0289 FRENCH DEFENSE (C18)
Smokehouse XXXVI, 2-22-03
Chris Mabe (1975)  Gary Newsom (2027)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3
Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3
dxc3 13.Nxc3 a6 14.Rb1 Nf5 15.g4 Rxg4 16.Bh3 Nxe5 17.fxe5 Qxe5+ 18.Ne2 Rd4 (18...Re4 19.Bxf5 exf5 20.Kd1 Bb5 21.Rxb5 axb5 22.Qxb5+ Kf8 23.Bb2 Qe7 24.Rg1 d4 25.Bc1 Ra6 26.Bd2 d3 27.cxd3 Rxe2 28.Bb4 Rd6 29.Qc4 Qe6 30.Bxd6+ Qxd6 31.Kxe2 Qxh2+ 32.Kf1Ke7 33.Qb4+ Grafl,F-Schild, C/Baunatal 1999/EXT 2000/1-0 (41) 19.Bxf5!? (Fritz doesn't really like this move, but it is great psychologically and helps white keep the initative. 19.Qf3 would have made life much easier for White 19...Re4 20.Bxf5 [20.Rxb7 Nd4 21.Qg3 Rxe2+ 22.Kd1 Qxg3 23.hxg3 Ba4-/+ (‹23...Rxc2 24.Bxe6 0-0-0 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 26.Rh8+ Kc7 27.Bf4+ Rd6 28.Bxf7=) 20...exf5 21.Bf4+- ( 21.Rxb7?! Bb5 22.Rxb5 axb5+/-) 19...Rxd3= 20.Bxd3 Bc6 21.Bb2 Qh5 22.Bf6 (White inhibits 0-0-0) 22...Kd7 (22...Qh6!? might be a viable alternative 23.Rf1 b5=] 23.h4 Rg8 24.Rf1 Rg4 25.Rb4 Rxb4 26.axb4 Qg4 [ >=26...Bb5+/-] 27.c3 (>=27.Rf4!? Qh3 28.Be5+/-] 27...e5?? (>=27...Qh3 was necessary 28.Bc2 Bb5=) 28.Bf5++- 1-0