[pgn] [Date "2012.03.18"] [White "me"] [Black "GM"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B22"] [WhiteElo "2179"] [BlackElo "2530"] e4 c5 2. c3 {The Alapin, basically my only weapon against the Sicilian, but I'm very comfortable with it.} Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 d6 6. Bc4 Nb6 { Once again I'm not that familiar with more than one option here. 7.Bd3 or Bb3 might be more popular, but I prefer a subvariation with} 7. Bb5+ Nc6 ({Usually I get} 7... Bd7 {which leads to a sort of gambit I think Rozenthal came up with} 8. e6 fxe6 (8... Bxb5 9. Qh5 Qc8 10. Qxb5+ Kd8 11. Be3) 9. Bd3 Bc6 {Not really an easy position for either player, but definitely leads to interesting positions.}) 8. Nf3 ({On first sight} 8. d5 {seems to win a piece, but black of course has} a6 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. dxc6 dxe5 11. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {And black is very safe, maybe slightly better already.}) 8... Bd7 9. Nc3 (9. exd6 {was also an option according to my opponent, but I just wanted to keep the tension and develop.}) 9... dxe5 10. d5 ({My opponent had already spent a lot of time, trying to recall this line from the back of his head. Not that he would ever really get in trouble, but I must have thought a move like} 10. dxe5 {was a bit too straightforward.}) 10... Nb4 {I had even started thinking I was going to have a pleasant position after 10...Nb8 or Nb4, but of course I completely overlooked this square for the knight.} 11. Qb3 {going with the move that created most chaos.} Bxb5 12. Qxb4 Bd7 ({The placement looks a bit odd, but} 12... Ba6 {was definitely better. In our analysis after the game, my opponent was quite mad at himself for not going with this one.} 13. Nxe5 {in an attempt to keep material balance, fails to} f6 14. Nf3 Nxd5) 13. Nxe5 e6 14. Qf4 f6 15. Nxd7 Qxd7 16. dxe6 Qxe6+ {Yes, I virtually equalised! Still, since I'm playing a GM accuracy is very much required} 17. Qe3 (17. Be3 Bc5 18. O-O-O Bxe3+ 19. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 20. fxe3 {might still give black something to play for.}) 17... Qxe3+ 18. Bxe3 Nc4 19. Bd4 O-O-O (19... Nxb2 {was no longer an option, since the discovered attack with} 20. Nb5 Nd3+ 21. Kd2 {and white threatens Nc7+}) O-O-O Bb4 21. Kc2 (21. Bxa7 {was probably too greedy.} Bxc3 22. bxc3 b6 23. Rxd8+ Rxd8 24. Re1 {hoping to protect the bishop from e7.} Ne5 (24... Rd7 Re8+) 25. Bxb6 Rd6 {and white can't stop both 26...Rxd6 and Nd3+. However, with the extra pawns, he might actually be doing ok after for instance} 26. Rxe5) 21... Bxc3 {This time I really was threatening 22.Bxa7, or further simplifications with 22.Kb3. So black went with an immediate trade altogether}22. Bxc3 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Re8 24. Re1 {At a point of confidence in endgame skills, I decided to offer a draw. Of course GM's are not so generous, so the game went on for a bit.} Rxe1 25. Bxe1 Kd7 26. Bc3 {With dynamic pawn groups on both sides of the board, my bishop is a bit more mobile than the knight. But I cannot really make good use of it yet.} Ke6 27. Kd3 Kd5 28. f3 {avoiding a possible king penetration, and putting my pawns on the opposite colour of my bishop.} Nd6 29. b3 h5 30. Be1 g5 31. Bc3 f5 32. Bf6 Nf7 33. Ke3 f4+ 34. Kd3 a6 h4 gxh4 36. Bxh4 {This is exactly the kind of position I was aiming for since the rooks went off. More mobility for my bishop, and the combination with my pawns on the white squares make it very hard for black to get through.} Ne5+ 37. Kc3 Nc6 38. Bf6 b5 {and a draw was agreed.} 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

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