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1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7
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This variation of the Najdorf was first developed by Polugaevsky in the 60s and refined by Gelfand in recent times. It's actually a more solid line than the totally unclear main lines arising after 7...Be7. The positions also get chaotic after 7...Nbd7, but somehow they tend to end up in draws. |
 
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8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O b5
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The point of the variation. Black gets in b5 one move earlier without Be7. 7...b5 (the infamous Polugaevsky variation) is also playable, but that's another story. |
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10. Bxb5
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10.Bd3 is the main line. Anand beat Shirov brilliantly with black in Morelia this year in that line. White has other moves as well, such as e5. |
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10... axb5 11. Ndxb5 Qb8 12. e5 Ra5
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Armed with my opening database I felt comfortable in this variation, as you do need to remember a lot of theory. During the game I was wondering why black could not simply play Bb7. After the game I found out that this move had already been employed by none other than Gelfand against Naiditsch in 2006. That game went 12...Bb7 13.Qe2 fxe5 14.Qc4! and ended with a draw after some complications. I think Bb7 is a better choice if you want to try to win as black, but Ra5 is safe enough if you're happy with a draw. |
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13. exf6 gxf6 14. Bh6
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! White has j ust gotten his piece back, but now he sacrifices it again! This is all theory, of course. |
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14... Bxh6 15. Nxd6+ Ke7 16. Kb1
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Necessary, as 16.Rhe1 would run into 16...Ne5! |
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16... Rd8 17. g3
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? These positions do not forgive any waste of time. 17.Rhe1 is the correct move, when white has enough resources for a draw, but nothing more, like in Lutz - Gelfand, 2002. |
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17... Nb6 18. Nxc8+
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This is helping black. 18.Ncb5 was to be preferred, but now black has the extra resource 18...Nd5, since there is no rook on e1. |
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18... Rxc8
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The first move in the game I really had to think about, as I was now "out of book", but the rook capture is quite natural, as now black - and not white - gets a strong attack. |
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19. Rhe1
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Loses by force, but with a piece up and a strong attack, black was winning anyway. Notice that white's g3 move does not bury the black bishop. Black could play f5 and it would find a home in the long diagonal. |
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19... Nc4 20. b3 Na3+
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It was tempting to play Qb4 instead, but it doesn't really create any new threats, since on Qa3 white would turn the tables with Qb7 . After a while I realized that this idea with the knight sacrifice was just winning by force. |
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21. Kc1
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Other king moves lead to the same result. |
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21... Nxc2
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! |
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22. Kxc2 Rxa2+ 23. Kd3 Qxb3
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23...Rd8 24.Nd5 Kf8 was also winning, but now white gets mated in the middle of the board. |
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24. Rdc1 Rd8+ 25. Ke4 f5+ 26. Ke3
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26.Ke5 and the bishop finally enters the game with decisive result. :-) |
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26... Qb6#
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