Finn,S - Smith,A [C41]
4NCL Slough v NW Eagles, 1993
[Alan Smith]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 c5 A solid system with similarities to the Boleslavsky Variation of the Sicilian. 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.f4 Re8?! 9...Be6 is better, as given by Tony Kosten in his book 'Winning with the Philidor'. 10.f5 Nd7 11.Bf4 Nde5 12.Qd2 a6 13.Rad1 f6 14.Kh1 Kh8 15.Nd5 Bf8 16.Bh5 Forcing a further weakness in black's kingside defences. 16...g6 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.Bh6 Be7 19.Be2 Nf7 20.Bf4 Bf8 21.Bg3 Bg7 22.Qf4
White is getting on top but at the cost of already drifting into time trouble. 22...f5!? aiming to complicate things 23.Nxc5? White goes astray. Better is 23.exf5! Rxe2 24.fxg6 with Bh4 to follow and a strong attack and two pawns for the piece. 23...Be5! 24.Bh4 If the white queen retreats, the knight on c5 can simply be taken. 24...Bxf4 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Nb6 [26.Nxf4 dxc5 27.Nxg6+ Kg7 28.exf5 Bxf5-+] 26...Be3 27.Nxa8 Bxc5 Black's two minor pieces are superior to white's rook and pawn. 28.Nc7 Nce5 29.exf5 Bxf5 30.Bd3 [30.g4? Be4+-+] 30...Nxd3 31.cxd3 Bb6 [Stronger still was 31...Bd4! 32.g4? Bd7!] 32.Nd5 Bd4 33.Ne7 Nh6 34.Nxf5 Nxf5 35.Rc1 Rd7 36.b3 Kg7 37.Rc8 Ne3 38.Rfc1 Nd5! Black gains through preventing the exchange of rooks. 39.g3 Kf6 40.Kg2 Re7 41.Rf1+ Kg7 42.Kh3 Ne3 43.Rf4 Be5 44.Re4 Nf5 45.g4 Nd4 46.Kg2 [Relatively best was 46.Rc4 Nf3 47.Re3 Rf7 though black is still much better.] 46...Ne6 47.Kf1 Bxh2 48.Ke2? d5 49.Rb4 [49.Re3 Bf4-+] 49...Bd6 50.Rb6 [50.Ra4 b5 51.Ra5 Bb4 52.Rxa6 Nc5+-+] 50...Bc5 0-1
