[Event "Arcadia Winter Open"]
[Site "Arcadia, CA"]
[Date "2012.02.13"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Mike Carlson"]
[Black "Craig Faber"]
[WhiteElo "2112"]
[BlackElo "2183"]
[PlyCount "68"]
{Notes by Larry Stevens}
1. Nf3 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d6 4. d4 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. c4 0-0 7. Nc3 Nc6 {Other main lines are 7. ... Qe8 8. d5 Na6 and 7. ... c6 8. d5 e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6} 8. e3 {The most frequently seen move is 8. d5 followed by 8. ... Na5, or the equally popular 8. ... Ne5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Qb3} e5 9. dxe5?! {White opens up the cramped position. Better was 9. d5 Ne7, even though it's a successful King's Indian for black, not having to move his knight from f6 before playing ... f5} dxe5 10. Qb3 e4 11. Rd1 Qe7 {Black is slightly better} 12. Nd4 Ne5 13. Nd5 Qf7 14. Bd2 c6 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Bb4 Rd8 17. Bf1 {Black has seized space with his pawn chain, and his centralized knight looks at d3 and f3, two weakened squares in the white position} Kg7 18. Rac1 g5 {The time is not yet right for 18. ... Rxd4 19. exd4 Nf3+ 20. Kh1 f4 21. d5 Nd4 22. Qa3 when white is slightly better} 19. Qc2?? {White needed to cover f3 with either Bg2 or Be2. Now black can act.} Rxd4! 20. exd4 {Or 20. Rxd4 Nf3+ 21. Kg2 Qh5 22. h4 gxh4 and black is significantly better} Nf3+ 21. Kh1 Qh5 {Black's combination at d4 only became a threat when 18. ... g5 opened it up for the black queen. Black is winning.} 22. h3 f4 23. h4 Bf5 {The quickest way is 23. ... g4! threatening 24. ... Bxh4} 24. Bg2 fxg3 25. fxg3 gxh4 {The computer win is 25. ... Bg4! 26. Bxf3 Bxf3+ 27. Kh2 gxh4 28. g4 Qg5! 29. Rg1 Qf4+ 30. Kh3 h5 31. gxh5+ Kh7.} 26. g4 {No help is 26. Bxf3 Qxf3+ 27. Qg2 hxg3 28. Bd6 Qh5+ 29. Kg1 Bg4} Bxg4 27. Qxe4?? {More stubborn was 27. Rg1 but black still has 27. ... Kf7! which renews the threat of ... h3} h3 28. Bf1 Ng5 29. Qd3 Bf3+ 30. Kh2 Bxd1 31. Rxd1 Nf3+ 32. Kh1 {Just enough lines are blocked to stop checks to the black king} Qg4 33. Qe3 Re8! 34. Qf2 Bh4 {White can't stop the mate without giving up big material} 0-1
