[pgn] [Event "Turku op"] [Site "Turku"] [Date "1992.12.04"] [Round "5"] [White "Tirkkonen, Tero"] [Black "Hoijarvi, Kari"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1927"] [BlackElo "1948"] [ECO "A08"] { This is one of my most intense games. In a 5 round with 2HR/game sudden death time control, I got everything I wanted and then blew it in one move. After that the real excitement started. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {The old Nimzo line in Sicilian has been an old time favorite of mine. The ultra sharp 3 e5 lines require extensive opening knowledge, and are impossible to play without extensive preparation. I have a great surplus of points from those lines, one victim was 1987 Finnish Champion Mika Ebeling. The quiet moves go to Kings-Indian attack, which I'm happy to meet } 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Nbd2 e5 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. c3 h6 { Questionable move. The idea is right, I'm going to play Be6 and I need to prevent Ng5, but move order is wrong. I have no intention to play d5-d4 and get mated a tempo faster than in KID, so I was planning to play either d5xe4, or wait for e4xd5 and create reversed Maroczy bind. The exd4 felt too early. Now the most principled move is exd5! Nxd5 Re1 and the normal support move f7-f6 leaves h6 look just silly. White has dangerous tactical chances in the center. In the game continuation it just loses a tempo. } 9. Qb3 {?} dxe4 {!} 10. dxe4 Qc7 11. Re1 Be6 12. Qc2 b5 { I have managed win a tempo, making this just reversed exchange Kings Indian. } 13. Nf1 Rad8 14. Ne3 c4 15. Nh4 Rfe8 16. Nef5 Bf8 { So far White has played logically. Since I'm obviously better in the queen side, he plays for an attack too. I'm not afraid. I like the style of Steinitz and Korchnoi, slight inconvenience is well justified if the reward is permanent superiority. The next move is just a horrific blunder. The move a2-a4 would be good if white could force axb5, opening a file for his rook. But this just weakens b4, creates weak pawn on a4, loses a tempo, and does absolutely nothing for white. Any other would be better. } 17. a4 {??} b4 {Of course. cxb4 Nxb4 is totally crushing. White now starts again logically, but I'm a move ahead what I should be. } 18. h3 Rd7 19. g4 Red8 {Red8?? and the tide turns. I made this natural move fast, confident that my total control of the center and queen side will just play itself. Except, that I didn't look look what the 100% obvious reply is...} 20. g5 hxg5 21. Bxg5 { I intentionality avoid all the four letter words in my analysis, although unfortunately this time I find no replacements. This pin is deadly. Korchnoi looks with disgust and Steinitz turns in his grave. My safe bomb shelter will be permanently opened and that's that. So far I was ahead in clock, but now it was time to take that sarcastic Russian trainer advice, "When you already have a miserable position, then start to think!". What can I do? I could sac an exchange with Nh5-Nf4, but that's just desperate. I have no real threats, and whites rooks will soon dominate queen side. The alternative was to allow Bxf6 and live with the doubled pawns. So now I spent a long time, too long time, estimating whites threats in the king side. I should have just hoped for the best and go for it, since I had no real alternative anyway, and the clock became a crucial factor in the end. } bxc3 22. bxc3 Qa5 23. Qe2 { Qe2! Just so. White abandons the whole queen side and goes to all and out king hunt. Now I don't know what's actually happening here, but I decided to simplify just to make my defensive calculations easier. Unfortunately, the same makes his attacking calculations easier. A move that's good against a computer is not necessarily the best against a human. } Bxf5 24. Nxf5 Ne7 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Qg4+ Ng6 { The starting point I tried to estimate at move 21. White's attack is dangerous, but so is the weakness at c3 real. An intense race starts here. } 27. Re3 Rd3 28. h4 Rxe3 29. Nxe3 Qxc3 30. Rf1 Kh7 { This move is one of the sweaty moments. Of course I cannot allow h5 winning the knight, but all the tactical possibilities with the f5 square for the knight made me kind of desperate. To be honest, I did not expect to survive this anymore. Now of course Qh5+ just blocks the h-pawn, but better moves exist. Besides, we are both in time trouble. } 31. Nd5 {! I'm losing the f6 pawn with check. Can I really survive this? } Qb2 32. Nxf6+ Kg7 33. Nd5 c3 { It would be totally satisfying to play like this if your king was safe. } 34. h5 c2 35. Qg5 { ! Facing moves like this with seconds in your clock is not pleasant. } Rd6 36. Ne3 { ! Another fork to annoy me. I thought I'd win a rook. } Rc6 37. Nxc2 Qxc2 38. hxg6 Rxg6 39. Qxe5+ f6 40. Qd5 { I got my hopes up at this point, but with flag about to fall and I had to skip thinking. The best tries for black are Bc5 or Rg5, forget the material and try to get active. I don't know what would happen, white is better but the position has counter chances. Notice, that the white queen needs to guard e4, because Bg2 is pinned. } Qxa4 {?} 41. Rb1 {! The material is even, but white has a deadly attack. My attempt to stop Rb7+ is the final time trouble blunder. } Bb4 {?? I would have lost on time with any reasonable expectations. } 42. Qb7+ 1-0 [/pgn]

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