WHITE: PLASKOTA
BLACK: KRASENKOVA

Amplico AIG Life, Warsaw 2002

1. d4

This 25 min. game was played in the last round of a tournament in which participated Korchnoi, Bareev, Ivanchuk, Belavsky, Tiviakov, and many other top grandmasters.

1...Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cd Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bc Bg7 7. Bc4

The classical treatment of exchange variation, where White is fast developing its kingside placing the knight on e2. In this way, the important d4 square is well protected. Nowadays, the variations connected with Nf3 (after which the knight also controls the important e5 square) are more popular.

7...c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 0-0 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. f3 cd 12. cd Na5 13. Bxf7

This pawn winning was long considered harmless for Black. However, thanks to Karpov's efforts, who used this weapon against Kasparov in mid eighties, 13. Bxf7 can be seen even in top class tournaments.

13...Rxf7 14. fg Rxf1 15. Kxf1 Qd7

An old move, 15...e5! is now considered a normal continuation. At first sight, it does not look good since after 16. d5 White has a protected passer. However, the d6 square can be easily blocked and Black gets a strong counterplay on dark squares, e.g., 16...Nc4 17. Qd3 (17. Bf2 also has some drawbacks) 17...Nxe3 (17...b5!? 18. Kg1 Nxe3 19. Qxe3 Bf8) 18. Qxe3 Qh4 19. h3 Bh6 20. Qd3 Rf8 21. Kg1 Qf2 with unclear position. For this reason, White recently keeps the tension in the center and answers 15...e5 with 16. Kg1!?

16. h3 Qe6 17. Qd3 Qc4 18. Qd2 b6?

This and the following move are just useless and allow White to develop a decisive initiative in a natural way. In such positions it is important to activate the knight. Hence something like 18...Qa6 (or 18...Qf7) followed by 19...Nc4 was a must.

19. Kg1 Rd8?

The pawn d4 is well protected and Black cannot count on any couterplay in the center.

20. Rc1 Qe6 21. Qc2 h6

Black's position already looks hopeless. Its knight is cut off (if 21...b5 then 22. Qc7 Qb6 23. Qxe7) and the white knight can comfortably and decisively sit down on e6. However, the last move looks rather strange; better was 21...Rf8.

22. Nf4 Qf7 23. d5 Rb8

As it will soon turn out, a8 was a slightly better square for the rook.

24. Ne6 Be5 25. Rf1!

Obviously, 25. Bxh6 was also possible, but 25. Rf1 is more decisive. Black can win an exchange with 25...Bh2 26. Kxh2 Qxf1, but then 27. Qc7! (one of the reasons why Black should have played 23...Ra8 instead of 23...Rb8) 27...Ra8 (if 27...Re8 then 28. d6! and 29. d7) 28. Bf4! Qa1 (white was threatening 29. Qxe7 Qa1 30. e5 with mate) 29. e5 Kf7 (29...Re8 30 d6!) 30. Nd8 Rxd8 (otherwise again 31. d6) 31. Qxd8 g5 (what else?) 32. Qh8! gf 33. e6 winning the queen.

15...Qh7 26. Qf2 Bg7

Black has to defend against 27. Qf8 Rxf8 28. Rxf8#. No better was 26...Kh8 27. Bf4! (another reason why the rook is better placed on a8) 27...Bxf4 (27...Nc4 28. Bxe5 Nxe5 29. Qb2) 28. Qxf4 Ra8 29. d6! ed (otherwise d6-d7-d8Q) 30. Qf6 Kg8 31. Qf8 and mate.

27. Qf7 Kh8 28. Nf4 Qg8 29. Nxg6 Kh7 30. Qf5!

White is winning the queen and the game.

30...e6 31. de Nc4 32. Ne7

Clearly, 32. Ne5 and 33. Nxc4 was also a possibility.

32...Kh8 33. Nxg8 Nxe3 34. Qg6

The most precise was 34. Qf4!

34...Rxg8 35. Rf7 Nc4

Looks like a joke - the knight gets into play only when everything is over.

36. Rxg7 Rxg7 37. Qxh6 Kg8 38. Qf6 b5 38. e7 Rxe7 39. Qxe7 a5 40. g5 Ne3 41. g6

1 - 0

[Warsaw, 1/20/2003]