This is the longest game I have ever played! It started in January 2003 and ended in April 2006 after lots of lots e-mails and endless repeats! Fortunately there was some very fascinating chess moves!
1.d4
d5
2.c4
c6
3.Nc3
Nf6
4.e3
e6
5.Nf3
Nbd7
6.Qc2
Bd6
7.Bd3
0-0
8.0-0
dxc4
9.Bxc4
a6
10.Rd1
b5
11.Be2
Qc7
12.Ne4
[12.e4
]
12...Re8
oops! Clerical error! Forgot to insert Nxe4!
13.Nxd6
Qxd6
14.e4
Qc7
So I have wasted plenty of time and let white build up a strong center!'
15.e5
Nd5
16.Ng5
f5
17.Bh5
Re7
18.Nh3
h6
19.Nf4
Nxf4
20.Bxf4
Nb6
[20...Bb7
does not work as white can build up a strong attack on the king side by putting the queen on g3 and a rook on c1. The bishop is needed in the defence of His Majesty.]
21.Rac1
Bd7
22.Bd2
Nd5
23.Qb3
Be8
24.Be2
Now it is time to tyr to reorganise in order to build up the forces.
24...Qd8
25.Qg3
g5
No reason to hesitate!
26.b4
Rg7
27.Qb3
g4!
28.Rc5
White is not interested in the complications after Bxh6! [28.Bxh6
Rh7
29.Bd2
Raa7
30.Qg3
Rag7
with a strong attack. Rh3 is a big threat!]
28...Raa7
[28...f4
29.g3
]
29.a4
h5
30.Rdc1
Raf7
31.f4?!
Maybe a strategic error in view of what happened later! [31.Rxc6
was perhaps necessary in order to go for a draw!]
31...bxa4
32.Qa3
h4
33.Qa1
It seems white is running out of winning ideas.
33...Rb7
34.Bxa6
Intersting position! My opponent offered a draw here, and he also said at the same time that Bc4 was probably a better move for white. I guess he may have found it a bit more risky; anyway I had to win this game in order to make a GM-norm, and besides I discovered a fascinating move which must have come as a shock to my opponent! [34.Bc4
Kh8!
]
34...h3!!
[34...Rbd7
35.Rxc6
; 34...Rb8
35.Bc4
h3
36.g3
; 34...g3
35.h3
]
35.g3
[35.Bxb7
Taking the rook is not an option! 35...g3!!
Quite a nice couple of black and white pawns! 36.hxg3
Rxg3
37.Bc8
(37.Rf1
Rxg2+
38.Kh1
Qh4
39.Qa3
Rxd2-+
; 37.R5c2
Rxg2+
38.Kh1
Qh4-+
; 37.Be1
Rxg2+
38.Kh1
Nxf4
39.R1c2
(39.Qc3
Qg5-+
) 39...Ne2
40.Rxe2
Rxe2
41.Qc1
(41.Bg3
Rg2
42.b5
Qg5
43.Qe1
Rxg3-+
) 41...Kh7-+
; 37.Rxc6
Qh4-+
) 37...Qh4
38.Bxe6+
Kh8
39.R1c3
Nxc3
40.Rxc3
hxg2
41.Rxg3
Qh1+
42.Kf2
Qxa1
43.Rxg2
Qxd4+
44.Be3
Qb2+-+
]
35...Rb8
there were other alternatives, but I could not make them work!
36.Bc4
Ra7
37.Be1
Kh8!!
Maybe not too obvious, but I think this is the only winning move!
