0164 FRENCH DEFENSE
Land of the Sky, 2-3-01, Asheville, NC
NM L Fuerstman (2026) NM E Elezaj (2240)
1 e4 d5 2 e5 c5 3 c3 Nc6 4 d4 cd 5 cd Qb6 6 Nc3 Bf5 7 Bb5 e6 8 Nge a6 9 Bc6 bc 10 0-0 Bb4 11 Be3 Nge 12 Na4 Qb5 13 a3 (13 Nf4! shows more patience) 13...Bd3 14 Nec3 Bc3 15 Nc3 Qc4 16 b3!? (simply 16 Re1 followed by Rc and the Black Queen is stymied) 16...Qc3 17 Rc Qc1 (the less ambitious may choose 17...Qa5 18 Qd3 Qa3 19 Ra1 Qb4 20 Ra6 0-0=) 18 Qc1 Bf1 19 Kf1 0-0= 20 f4 Nf5 21 Bf2 Rab 22 b4 a5 23 g4 Ne7 24 ba! Rb5 25 Be1 Rfb 26 Bb4 c5 27 dc Nc6 28 a6 Ra 29 Qc3 Ra6 30 Qd3! (Contorting the Black position) 30...Na7 (Forced and ugly) 31 f5 Rc6 32 f6 Rc8 33 Qe3 Kh 34 Qg5 g6 35 c6! Rbb8 (If 35...Nc6?? 36 Qh6 Rg 37 Bf8!!) 36 c7! Ra8 37 Qh6 Rg 38 Qc1 Rgc 39 a4! Re 40 Bd2 (with the idea of Bh6, Bg7, Qh6, B any and Mate) 40...Nc8? 41 Qc6 (this works, too) 41...Na7 42 Qd7 Kg8 43 Be3! Zugzwang! 1-0