1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. O-O Ba7 7. Bb3 d6 8. Be3 O-O 9. Nbd2 h6 10. h3 Re8 11. d4

11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Re1 Ne7 13. d4 Ng6 14. Nc4 Be6 15. dxe5 Bxc4 16. Bxc4 (16. Qd4!? c5! 17. Qxc4 b5=) 16… Nxe5 17. Nxe5 dxe5 18. Qb3 Qe7 19. a4 c6 20. a5 Raa8 21. Rad1 Rad8 22. Bd3 g6 23. Bc2 Kg7 24. Qc4 h5 25. h4 Ng4! 26. g3 Qf6 27. Qe2 Qe6 28. b4 c5!? It is often risky in these positions to undertake any active ideas, but Black’s Knight on g4 serves as the basis for interesting counterplay when the position opens up. 29. Ba4 Rf8 30. bxc5 Qe7 31. c6 bxc6 32. Qxa6 Ra8 33. Qxc6 Rxa5 (33… Qa7!?) 34. Bb5 Rd8 35. Be2 (35. Rd5? Qa7! 36. Qc5 Qxc5 37. Rxc5 Rd2 38. Rf1 Rb2 39. c4 Raa2) 35… Rc5 36. Qb6 Rxd1 37. Rxd1 Rxc3 38. Bxg4 1/2-1/2 Felgaer,R-Onischuk,A/Buenos Aires ARG 2005

11… exd4!?

Black can also hold e5 with 11… Qe7 12. Re1 Bd7 which may have been the safer course.

12. Nxd4

12. cxd4? Nxe4

12… Bd7

12… Nxe4? 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Nxe4 Rxe4 15. Bxf7+!

13. Re1 Ne5 14. Bc2 c6 15. f4 Ng6 16. Qf3

White is getting a really nice position–hence Black’s risky bid for counter-play that follows.

16… c5?

This is a risky break-out concept. Black probably has to just sit tight and ask White what he’s got by

16… Qe7 17. Rad1 Rad8

17. Nf5 d5!?

The natural follow-through, but the d6-square is more critical than the pawn!

17… Qc7 18. c4 is just too crotchety.

18. Nd6! dxe4 19. N2xe4

Black seems to do better than in the game after 19. Bxe4 Bg4 (19… Nxe4!? is interesting, but it seems insufficient: 20. N2xe4 Qe7 21. Nxe8 (21. Qf2 may be better) 21… Rxe8 22. Nd2 Bc6 23. Qf2 Nh4 24. Bd4! (24. g3? Ng2) 24… Qd7 25. Rxe8+ Qxe8 26. Qxh4! cxd4 27. Qf2! Qe3 28. Qxe3 dxe3 29. Nb3) 20. hxg4 Qxd6 (20… Nh4!? just complicates things a little) 21. Bxb7 Rab8 22. Nc4 Qe6 23. b3 Qxg4 when at least material is equal even if White is clearly for choice.

19… Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Bg4

21. hxg4?!

Perhaps what White missed was 21. Qxg4! Qxd6 22. Bxb7 Rab8 23. Rad1 Qf6 (23… Qb6? 24. Bd5) 24. Bc1! c4+ 25. Kh1 Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 when everything is protected and White remains a pawn up.

21… Qxd6 22. g3!?

22. Bxb7 Rab8 23. Rad1 Qc7 24. Bd5 (24. Bxa6?! c4!) 24… Rxe3! 25. Qxe3 c4 26. Rd4 Nxf4

22… c4 23. Bxa7 Rxa7 24. Qf2 b6 25. Rad1 Qf6

Black’s survival here seems a miracle. white now plays to bring about a draw having missed his chance.

26. Bxg6 Rxe1+ 27. Qxe1 Qxg6 28. Qe2 Kh7 29. Kf2 b5

Suddenly Black is even looking a little better due to his safer king — hence White’s attempt to use his control of the open files to create some attacking chances of his own.

