1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nf3 7. f4 is normal to secure e5 after Black undermines d4. 7... a6 8. Bd3 c5 9. O-O? This loses a pawn. 9. dxc5 Nc6 10. O-O= 9... cxd4 10. Ne2 10. Nxd4 Nxe5 10... Nc6 The pressure on e5 neutralizes White's pressure on d4. 11. Re1 Ndxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxd4 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 O-O 15. Re3 Bd7 16. Rae1 16. c3 is a bit more solid. 16... Qb4 17. b3 Bb5 18. Qd1 The exchange on b5 would leave White's pawns weaker than Black's. 18. Nxb5 axb5 (18... = Qxb5) 18... Rfc8 19. a4 Bd7 20. Qd3 b5 21. c3 Qc5 22. Rh3?! This gives Black a discovered attack on the rook, but he misses it. 22... g6 23. axb5 Bxb5?! 23... e5! wins the exchange. 24. Qe3 Qf8 25. Rf3 Rc7?? 25... e5! leaves Black in control, since 26. Qxe5 loses to 26... Re8 26. Nxe6!! Black has dominated the game to this point. Now White takes over. 26... Re8 27. Nxf8 Rxe3 28. Rfxe3 Kxf8 29. Rd1 Rd7 30. c4!? Forcing an ge of rooks clarifies matters. White could have also improves his position with. 30. Rd4 Bc6 31. f3 30... dxc4 31. Rxd7 Bxd7 32. bxc4 Be6 33. c5 Ke7 34. Rd3!? Cutting the king makes the c5 pawn secure and dangerous. 34... Bc4 35. Rd2 Bb5 36. f3 h5 37. Kf2 f6 38. Ke3 Bc6 39. Rd6 Bb5 40. g3 Bc4 41. Kd4 Be2 42. f4 Now Black has nothing left to attack with his B. 42... Bf1 43. h4 Be2 44. Kc3 a5 45. Kb3 Bb5 46. Rb6 Be8 47. Ra6 a4+ 48. Kc4 48. Rxa4 Bxa4+ 49. Kxa4 is a winning pawn ending, but White chooses to squeeze more out of his exchange up. The point is that the a-pawn under control while the c-pawn is unstoppable. 48... f5 49. Kd5 Bf7+ 50. Kc6 The king moves over to escort the pawn, but 50. Ke5 is even better, forcing the Black king to the first rank where he will have to contend with mate threats. 50... Be8+ 51. Kb7 Bf7 52. Rxa4 Bd5+ 53. Kb6 Be6 54. Rd4 Jensen has had some problems finishing won endings against higher rated opponents, but he handles this one flawlessly. 54... Bc8 55. c6 Ke8 56. Kc7 Be6 57. Kb8 Black resigns 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez. 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. d4 9. h3 is often played here to prevent 9... Bg4 or 9... exd4 10. cxd4 Bg4 10. Kh1 10. d5 10... Bxf3 Black disrupts White's kside pawns, but in doing so he makes sense out of White's last move. 10... exd4 11. cxd4 d5 would be an attempt to make the Kh1 look silly. 12. e5 Ne4 11. gxf3 Nh5 12. Rg1 Just in time to prevent ...Bg5. 12... Kh8 12... Na5!? 13. f4! A very strong pawn sacrifice turns the tables on the kside. 13... Nxf4 14. Bxf4 exf4 15. Qg4 g5 Black guards all of his pawns, but in doing so leaves many weak white squares on his kside. But White misses a killer pin over the next several moves. 16. Nd2 16. Bd5 16... Qc8 17. Qh5 17. Bd5 17... f5 18. Bf7 18. Bd5 18... Kg7 19. Bd5!? Finally this move, which is none the worse for the wait.. 19... Qd7 20. exf5 Rxf5 21. Be4 Black has to give the exchange, but a better way is 21...d5 21... Raf8 22. Nf3!? The Rf5 can't go anywhere, so White increases the pressure. 22... h6 23. Bxf5 But he misses the crusher: 23. Nh4!! R5f6 24. Rxg5+ 23... Qxf5 24. Rae1 Rf7 25. Nh4 Qh7 26. Re6 Bf6 27. Qf3 Nd8 28. Re8 Qc2?! 28... Rf8 29. Qe4? The exchange of queens eases the pressure on Black's king. 29. Qxf4 29. Re2 Qh7 30. Qh3 29... Qxe4+ 30. Rxe4 Kf8? 