(1) Kurnosov,Igor (2676) - Karjakin,Sergey (2760) [C67]
63rd ch-RUS Moscow RUS (8), 19.12.2010



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 h5 11.Ne2 b6 12.Rd1 Ba6 13.Ned4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 c5 15.Nf5 Be2 16.Rd2 Bc4 17.Ne3 Be6 18.Nd5 Rc8 19.b3 c6 20.Ne3 Rd8 21.Rxd8+ Kxd8 22.Bb2 g6 23.Rd1+ Kc7 24.f3 Bh6 25.Kf2 a5 26.a4 b5
It is rather remarkable how Black has managed to activate what is usually a dead queenside majority. To his credit, the treatement of the bishop pair against bishop and knight would have made Steinitz proud. Notice how the knight is completely denuded of any squares at the moment.

27.axb5 cxb5 28.Nd5+ Kc6 29.Nc3 Bf8 30.Rd8 c4
Threatening Bc5+ and Rxd8.

31.Ke2 b4 32.Ne4 cxb3 33.cxb3 Bg7 34.Rd6+ Kb5 35.Rd3
[The engines suggest the clever 35.Nc5! protecting b3 and attacking e6. The knight cannot be taken with 35...Kxc5 due to the mate after 36.Bd4+ Kb5 37.Rb6# ]

35...Bh6 36.Kd1 Ra8 37.Kc2 Rc8+ 38.Kb1 Rc7 39.g4 Bf4 40.Nd6+ Ka6 41.Ne8 Rd7 42.Rxd7 Bxd7 43.Nf6 Be6


44.gxh5?
Though Black was much better, this mistake is decisive.

44...Bxb3! 45.Bc1 Bxc1 46.Kxc1 gxh5 47.f4 a4 48.f5 a3 49.Nd7 Bd5 50.e6 fxe6 51.f6 e5 52.Nxe5 b3 53.f7 b2+ 54.Kc2 Be4+ 55.Kd2 b1Q 56.f8Q Qc2+ 57.Ke3 a2 58.Qd6+ Kb5 59.Qb8+ Kc5 60.Nd7+ Kc6 61.Ne5+ Kd5 62.Nf7 Qc3+ 63.Kf4 Qf6+ 0-1