[Event "Kvalitet 2025: Michael Burns-FM Anton Zlatkov"] [Date "2025.05.27"] [White "Michael Burns"] [Black "Anton Zlatkov"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1993"] [WhiteFideId "15013820"] [BlackElo "2322"] [BlackTitle "FM"] [BlackFideId "15005402"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/MBurns2020"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B47"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation"] [StudyName "My best games for my website"] [ChapterName "Michael Burns - Anton Zlatkov"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rY6IAx4X/mgd3cnP4"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 (2... Nc6 { [%csl Gb5] } 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 { [%csl Gd5] }) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 (5... Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 { [%cal Gc3d5,Gc2c4] } 10. Nd5) 6. a3 { [%csl Ga3] } 6... a6 7. Be3 b5 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Gd1f3] } (7... d6) (7... Nf6 { [%csl Gf8] } 8. f4 d6 9. Qf3 { [%csl Gd6,Gf6] }) 8. Be2?! { I forgot the lines with Qf3, so i went for this } (8. Nxc6 Qxc6 9. Be2 { [%csl Gf3] } 9... Bb7 10. O-O { [%csl Gc7,Gf3] }) 8... Bb7 9. O-O Nf6 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. Bf3 (11. f3 Bd6 { [%csl Rg1] }) 11... d6 12. Re1 { [%csl Gf3] } 12... Qb7? { I was ecstatic when saw Qb7, as it is a immediate mistake, moving a piece twice, losing time, and i can reply with a threat, forcing him to waste more time. } (12... Be7 13. Qd4 (13. Nd5 exd5 14. exd5) 13... O-O) (12... Rd8 13. Nd5 exd5 14. exd5 { [%csl Gf8,Gc6] }) 13. Bf4 (13. Bg5!? Be7 14. Bxf6 (14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 e5) 14... Bxf6 15. Qxd6 Rd8 16. Qf4 Bxc3 17. bxc3 O-O $10) (13. Nd5 exd5 14. exd5 Bxd5 15. Bd4+ Kd7 16. Bxd5 Qxd5) 13... Be7 14. Bxd6 (14. Qe2 O-O 15. Rad1 Rad8 16. Nd5 exd5 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 19. Qxe7 Bxg2 20. Rxd6 Qa8 { [%csl Gg2] }) (14. Re3!? Rd8 15. Rd3 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Qxe4 18. Bxd6 Bxd6 19. Rxd6 Ke7 20. Rd2 { Still unpleasant. }) (14. Nd5 exd5 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Bxd6) 14... Rd8 15. e5 Bxf3 (15... Bxd6 16. Bxc6+ Qxc6 17. exd6 Rxd6 18. Qe2 $10 { Is what i was expecting, but after the rooks come off with: } 18... Ke7 19. Rad1 Rhd8 20. Rxd6 Rxd6 21. Rd1 Rxd1+ 22. Nxd1 Nd5 23. g3 f5 24. h4 Qc4 25. Qe5 $10 { Tiny bit unpleasant, but with the king in the center it is equal. }) 16. Qxf3 (16. gxf3 { I considered this shortly, but it allows black to avoid trading queens, which leads him to positional superiority } 16... Bxd6 17. exd6 Qb6) 16... Qxf3 17. gxf3 Bxd6 18. exd6 Rxd6 19. Ne4 Rc6 (19... Nxe4 20. Rxe4 Rd2 21. a4 { [%csl Ge8,Gh8] } 21... O-O 22. axb5 axb5 23. Ra5 Rxc2 24. Rxb5 Rd8 25. Rd4 { [%csl Gg8] } 25... Rdc8 { [%csl Gc8] } 26. Rdb4 { [%cal Gb5b8] } (26. Rb7 { [%csl Gc2,Gd7] } 26... R2c5 27. h4)) 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 