30... Kh7 31. Nf5? 31. Ng6+ Kg7 32. Nxf4 31... Rh7 32. Rge1 f3!? This pawn looks hard to support, but Black manages to get all of his kside pawns to white squares in the next few moves. 33. R1e3 d5 34. Rg4 h5 35. Rg1 g4 36. h3 Nf7 36... Kf7 37. Rge1 37. Rge1? 37. Re6! Bg5 38. Rxa6 37... Ng5! Black has done an excellent job rehabilitating his knight and bishop and now has full compensation for the exchange. 38. Re8+ Kf7 39. R1e7+ White returns the exchange immediately. After 39. hxg4 hxg4+ 40. Kg1 Nh3+ 41. Kf1 Nf4 He would return it or face a repetition. 39... Bxe7 40. Rxe7+ Kf6 41. Rxh7 Nxh7 42. hxg4 hxg4 43. Ne3 Ke6= Game drawn by mutual agreement 43... Ng5 44. Nxd5+ Kf5 45. Kg1 Ne6 is also an even endgame. 44. Kh2 44. Nxg4 Ng5 45. Ne5 c5 46. Kh2 cxd4 47. cxd4 Kf5 48. Kg3 is a bit less clear. 44... Nf6 45. Kg3 Ne4+ 46. Kxg4 Nxf2+ 47. Kxf3 Ne4 would confirm it. 1/2-1/2

1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 g6 3. Bd3 Bg7 4. Nd2 d5 5. f4 Nc6?! 5... c5 is important here to put some pressure on White's center. 6. c3 a5 7. Ngf3 7. e4!? 7... Ng4 8. Qe2 Bd7?! 8... f5 9. O-O Qc8 10. e4!? dxe4 11. Nxe4 The pawn structure give White a space advantage. 11... b6 12. Re1 O-O 13. Ng3 Not the best place for this piece. 13. h3 13... Re8 14. h3 Nh6 15. Ne5 15. Be3 15... Nxe5 16. fxe5 Be6 16... Nf5 17. Rf1 c5 Finally some counterplay for Black. 18. Be4 Rb8?! 18... cxd4! 19. Bxa8 Bc4 19. Qe3? Misplacing the Q allows Black to equalize. 19. d5! Bd7 20. Bf4 Keeps White in control. 19... cxd4 20. cxd4 Rd8 21. Qc3 Qd7 22. Be3 Rbc8 23. Qd3? 23. Qe1= 23... Bxe5 23... Bc4! is simpler and better. 24. Ne2 24. Bxh6 Bc4 25. Qf3 Bxg3 26. Qxg3 Qxd4+ 24... Nf5 25. Rfd1 25. Rad1!? 25... Nxe3 26. Qxe3 Bg7 Black has emerged a pawn up. Now White tries to win it back. 27. d5 Bf5 28. Bxf5 Qxf5 29. Qxb6 Rxd5! But Black gets piece control in the center. 30. Qb3 Rb5 31. Nd4?? This drops the Q, but 31. Qe3 Rxb2 is pretty easy for Black. 31... Bxd4+ White resigns 0-1

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 The French. 3. Nc3 Bb4 The Winawer. 4. Bd2 White gains the two bishops without pawn structure damage by this temporary sacrifice of the e-pawn. 4... Bxc3 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Qxd4 5. Bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 This doubl e attack on e4 and g7 wins the pawn back. Black responds by gaining time against the White Q. 6... Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 Rg6 9. Qe3 Qd5 9... Nc6 10. Nh3 Qf5 11. Qf4 11. O-O-O 11... Qd5? 11... Nd5 12. Qxc7! Qc6 12... Qd7 13. Bb5! Qxb5 14. Qxc8+ Ke7 15. a3 Right pawn, wrong square 15. a4 makes the same threat with tempo. The black Q is tied to defending the b4 square. 15... Qb6 16. a5 Qb5 17. Ra3 Rg8 18. Rb3 Rxc8 19. Rxb5 15... Nd5!? Making luft for the Ke7. 16. Nf4 Nxf4 17. Bb4+? 17. Qc7+ Nd7 18. Qxf4 Rxg2 19. Bb4+ keep the material balanced and Black's king in danger. 17... Kf6 18. Qd8+? Surprisingly, the Black king becomes safer as it advanced towards White's side of the board. Now there is no check no h8 for the White queen. 18. O-O-O leaves White with some compensation for the piece. 18... Kf5! 18... Kg7?? 19. Bf8+ Kh8 20. Be7+ Rg8 21. Bf6# 19. O-O-O Qd5? 