0268 ENGLISH OPENING
Southeastern Open, Rd 5, 10/27/2002, Rock Hill
Patrick McCartney (1979)  S McIntosh (1842)
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 Nd5 Bc5 4 b4 Bd4 5 Rb1 c6 6 e3 cd5 7 ed4 ed4 8 cd5 d6 (8...Nf6 is the main response here, leading to a slight advantage for White due to the bishop pair. Carsten Hansen, in his book "The GAMBIT Guide to the English Opening: 1...e5", mentions 8...d6!? for Black as being a possible improvement.  I'm not sure that I can agree with him on that one, as it gives White an added option.) 9 Bb5 (9 Bb2 is probably best here, maintaining the bishop pair.  The idea behind the move played is that the Light-Squared bishop is ultimately going to be White's bad bishop when all is said and done, and using the check followed by the trade of the bishop gets White a move closer to castling.) 9...Bd7 10 Bd7 Qd7? (This move leads to major headaches for Black.  At first glance, it appears as though White can answer the better move, 10...Nd7, with 11 Qg4.  However, after 11...Qe7, White might try 12 Kd1, but it's very risky, while 12 Kf1 blocks the rook in, and 12 Ne2?? loses a piece after 12...d3, and so White may have nothing better than to interpose with the Queen anyway.) 11 Nf3 (11 Ne2 might be more accurate since both moves achieve the same goal of hitting the d4-pawn, but the move in the game allows Black the annoying check once again with the Queen, however, Black decides to do otherwise.) 11...Ne7 12 Nd4 Nd5 13 0-0 0-0?! (I'm not sure if there is a better move to recommend for Black, but he really doesn't have the time to castle here, as White now begins a sequence of attacking moves that Black has major problems meeting.) 14 Qf3 Ne7 15 b5! (This move locks the knight in, which in turn
locks the rook in.  In addition, it opens up the dark-squared diagonal for the White Bishop.  Black is unable to play 15...a6 due to the attack on the b7-pawn.  Black's best try comes from 15...Ng6, but White still has a big advantage.) 15...d5 (While this move blocks the queen from hitting b7, it opens up the a3-f8 diagonal for the White bishop, and now a nasty attack by White, with the bishop playing a major role, will decide the game.) 16 Ba3 (White has a winning position at this point.) 16...Rd8 17 Rfe1 Ng6 18 Nf5 Re8 19 Qd5!! (Black's mistake on move 10 made this deflection tactic possible. With the Black Knight wedging the Rook in, this tactic is fairly common. Black can't take the Queen due to 20 Re8 Nf8 21 Rf8 mate, but even without the Bishop on a3, the tactic would still be possible with White giving a Knight check on e7 before taking on f8 with mate.  Black can safely resign here.) 19...h6 20 Re8 Qe8 21 Qb7 Nd7 22 Nd6 Qd8 23 Re1 Nf6 24 Qf7 Kh7 25 Nf5 Qg8 26 Qg6 Kg6 27 Ne7 Kf7 28 Ng8 Kg8 29 Bc5 a6 30 b6 Nd7 31 d4 Rc8 32 b7 1-0