1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. e5 Nc6 6. Qa4 Nd5 7. Qe4 Ndb4 8. Na3 {This can be called one of the two main variations in this opening complex, that doesn’t have a very good reputation at all for Black. However, this is one of those judgments that build on no critical study and only copycat work from earlier more or less competent games played.} d5 9. Qf4{ 9. exd6 e.p. Bf5 10. dxe7 Bxe7 is fine for Black.} Bf5! {Clearly stronger than the normally played 9. -, Bg7, but generally theory is way off the track in these lines. In might very well be that the 4. Qxd4 complex is good for White, something theory likes to state, but not because of the moves theory recommends! In other words these lines are very complicated and unless one has a total grab on what is going one it is going to be difficult.} 10. c3 {The alternative is 10. Bb5, which is more testing for Black, but I can lift the lid a bit. Not here either it is easy for White to get something. A few examples I can mention can be 10. Bb5 e6! (Again theory’s 10. -, a6 is poorer) 11. d4 Bxc2! or 11. Bd2 a6 12. Bxb4 axb5 13. Bxf8 Ra4!} Nd3+ 11. Bxd3 Bxd3 12. Ng5 f6 13. exf6 exf6 14. Qe3+ Qe7 15. Ne6 Ne5 16. Nxf8 Rxf8 17. f4 {Here I took my first serious think. A long one. I used no less than 45 minutes but I had the time. After strategically having used 15 minutes for the first six moves I consequently moved à tempo up till now. I had the position up till 16. -, Rxf8 on my analysis board the evening before in my hotel room. Which I am sure my opponent didn’t have. After 9. -, Bf5 he started looking confused, spending a lot of time, and at this stage in the game he has less than 20 minutes left.} Nc4 18. Qxe7+ Kxe7 19. b3? {I hadn’t exactly ‘analyzed’ this ending the evening before, I only ’assumed’ it to be okay for Black. The position is in fact without problems for Black. His strong black-squared Bishop more than compensates for the ’weakness’ of the d-pawn. That Black has no advantage either is, however, evident. The position after 19. Nxc4 or 19. Nb5 Nd6 20. Nxd6 (but not 20. Nc7 Rad8 21. Nxd5 Kf7 with advantage to Black) is pretty dead drawn. The text move, however, is a misunderstanding of what’s going on. Hatanbaatar is at this stage probably still under the impression that he can play for a win, but with my long think at move 17 I had seen a bit further, actually as long as to move 25.} Nd6 20. Be3 Rac8 21. 0-0-0 {This was the move he counted on.} Be4 22. Kb2 Bxg2 23. Rhe1 {Probably 23. Rhg1 Bf3 24. Ref1 Be4 25. Bxa7 Rc6 is better for White than the game continuation but firstly Black is still a bit better and secondly this was not White’s idea.} a6! 24. c4 Kf7! 25. cxd5 {A look at the position reveals a total positional disaster for White. Black’s isolated dpawn has been swapped till now being white and White has ended up with three pawnislands, h2, f4, d5, and in the process Black has gotten himself a beautiful square on f5. After Black’s next move which put White’s position under pressure it becomes apparent that the White d-pawn is very weak.} Rfe8 26. Nc4? {Panicking, but he was getting very short on the clock. Technically I doubt the White position is savable unless Black messes up. Now it is of course totally over.} Rxc4 27. bxc4 Nxc4+ 28. Kc3 Nxe3 29. Rb1 Nxd5+ 30. {resigns. 0-1.}

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