19... Rxg2! since 20.Rhg1 fails to 20...Ne2+. Black need not be in a hurry to develop his qside, since the White Q has to stay on the 8th to hold it. 20. Qh8 b6 21. Kb1?! 21. Qxh7!? would once again provide compensation for the piece. 21... a5 22. c4 Nd7 23. g4+? Again White sacrifices material to force the Black king forward, and once again it finds safety! 23. Qxh7 23... Kxg4 24. Rhg1+ Kf3! 25. Qxh7 Qf5 White doesn't even have a productive check! 26. Rxg6 Qxg6 27. Qxg6 The queen trade signals the effective end of the game, but White would lose much more material trying to keep queens on. 27. Qh4 e3+ 28. Ka1 e2 29. Rc1 axb4 27... fxg6 28. Bd6 Nf6 29. Rg1 N6h5 30. c5 Kxf2 31. cxb6 Kxg1 32. b7 Re8 33. b8=Q Rxb8 34. Bxb8 e3 35. Kc1 e2 36. Kd2 Kf1 Black wins 0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 The Scotch Game. 4... Bc5 4... Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 6... Qg6 can be tried here, as long as Black likes the complication that follow 7. Nb5 Bxe3 8. Nxc7+ Kd8 9. Nxa8 Bf4 with the idea of trapping the Na8. 7. Bc4 Qg6?! 7... O-O 8. O-O 8. Nxc6!? Qxc6 (8... Bxe3 9. Nxe7 Qxg2 10. Rf1) 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qh5+ looked very good for White in Ivanchuk-Gulko, World Cup 1991. 8... Qxe4 9. Bxf7+ Robert finds the same tactic a move (and a pawn) later. 9... Kxf7 10. Qh5+ Qg6 11. Qxc5 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Now the game is equal. 12... Re8 12... d6 13. Nd2 13. Qc4+ wins a pawn 13... Kf8 (13... d5 14. Qxc7 Bh3 15. Qg3) 14. Qxc7 13... d6 14. Ne4 14. Qc4+ Kf8 15. Qxc7 no longer works due to 15... Bh3 14... h6 14... = Kg8 15. Ng3 Nc6 16. Qf4+ Kg8 17. Rfe1 Bd7 17... Be6!? may be a bit better, but not 17... Ne5?! 18. Bd4 18. Bd4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Bc6 20. Qd2 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Re8 22. Rxe8+ Qxe8 One of the great oddities of piece coordination is that a Q+N is stronger than a Q+B. Therefore White should avoid the exchange of queens, which simply leaves Black with the better minor piece. 23. Qe2?! 23. f3!? followed by Kf2 and Qd4 is much better for White than the game. 23... Qxe2 24. Nxe2 Kf7 25. f4 Kf6 26. Kf2 Bd7 26... Kf5 27. g3 27. Ke3 c5!? Taking d4 away from White. 28. g3 d5?! But this makes the bishop bad. This would be more obvious if there were a white pawn on d4, but since Black cannot force d5-d4, the bishop is just as limited. 28... b5 29. Nc1!?= The knight heads for the attractive e5 square. 29... Bf5 30. Nd3 Bxd3 30... b6 31. b4 31. Kxd3 Kf5 32. h3 h5 33. b3?? Mistakes are fatal in the pawn ending. White needs to defend f4 against the threat of h5-h4. 33. Ke3= d4+ (33... b6 34. Kf3 and g4+.) (33... 33... g5 34. fxg5 Kxg5 35. b4) 34. cxd4 cxd4+ 35. Kxd4 h4 36. gxh4 Kxf4 37. h5 Kg5 38. Ke4 Kxh5 39. Kf3 Kh4 40. Kg2= 33... h4! 34. gxh4 Kxf4 35. b4 b6 36. a3 g6 37. Ke2 Kg3 38. Ke3 Kxh3 39. Kf4 Kxh4 0-1 [Bauer,R]

