rh4 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.Rf4 Qd7 Hook had a playable game. However, he spoiled it later and allowed Fischer to win in 28 moves. Here is the rest: 15.Qf3 Nc6 16.Nh3 Rc8 17.g4 Qe8 18.g5 Ne7 19.gxh6 gxh6 20.Rf6 Nf5 21.Nf4 Ke7 22.Nxd5+ Kd8 23.Ne3 Nxe3 24.Bxe3 Rc7 25.dxc5 Nxc5 26.Rd1+ Ke7 27.Bxc5+ bxc5 28.Rxe6+ 1-0 Fischer,R-Hook,W/Siegen]

8...Nc6 9.h4 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nge7 11.h5!? Nxd4 12.Bd3 h6!
[White's advance has to be stopped. In the game Kasparov-Anand, Linares 1992, Black's kingside was shattered after 12...Nec6 13.Kf1 Nxf3 14.Qxf3 b6 15.h6 Ba6 16.hxg7 Rg8 17.Bxa6 Qxa6+ 18.Kg1 Rxg7 19.Qf6 Rg8 20.Rxh7 Qb7 and now instead of 15.Bg5, White could have played 21.c4! with the idea 21...dxc4 22.Bg5 Qe7 23.Qf3 Qc7 24.Rd1 with a decisive pressure.]

13.Kf1 Nxf3 14.Qxf3 b6! 15.Qg3
Shulman has a surprise up his sleeve.

15...Ba6!
[It seems that White has a powerful initiative, since the passive defense 15...Rg8 is met by 16.Rh4 d4 17.Rg4! and after 17...Kf8? 18.Rxg7! Rxg7 19.Bxh6 wins. By sacrificing two pawns, Shulman gets rid of the light Bishops and begins to dictate the play.]

16.Qxg7 Bxd3+ 17.cxd3 Rg8 18.Qxh6
[After 18.Qh7 Qg4 19.g3 Rc8 all Black pieces are in harmony.]

18...Qd4 19.Re1?!N
A new move, but playing the rook to the open c-file, as it was done previously, makes more sense. It is hard to believe that Hikaru prepared the variation up to this point. If he did, he misjudged it because Black has all the trumps.

19...Qxd3+ 20.Kg1 Rc8 21.Bg5?!
White's best chance was to offer the Queen exchange 21.Qe3.

21...Qf5 22.f4?
[Fatally locking his Queen out of play. Nakamura had to try 22.Bxe7 Kxe7 23.Qe3 hoping to consolidate.]

22...Rc2 23.Rh2?
[Loses. White becomes vulnerable on the first rank. 23.Qf6 Qxf6 24.exf6 Nf5 25.Rh3 was the last hope.]

23...Qd3! 24.Qf6
Diagram # [Too late. Also after 24.Bxe7 Qd2! Black mates.]

24...Rxg5!
Eliminating the last menacing threat.

25.Qxg5
[After 25.fxg5 Nf5 threatening 26...Qd4+ 27.Kh1 Ng3 mate, Black wins.]

25...Qd4+ 26.Kh1 Qe3!
[A final blow. The Queen is tabu since 26...Qe3 27.Rxe3 (27.Qh4 Rc1! wins) 27...Rc1+ Black mates.] 0-1