This is perhaps the most interesting and exciting game among those that I played in Spain this October. Both sides fought for initiative in the opening; the resulting complications brought success to Black. However, instead of keeping tension in the middlegame, Seel confidently headed for a drawn endgame, which he...did even more confidently win. This was mainly my fault: after I got good drawing chances I relaxed and in time trouble played too many useless moves. The plan that the German player used was obvious and yet quite instructive... 

White: Jiganchine,R (2115)           CANADA

Black: Seel, C (2232)                     GERMANY
[D93]       World Youth U-18 (3), 13.10.2000
[Annotated by Roman Jiganchine]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Qa5 [Another popular response is 7...Ne4 - this leads to rather quick simplification of the position: 8.Rc1 Nxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Bxc4 Nd7 12.Bc7 Rf8 13.c6 bxc6 14.Nd4 Nb6= NCO] 8.Rc1 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Qxc5 10.Nb5

[10.Bb3 is the main line, but I chose another aggressive move ] 10...Qb4+ [10...Be6 is the theoretical move-it is important to close the a2-g8 diagonal 11.Bxe6 Qxb5 12.Bc4 (12.Bb3) 12...Qxb2 13.0-0 with compensation; The point of White's last move is clearly revealed after 10...Nc6?? 11.Bxf7+!+-] 11.Nd2 Ne4 12.Nc7 a logical decision, White just wants to win a rook and hopes that his material advantage will prevail over Black's initiative 12...Bxb2? [instead of this 12...Rd8!? is recommended by ECO] 13.Rc2? A blunder in a very complicated position [13.Bd3! was the winning continuation (it was intuitively suggested by I. Lipnowski after the game). However, it took hours of analysis and two master players to confirm this as a best continuation. I blame myself not only for poor calculation in this messy position, but rather for failing to have analyzed this position at home before the tournament. 13...Bxc1 (13...Bg4!? 14.f3 Nxd2 15.Qxd2 Qa3 16.Rc2) 14.Qxc1 Nxd2 15.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 and now 16...Rd8 17.Ke2! is an easy win for White; White's problem with finding the right move was that there are some many other 'logical' continuations, each of which requires long calculation: 13.Rb1 ; 13.a3; 13.Nxa8] 13...Bc3 14.Rxc3 [I also seriously considered 14.0-0 but rejected it because of the following line: 14...Nxd2 15.Nxa8 (15.Qc1 is better but Black still has an advantage) 15...Qxc4 16.Qxd2 Qxf1+! 17.Kxf1 Bxd2 and Black retains an extra pawn] 14...Qxc3 15.Nxa8 Nc6?! now Black goes wrong; after this I obtain good drawing chances. [The best move was the simple 15...Nxd2 16.Qxd2 Qxc4 17.Bxb8 (17.Qb2!? e5 18.Bxe5 Nc6) 17...Bg4 and Black wins back one of White's pieces, with the White king still stuck in the center A) 18.Bg3 Rxa8 19.f3 Be6µ (19...Rc8!?) ; B) 18.Bxa7 18...Rxa8 19.Bd4 Rxa2-+] 16.Bd5 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Qa1+ 18.Qd1 Qxd1+ 19.Kxd1 Rd8

This is the point: Black wins my knight and remains with an extra pawn in most lines 20.e4 e6 21.Nc7 exd5 22.exd5!? Nb4 23.a3?! [23.d6!? Nxa2 (23...Nd3 24.Bg3 and now Black cannot play 24...Rxd6? 25.Bxd6 Nxf2+ 26.Ke2 Nxh1 27.Kf1 winning a piece) 24.Re1 (24.Nd5 Be6) 24...Nb4 25.Kd2 a5 26.Kc3 Nc6 27.Re8+ (27.Bg5 f6) 27...Rxe8 28.Nxe8] 23...Nxd5 24.Nxd5 Be6 25.Kc1 Bxd5

I think that this endgame is objectively drawn. True, there are still rooks on the board, but it seems to me that with precise play Black should not win. 26.f3?! As the reader could see, the opening was quite sharp. That is why by this time I was quite low on time. Some of the moves that I played in this endgame before move 40 are typical "time trouble" moves - the ones that don't have any particular goal and are just made for the sake of making a move and not dropping material. [it was better to play 26.Rg1!? with the idea of later playing g2-g3; 26.Rd1 would drop a pawn after 26...Rc8+ 27.Kb2 Bxg2] 26...f6 27.Rd1 [27.h4!?] 27...Kf7 28.Kb2 g5 29.Be3 b6 30.Rd2 Kg6 31.Bd4 h5 32.Bc3 h4! 33.g3 [33.h3!? was suggested by I. Lipnowski; this was probably a better chance. Nonetheless, I don't think that with my pawns on the dark squares I should necessarily lose; the decisive mistake must have been made somewhere later] 33...h3 34.Rd4 Rd7 35.f4 a5?! Black voluntarily weakens his b6 pawn 36.fxg5 fxg5

37.Rd2? [37.Bd2! seems to be sufficient for a draw: 37...Kf5 (37...Kh5 38.g4+ Kh4?? 39.Be1#) 38.g4+ Kg6 39.Rd3! Be6 40.Rxd7 Bxd7 41.Be3 b5 42.Bb6 a4 43.Kc3 Bxg4 44.Bc7= White easily hold this typical endgame with bishops of opposite colors] 37...Kf5 38.Rd4 Ke6 39.Rd2?! Another waiting move in time trouble [39.Bd2!? g4!? 40.Be3 (40.Rxg4?? Bf3-+) 40...Rg7 41.Rf4 Bf3 42.Bd4 Rd7 43.Kc3 Rc7+ 44.Kd2 Rd7 45.Ke3] 39...Rf7 40.Re2+ Kd6 41.Be5+ [41.Bd2 g4 42.Bf4+ Rxf4? 43.gxf4 g3 44.f5 Bg2 45.f6 gxh2 46.f7 h1Q 47.f8Q++-] 41...Kc5 42.Rd2 Rf3 43.Rc2+ Kb5 44.Rc3 Rf2+ 45.Rc2 Rf5 46.Bd4 Bf3 47.Rc3

[I think by this point my position has deteriorated too much and cannot be saved now: 47.Rf2 g4 48.Be3 Rd5 A) 49.Kc2 Be4+ (49...Rd1?? 50.Rxf3) 50.Kb2 Rd3 51.Bf4 Ka4-+ suddenly Black wins the 'a' pawn; B) 49.Bf4 49...Rd1 50.Rd2 Rh1 51.Be3 Bg2 This position illustrates what is Black's major winning plan in this endgame; I knew about this idea of bringing the rook to h1 and blocking the 2nd rank with the bishop and yet could do nothing about it 52.Rd6 Rxh2-+] 47...Bd1 48.Rd3 Rf1 49.Be3 g4 50.Rd5+ Kc6 51.Rd2 Re1 52.Bd4 Rh1 53.Rf2 Bf3 54.Kc3 b5 55.Be5 Bg2

56.Rf4 Bf3 57.Kd4 Rxh2 58.Rf6+ Kd7 0-1

I played this game quite badly, in fact I hardly made any strong move at all. I made all the obvious moves, but also several really bad ones. My 13th and 37th moves were particularly poor, both showing things I should work on: calculation and endgame technique.