38.Rb1
Rba8
39.Rb2
a3
40.Ra2
Qb6
41.Qb1
[41.Ra5
Nxb4
42.Rxa7
Rxa7
43.Bxb4
Qxb4
44.Bxe6
Bd7
45.Bxd7
Rxd7
46.Rxa3
Qd2
47.Ra2
Qe3+
48.Rf2
Rxd4
49.Qa8+
Kg7
50.Qb7+
Kf8
51.Qb1
Rd3-+
52.Qb8+
Ke7
53.Qb7+
Rd7
54.Qb4+
c5
55.Qa4
c4-+
; 41.Bxd5
cxd5
42.Ra5
Rxa5
43.bxa5
Qb3
44.Rxa3
Qc2
45.Qa2
(45.Ra2
) 45...Qc1
46.Qa1
Rc8
47.Qxc1
(47.a6
Qc2
48.Ra2
Qe4
49.a7
(49.Rf2
Bb5
) 49...Ra8
50.Rf2
Bb5
51.Qd1
(51.Bc3
) 51...Rxa7
) 47...Rxc1
48.Kf2
(48.Re3
Bb5
49.Kh1
Kg7
50.Kg1
Bc4
51.Kh1
Rc2-+
) 48...Rc2+
49.Ke3
(49.Kg1
Bb5-+
) 49...Rxh2
50.a6
Rh1
51.Bb4
Re1+
52.Bxe1
h2
53.a7
Bc6
54.Kf2
h1Q
55.Rc3
Qe4
56.Rxc6
Qxd4+
57.Kf1
Qxa7
58.Rxe6
might have been better for white!; 41.Bb3
Nxb4
42.Bxb4
Qxb4
43.Bxe6
Bf7
44.Bxf7
(44.Rxc6
Qb7
45.d5
(45.Rac2
Bxe6-+
) 45...Bxe6
46.Rxe6
Qxd5-+
) 44...Rxf7
45.e6
Rb7
46.Rxc6
Qb3
47.d5+
(47.Re2
Qd3-+
; 47.Rc3
Qd5
48.Rc1
(48.Rc5
Qe4
49.d5+
Kg8-+
) 48...Rab8
49.e7
Rxe7
50.Rf2
Rbe8-+
; 47.Rc1
Qe3+-+
) 47...Kh7
48.Rc3
(48.Rc1
Qe3+
49.Kf1
Rab8-+
) 48...Qxd5
49.Rc1
Qxe6-+
]
41...Rb8
42.Bxd5
cxd5
43.Qa1
Rba8
My rook is dancing the Cajun two-step!
44.Ra5
Rxa5
45.bxa5
Qb3
46.Rxa3
So I am one pawn down with different coloured bishops, but still convinced about having a winning position!
46...Qc2
47.Qa2
Qe4
48.Qd2
Rb8
49.Re3
Qb1
50.Qd3
[50.Kf1
]
50...Qxd3
51.Rxd3
Rb1
52.Kf2
Bb5
53.Rd2
Rb3
54.Kg1
Rf3
55.Bf2
Ra3
56.Be1
Rxa5
57.Rb2
Ra1
58.Kf2
Bc4
59.Bb4
Rd1
60.Bc5
Now starts a long and very difficult period! The king has to soon leave his beloved corner and enter the action.
60...Rh1
61.Ke3
Bf1
62.Bd6
Kg7
63.Rc2
Kf7
64.Bb4
Bc4
65.Rb2
Ke8
66.Ba5
Kd7
67.Bb4
Kc6
68.Be7!
Excellent play! The margins are so small here that I have to play very carefully. White has some nice drawing motifs by bringing his king into the action via b4.
68...Kd7!
Again I have to start all over, but I did not miss an important tempo this time!
69.Bb4
Kc8
70.Be7
Rd1
71.Bc5
Kd7
It may not be too easy to see the subtleties in this part of the game, but it would take a few books to present all the different variations!
72.Rb7+
Kd8
73.Rb8+
Kc7
74.Rb2
Kc8!
75.Bd6
[75.Ba7
may have been better! 75...Rd3+
76.Kf2
Rf3+
77.Ke1
Rf1+
78.Kd2
Rf2+
79.Kc3
Be2
80.Kb4
Rg2
81.Kc5
Bf3
82.Rb6
(82.Rb8+
; 82.Rb3
) 82...Ra2
83.Bb8
Rxh2
84.Kd6
Ra2
85.Kxe6
h2
86.Bd6
Ra8
87.Rc6+
Kb7
88.Rc7+
Kb6
89.Rh7
h1Q
90.Rxh1
Bxh1
91.Kxf5
Be4+
and there is still a lot of work to do!]
75...Rd3+
76.Kf2
Rxd4
77.Ke1
Re4+
78.Kd1
Kd7
79.Bc5
d4
80.Ba7
d3
81.Bf2
Bd5!
The clearest way. [81...Ba6
is another natural attempt. The danger is that if white is allowed to swap rooks he may sac his bishop and let my king move in to the corner at h1. Then he will put his king around f1 and f2 and secure a draw!]
82.Kd2
Ra4
83.Kxd3
Ra1
and white resigned as he cannot prevent Bg2 and Rh1. This is the first and only game my opponent has lost with white since he started postchess in 1992. 0-1