Annotations by IM Robert Shlyakhtenko1.d4Nf62.Nc3d53.Bf4g64.e3Bg75.h4h56.Nf3O-O7.Ne5c58.Qd2cxd49.exd4Nc610.f3Bf511.Bb5Na5?A move away from the center. Sevian immediately punishes this.11...Rc812.Bxc6(12.Nxc6?!White should not accept the exchange sacrifice.bxc613.Ba6Ra8(13...Rb8!?14.Bxb8Qxb815.O-O-Oe5is also tempting.)14.Bb7Rb8!15.Bxc6(15.Bxb8Qxb816.Bxc6Rc817.Bb5Rxc318.Qxc3Qxb5∓)Rxb2∓)bxc613.Na4is still not easy for Black to handle.11...Nxe5is the clearest path to equality, intending12.dxe5Nd713.O-O-O(13.Qxd5Qb6!is risky only for White, since after14.Bxd7Black can playQxb2!)Nxe514.Rhe1Nc615.Bh6e5!16.Bxg7Kxg7and Black is fine.12.g4!...The security of White's center gives him the right to launch a kingside attack.12....Be612...hxg4is met by13.h5!gxf314.hxg6fxg615.O-O-Owith a strong attack.13.O-O-ORc814.Kb1Qb615.Be2Nc4Giving away the center.15...Rxc3Perhaps Black should try to confuse matters with this exchange sacrifice, but objectively it is refuted by16.Qxc3hxg417.fxg4Ne418.Qe1Nc619.Nxc6bxc620.Rh3!Bxd421.Rb3Qc522.Bf316.Bxc4dxc4Black's play has not accomplished much. White's king is perfectly safe; the same cannot be said for its counterpart.17.Bh6Rfd818.Bxg7Kxg719.gxh5Nxh520.Rhg1Rh821.Rg5...Methodical play. White wants to play d4-d5 without allowing ... Be6-f5 in response.21....Nf622.d5Rcd8[%clk 0:-2:-52]22...Bf5is met decisively by23.Rxf5!gxf524.Qg5+Kf825.d6Rd826.Rg1Rh727.Nxc423.Nxc4Qc7[%clk 0:-3:-17]24.Qd4Qh2[%clk 0:-4:-6]25.Ne3Rxh4[%clk 0:-8:-18]26.Qxa7Bc8White has won a pawn, but Black has some hopes of counterplay. Sevian's next move dispels these illusions.[%clk 0:-8:-41]27.Rgg1!...White is able to defend all his weaknesses.27....Rf4?[%clk 0:-13:-7]27...Rh328.Rgf1Qf4puts up more resistance.28.Rh1...[%clk 0:00:-12]28....Qg3[%clk 0:-13:-7]29.Ne2...[%clk 0:00:-24]29....Qxf3[%clk 0:-13:-7]30.Nxf4...[%clk 0:00:-54]30....Qxf4[%clk 0:-13:-31]31.Qa5...[%clk 0:-3:-11]31....Re8[%clk 0:-14:-54]32.Qc3...The rest is easy.[%clk 0:-3:-41]32....Bd7[%clk 0:-15:-20]33.Rd4...[%clk 0:-4:-11]33....Qe5[%clk 0:-16:-15]34.Nc4...[%clk 0:-4:-29]34....Qg5[%clk 0:-16:-46]35.Rdh4...[%clk 0:-5:00]35....Rg8[%clk 0:-17:-10]36.d6...[%clk 0:-6:-57]36....exd6[%clk 0:-17:-59]37.Nxd6...[%clk 0:-7:-11]37....Kf8[%clk 0:-18:-29]38.Nxb7...[%clk 0:-12:-38]38....Be6[%clk 0:-18:-58]39.Qd4...[%clk 0:-13:-8]39....Nh5[%clk 0:-19:-28]40.Nc5...[%clk 0:-13:-44]40....Bf5[%clk 0:-19:-28]41.a4...[%clk 0:-15:-53]41....Ng3[%clk 0:-19:-28]42.Qd6+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]42....Qe7[%clk 0:-19:-28]43.Qb8+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]43....Kg7[%clk 0:-19:-28]44.Rh7+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]44....Kf6[%clk 0:-19:-28]45.Qxg8...[%clk 0:-15:-53]45....Qxc5[%clk 0:-19:-28]46.Rxf7+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]46....Kg5[%clk 0:-19:-28]47.Rxf5+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]47....Nxf5[%clk 0:-19:-28]48.a5...[%clk 0:-15:-53]48....Nd4[%clk 0:-19:-28]49.Rg1+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]49....Kf4[%clk 0:-19:-28]50.Qxg6...[%clk 0:-15:-53]50....Nf3[%clk 0:-19:-28]51.Qg4+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]51....Ke3[%clk 0:-19:-28]52.Rg3...[%clk 0:-15:-53]52....Kd2[%clk 0:-19:-28]53.Qf4+...[%clk 0:-15:-53]53....Ke1[%clk 0:-19:-28]54.Rxf31-0 White wins.[%clk 0:-15:-53]1-0