21. c3 Rg8+ 22. Kf1 Rg5 23. Rad1 Ke7 24. Re4 Rh5 25. Kg2 Rc8 26. Red4 Rg8+ 27. Rg4 Rg6 { [%cal Gg6h6] } 28. Rxg6 (28. h3 Rgh6) 28... fxg6 29. Rd4 Rd5 (29... Rg5+ 30. Kf1 Rd5 31. Rh4 h5 32. c4) (29... Rc5 30. Kg3 (30. Re4 Rc4 31. Re3 h5 32. b3 Rf4 33. Re1 Rf5 34. Re3 a5 35. Re4 Rg5+ 36. Kf1 Rc5 37. Re3 Rd5 38. b4 a4 39. Ke2 g5 40. f4 gxf4 41. Re4 e5 42. c4 bxc4 43. Rxc4 h4 44. Rc6 e4 45. Ra6 f5) 30... Rc4 31. Rd3 g5 32. b3 Rf4 33. Re3 Kd6 34. Rd3+ Kc7 35. Re3 e5 36. Rd3 a5 37. Rd5 Kc6 38. Rd8 a4 39. Rc8+ Kd5 40. Rd8+ Ke6 41. bxa4 bxa4 42. h3 h5 43. Kg2 Rc4 44. Ra8 h4 45. Ra6+ Kf5 46. Ra5 Kf4 47. Ra6 f5 48. Ra5 e4 49. fxe4 Kxe4 50. f3+ Kd3 51. Rxf5 Rxc3 52. Rxg5 Rxa3 53. f4 Ke4 54. f5 Ra2+ 55. Kg1 Ke5 56. f6+ Kxf6) 30. Rh4! (30. Rxd5 exd5 31. Kf1 Ke6 32. Ke2 Ke5 33. Ke3 g5 34. b3 f5 35. f4+ gxf4+ 36. Kf3 $10) 30... h5 { [%csl Gg6,Gf6,Ge6] } 31. c4 Rg5+ 32. Kf1 Kd6 33. cxb5 (33. b4! { [%csl Gb4,Ga6] } 33... bxc4 34. Rxc4 { [%csl Gb4,Ga3,Ga6] } 34... Rd5 (34... a5 35. Rd4+ { [%csl Ge7] } 35... Kc6 36. Rc4+ Kb5 37. Rf4 { [%csl Gf6,Gf5,Ga3] } 37... f5 (37... Rf5 38. Rxf5+ exf5 39. bxa5 Kxa5 40. Ke2 { [%csl Gc4,Gd5] } 40... Ka4 41. Kd3 Kxa3 42. Kc4 Kb2 43. Kd5) 38. h4) 35. Ke2 { [%csl Gh5,Gh2,Gh4,Gh3,Gh1] } 35... Rg5 { [%csl Gg2] } 36. Rc8 { [%csl Gg8] } 36... Rg2 { [%csl Gf1,Gh2] } 37. Kf1 Rxh2 38. Kg1 Rh4 39. Ra8 { [%csl Ga6,Gd6] }) 33... axb5 34. a4 bxa4 35. Rxa4 Rb5 36. b4 Kd5 37. Kg2 Rb6 { [%csl Ga8,Gc4,Gf6,Gg6][%cal Gd5c4,Gb6b4] } (37... g5 38. h4 { [%csl Gh4,Gg5,Gh5,Gb4] } 38... Ke5 39. hxg5 fxg5 { [%cal Ga4a5] } 40. Kg3 Kf6 41. f4 { [%csl Gf4] }) 38. Ra8 (38. h4 { [%csl Gg6] } 38... Kc4 39. Ra7 Rxb4 40. Rg7) 38... Rxb4 39. Rg8 g5 40. Rh8 h4 41. h3 Ke5?! { Inaccuracy. e5 was best. } (41... e5 42. Rd8+ Ke6 43. Rb8 (43. Ra8 Kf5 44. Ra5 { [%csl Ge5] } 44... Kg6 45. Ra6)) 42. Ra8 Kf5 43. Ra5+ Kg6 44. Ra6 e5 { [%csl Gg4,Ge3,Gf2][%cal Ge5e4,Ge4e3,Gb4b2,Gf3g4] } 45. Rc6 e4 46. fxe4 Rxe4 47. Rc2 f5 { [%csl Gf2,Gh3] } 48. Rc6+ (48. f3 Re3 { [%csl Gg6,Gf3] }) 48... Kf7 { [%csl Gf2,Gh3,Gh7,Gg6,Gh5] } 49. Rc5 Kf6 50. Rc2 Ke5 51. Rc8 g4 52. Rh8! gxh3+ 53. Kxh3 Kf4!? 54. Kg2 (54. Rxh4+ Kf3 55. Rh5 f4 56. Ra5 Kxf2 57. Kg4 f3+ 58. Kh3 Re3) (54. Kxh4 Kf3+ (54... Re1 { [%csl Gh4] })) 54... Kg5 55. Rg8+ Kf6 56. Rf8+ Ke5 57. Rh8 Kd4 58. Kf3 Ke5 59. Kg2 Rf4 60. Rh6 Ke4 (60... Kd4) 61. Re6+ Kd3 62. Re3+ Kd2 63. Rh3 Rg4+ 64. Kf3 Kd3 65. Rh1 Kd4 66. Ra1 Ke5 67. Ra6 Rf4+ 68. Ke3 Rb4 69. f4+! { The cherry on top } 69... Kd5 70. Ra5+ Ke6 71. Ra6+ Kf7 72. Rh6 h3 73. Kf2 (73. Kf3 Rb2 74. Kg3 h2 75. Rxh2 Rxh2 76. Kxh2 Ke6 77. Kh3 (77. Kg3 Kd5 78. Kh4 (78. Kf3 Kd4 { [%csl Gf4,Gf2] } 79. Kg3 Ke3 80. Kg2) 78... Kd4) 77... Kd5 78. Kh4 Ke4 (78... Kd4 79. Kg3 Ke3 80. Kg2 Kxf4 81. Kf2 { [%csl Gf2,Gf4] }) 79. Kg5) 73... Rxf4+ 74. Kg3 Rg4+ 75. Kxh3 Kg7 76. Ra6! $10 { [%csl Gg7][%cal Ga6h6] } 76... Kf7 77. Rb6 Rg8 78. Ra6 Rg1 79. Rb6 { [%csl Gf4] } 79... f4 80. Rb4 { [%csl Gf7,Gf4] } 80... Rg3+ 81. Kh2 { 1/2-1/2 wins. } { [%csl Gf4] } 1/2-1/2