1. e4 John keeps alternating his openings for me, so I rather expected a Sicilian here. 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 He also prefers off lines, so this is a good choice. 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. O-O Bg4!? this is my typical reaction to lines where White plays Nf3 but not d4 (like the Moscow). It is rare and the Bishop is a problem on the kside, but Black is playing actively. 5... e6 6. d4 6. h3 Bh5 6... Bxf3 7. Qxf3 g6 7. g4!? White understands that Black cannot quickly exploit this loosening of the kside. 7... Bg6 8. d3 e6 9. Qe1?! Be7 10. e5 dxe5 11. Nxe5 Nd4!? I thought this added a bit of dynamics to the positon. 12. Bb5+!? 12. Bb3 Nd7 12... Nxb5 13. Nxb5 a6 13... O-O?! 14. Nxg6 13... Nd7!? 14. Bf4 looked dangerous to me, but I didn't see the simple. 14... Nxe5 15. Qxe5 O-O 14. Nc3 Nd7!? 15. a4 Nxe5 16. Qxe5 O-O Black has the 2 bishops. But I always seem to have trouble exploiting this type of advantage. 16... h6 17. Ne4 Qb8 17... Qd5 Fritz likes it now. 18. Qxd5 exd5 19. Nc3 but not now. I felt the same way. 17... Rc8!? intending Qd7 and f6 - Ildar. 18. Qxb8 Raxb8 19. Bf4 Rbd8 This pawn structur e seemed more bishop friendly, even though I have basically gotten myself another Budapest! 20. Nd2 f6 Trying to enhance the unopposed bishop by placing the pawns on the opposite color. 21. a5 e5 22. Be3 Bf7 23. Ne4 23. f4 exf4 24. Bxf4 Rd7 23. b3!? was the move I feared. I think Black's advantage may have disappeared. 23... c4!? I was relieved to get a chance to play this move. 24. Bb6 Rc8 25. Nc3?! 25. d4 25... cxd3 26. cxd3 Bc5!? Now I am happy to trade the 2 bishop advantage for pressure on the d-file and the very weak d3 pawn. 27. Bxc5 Rxc5 28. Rfd1 Rd8 29. Rd2 h5?! 29... Bg6! just wins the d-pawn (Ildar). 30. Ne4 Rcd5 31. Ra3 hxg4 32. hxg4 Bg6 33. f3 Bxe4 Wins a pawn. 34. fxe4 Rd4 35. Rb3 R8d7 36. Kf2!? Rxe4 37. dxe4 Rxd2+ 38. Kf3 Rd7 39. g5!? Kf7 40. gxf6 gxf6!? It is more important to maintain a solid pawn structure than to get the outside passed pawn. 40... Kxf6?! 41. Kg4= 41. Ke3 Kg6 42. Rb6 The powerful white rook makes it very hard for Black to make progress. 42... Kg5 43. b4 Rh7 44. Kf3 Rh3+ 45. Kf2 Rh7 46. b5? 46. Kf3 would have made it tough to break through. 46... axb5 47. Rxb5 Kf4 48. Rb6 Rf7 48... Rh2+ 49. Ke1 Ra2 50. Rxf6+ Kxe4 51. Rb6 Rxa5 52. Rxb7 Ra2 is like the game, but I correctly try for more. 49. Rb4 Rc7 50. Ke2 Rc6 Offering the b-pawn for the e-pawn, which would give Black connected passed pawns. 51. Kd3 Rd6+ 52. Ke2 Ra6? 52... Rd4! 53. Rxb7 (53. Rxd4 exd4 54. Kd3 Ke5 For some reason, I reached this position twice in my calculation, but both times convinced myself that it was Black to move!) 53... Kxe4 53. Rxb7!? Kxe4 53... Rxa5? 54. Rb6 54. Rb4+?? This is the losing move. 54. Rb6! Rxa5 55. Rxf6 Ra2+ 56. Kf1 should draw with a Short Side Defense. Though much less well known than the Philador method, the Short Side Defense is just as effective. 56... Ke3 57. Rf8 e4 58. Re8 Ra1+ 59. Kg2 is the key position. 54... Kd5! I have no problem winning this. 54... Kf5 55. Ra4 Ke6 wins too, but there is no need for this delay. 55. Ra4 because of 55. Rb6 Rxb6 56. axb6 Kc6 55... f5 56. Kf3 Kc5 57. Ra1 Kb4 58. Ke3 Rxa5 59. Rf1 Ra3+!? Avoiding the blockade. 59... f4+ 60. Ke4 Kc3 61. Rd1 60. Kf2?! 60. Kd2 Ra2+ 61. Kd3 e4+ (61... f4 62. Re1 Ra5 was my plan.) 62. Kd4 Rd2+!? 63. Ke5 Kc4 64. Rxf5 e3 60... Kc4 61. Rd1 e4 62. Rd8 Rd3 63. Rc8+ Kd4 64. Rd8+ Ke5 I made this move too quickly. I was relieved when I found out the pawn ending wins. 65. Re8+ 65. Rxd3 exd3 66. Ke3 d2! is best, though.(66... Kf6 67. Kxd3 Kg5 68. Ke3 Kg4 also wins) 65... Kf4 66. Ke2 Ra3 67. Rf8 Ra2+ 68. Kf1 Kg4 69. Rg8+ Kf3 70. Kg1 f4 71. Rf8 e3 72. Kh1 e2 73. Re8 Ra1+ 74. Kh2 e1=Q mate in 2. 0-1 [Bauer,R]