Sergey Ionov annotates the game

Najer (2500) - Ionov (2530)
Petrov Memorial, St.-Petersburg, 1998

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 a6 4.g3 b5 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.d3 d6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Ng5!?



8.e5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Nbd7=; 8.Nh4 Nc6 9.f4 Be7 10.f5 8...Nc6N 8...h6; 8...Be7 9.e5 (9.f4 0-0 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nce4 unclear) 9...Bxg2 10.exf6 Bxf6 11.Nxf7 Kxf7 12.Kxg2 Re8 +/= 9.f4 Be7 10.f5



10.e5? dxe5 11.fxe5 Qd4+ 12.Kh1 Qxe5 13.Bf4 Qd4 -/+ 10...exf5 11.exf5 d5!? 11...0-0 12.Nge4 b4 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Nd5 Bd4+ 15.Kh1 Ne7 16.Nf6+ Bxf6 17.Bxb7 Ra7 unclear 12.Nxd5!?



12.Nh3 b4 13.Na4 0-0 14.g4 h6 unclear 12...Nxd5 13.Qh5 Bxg5 14.Bxg5 Nf6 15.Rae1+ Kf8 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Re6 Qd4+ 18.Rf2! 18.Kh1?! Qd7 -/+ 18...Qd7



18...Rc8 19.f6!

A) 19...Qxf2+ 20.Kxf2 fxe6 21.Qxc5+ Kf7 (21...Kg8 22.Qd6) 22.Bxc6 Bxc6 23.Qe7+ +/-;

B) 19...Rg8 20.Re4! (20.c3 Qxf2+ only move 21.Kxf2 fxe6 22.Qxc5+ Kf7 23.Bxc6 Bxc6 24.Qe7+ Kg6 25.f7 Rgf8 26.Qxe6+ Kh5 only move; 20.Re7!? Nxe7 21.fxe7+ Kxe7 22.Qxf7+ Kd6 23.Qxb7 Rgf8 24.Bf3 with attack) 20...Qd6 21.Qxh7 Nd4 (21...Nd8 22.fxg7+ Rxg7 23.Qh8+ Rg8 24.Re8+ Kxe8 25.Qxg8+ Kd7 26.Bxb7+-) 22.Rg4 Bxg2 23.Rxg7 Rxg7 24.fxg7+ Ke7 25.g8Q+-;

18...Ne5!?

A) 19.f6 fxe6-+; B) 19.c3 Qg4-+;

C) 19.Bxb7 fxe6 20.fxe6+ (20.Bxa8 Ng4-+; 20.c3 Qe3 21.Bxa8 Nxd3-+) 20...Ke7-+;

D) 19.Rxe5! 19...Qxe5 (19...Bxg2 20.f6+-) 20.Bxb7 Ra7 21.Be4 with compensantion for the material

19.f6 Qxe6 20.Qxc5+?!



20.Bd5 Qe1+ 21.Kg2 g6 22.Qh6+ Ke8-/+; better is 20.fxg7+ Kxg7 21.Bd5 A) 21...Qe1+ 22.Kg2 A1) 22...Qxf2+? 23.Kxf2 Nd8 24.Bxb7 Nxb7 25.Qg5+ Kf8 26.Qd5 Kg7 (26...Rb8? 27.Qe5+-; 26...Ra7? 27.Qe5+-) 27.Qxb7 +/-; A2) 22...Ne5 A2a) 23.Qg5+ Kf8 24.Bxb7 (24.Qh6+? Ke8 25.Bxb7 Qxf2+ -+) 24...Re8 25.Qf6 Rg8 (25...Kg8? 26.Bd5 Rf8 27.Kh3!+/-) 26.Qd6+=; A2b) 23.Rxf7+ 23...Nxf7 24.Qxf7+ Kh6 25.Qf6+ Kh5 26.Qf5+=; B) 21...Rhf8 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Qg5+ Kh8 24.Qxc5 unclear 20...Ke8 20...Kg8? 21.Qg5 +- 21.Bd5 21.Re2 Qxe2 22.Bxc6+ Bxc6 23.Qxc6+ Kf8 A) 24.Qc5+ Kg8 25.Qg5 Qd1+ 26.Kg2 Qxc2+ 27.Kh3 (27.Kg1 Qb1+ 28.Kg2 Qxb2+-+) 27...Qc8+ 28.g4 Qf8-+; B) 24.Qxa8+ 24...Qe8 -+ 21...Qd7 22.Qe3+?



22.Bxc6 Bxc6 23.Re2+ Kd8 24.Re7 gxf6-/+; better is 22.fxg7 Rg8 23.Bxf7+ (23.Re2+ Kd8 24.Qf8+ Kc7-+) 23...Qxf7 24.Rxf7 Kxf7 25.Qf5+ Ke7 (25...Kxg7 26.Qd7+ Kh8 27.Qxb7 unclear) 26.Qg5+ (26.Qxh7!?) 26...Kd7 27.Qf5+ Kc7 28.Qf4+ Kb6 29.Qf2+ Ka5 30.c3! unclear 22...Kd8 23.fxg7 Re8?!



better is 23...Rg8 24.Rxf7 Qxd5 25.Qb6+ Ke8 -+ 24.Rxf7 Ne7 25.Qb6+ 25.Bxb7 Qxb7 26.Rf8 Qc6 25...Qc7 26.Qxb7 26.Qxc7+? Kxc7 27.g8Q Rxg8 28.Rxe7+ Kd6 -+ 26...Qc5+ 27.Kf1 Qxd5 28.Qxe7+ 28.Rxe7 Qxb7 29.Rxb7 Rc8 30.c3 Rg8 31.h4 Ke8 32.h5 Rd8-+; 28.g8Q Qxb7 -+ 28...Rxe7 29.g8Q+ Re8 30.Qxh7 Qh1+



30...Ra7! -+ 31.Kf2 Qe1+ 32.Kg2 Qe2+ 33.Rf2 Qe6 34.h4 Rc8 35.Qg7 Rc7 36.Qd4+ Rd7 37.Qc5 Qd5+ 38.Qxd5 Rxd5 39.g4 Rd4 0-1


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