1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Qd5 Nc5 6.Bg5 Be7 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.Nc3 c6 The first new move of the game, so far as my meager resources can make out, and not a stunning novelty at that. I can find examples of 8...Qxd5 and 8...h6, with Fritz assuring me that 8...Qe6+ has been played, but in all games white achieved an advantage to a greater or lesser degree. The same is true here. 9.Qxd6 Bxd6 10.0-0-0 Bc7 11.Bc4 Ne6 12.Rhe1 0-0 13.Be7 Re8 14.Bd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6 Kf8 16.Ne5 Ke7 17.Rd2 Nd7 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Rde2 Up to this point the white play has been pretty much flawless, and I would expect he (rightly) felt he had a large advantage here. However, 19.Nc4 looks like the right way to proceed here, aiming at the d6 square with either of the pieces. The exchange of knights comes as a relief to the spacially challenged black. 19...Nxe5 20.Rxe5 Now it is difficult to see how white can improve his position. The game quickly peters out into a draw. 20...b6 21.f4 g6 22.h4 Rf8 23.g3 Bd7 24.Ne4 Rf5 25.h5 Rxe5 26.fxe5 gxh5 27.Nf6 h6 28.Nxh5 Rg8 29.Re3 Rg5 = 30.Nf6 h5 31.b4 a5 32.bxa5 bxa5 33.Kd2 c5 34.Ke2 Bc6 35.Kd3 Bb5+ 36.Ke4 Bc6+ 37.Kd3 Bb5+ 38.Ke4 1/2-1/2