30. Rd4 Qf6

30… Qb1 31. Qe4+=

31. Qe4+ g6 32. Qd5 Re7 33. Qd6 Re6 34. Qf8 Qg7 35. Qd8 Qf6 36. Qf8 Qg7 37. Qd8 Qf6 38. Qf8

Game drawn by repetition

1/2-1/2

1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c4 c5 4. d5 d6 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. h3 e6 8. Bd3 exd5 9. exd5 Re8+ 10. Be3 Bh6

This move has been played quite a lot and is a favorite of Velimirovic.

11. O-O

White can also consider castling queenside, though it is very unusual: 11. Qd2 Qe7 12. O-O-O!? Bxe3 13. fxe3 a6 (13… Qxe3 14. Nb5) 14. e4 Nbd7 15. Rhf1 Kg7 16. Rf2 b5 17. b3 b4 (17… Rb8!?) 18. Na4 Ra7 19. Rdf1 Ng8 20. Bb1 f6 21. Nb2 Nh6 22. g4 Nf7 23. h4 Rf8 24. g5 fxg5 25. hxg5 Nfe5 26. Nh4 Rxf2 27. Rxf2 Nf7 28. Nf5+!? gxf5 29. exf5 Kh8? (29… Qe5) 30. f6! Qe5? 31. Re2! 1-0 Fishbein,A-Shahade,J/Seattle 2002

11… Bxe3

Rather risky and unclear is the Exchange sacrifice with 11… Rxe3 12. fxe3 Bxe3+ 13. Kh1 Nh5 14. Qe1 Bh6! (14… Bf4 15. Ne2! Be5 16. g4 Ng7 17. Nxe5 dxe5 18. Ng3 Nd7 19. Qf2 Qf8 20. Rae1 b6 21. Ne4 Ne8 22. Re3 f6 23. Rf3 Kg7 24. Nxf6 Nexf6 25. g5 Bb7 26. gxf6+ 1-0 Hoi,C-Vujatovic,R/Gausdal 1990) 15. Ne2 f5! (15… Nd7 16. g4 Nf4 17. Nxf4 Bxf4 18. Qf2 Ne5 19. Nxe5 dxe5 20. Be4 Qd6 21. b4 b6 22. bxc5 bxc5 23. Rab1 Ba6 24. Qc2 Rf8 25. Rf3 Rb8 26. Rxb8+ Qxb8 27. Ra3 Bxc4 28. d6 Be6 29. Rd3 Qb4 30. Rd1 Bd7 31. Bd5 Kg7 32. Qb3 Qa5 33. Bg2 Qa6 34. Qc3 Qe2 35. Re1 Qf2 36. Rxe5 Bxe5 37. Qxe5+ Qf6 1/2-1/2 Kluger,G-Forintos,G/Budapest 1964) 16. Qh4 Qxh4! 17. Nxh4 Nd7 18. g3 Ne5 19. Rad1 Bd7 20. Kg2 b5 21. b3 Re8 22. Nc3 f4 23. g4 f3+! 24. Rxf3 Nxf3 25. Nxf3 Nf4+ 26. Kf2 Nxh3+ 27. Kg3 Re3! 28. Nxb5? Ng5 29. Nxd6 Rxf3+ 30. Kg2 Bxg4 0-1 Gradl,W-Bromberger,S/Fuerth 2002

12. fxe3 Nbd7

Black seems to retain more options by 12… Qe7 defending the f7 pawn and attacking White’s e-pawn right away. 13. Re1 (13. e4 Nbd7 14. Qd2 Kg7 15. Rf2 a6 16. Raf1 Rf8 17. g4 Ne8 18. Qf4 f6 19. Qg3 Rb8 20. Kg2 b6 21. a4 Rb7 22. h4 h6 23. g5 Ne5 24. Nxe5 Qxe5 25. Qxe5 dxe5 26. Kg3 Rbf7 27. gxf6+ Nxf6 28. Be2 Bd7 29. b3 a5 30. Kg2 g5 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Bd3 Kg6 33. Nb5 Rh7 34. Rh1 Rfh8 35. Rxh7 Rxh7 36. Nd6 Nh5 37. Bf1 Nf4+ 38. Kg1 Rh8 39. Rh2 Rf8 40. Nb5 0-1 Pachman,L-Panno,O/Manila 1976) (13. Rf2 Nbd7 14. Qd2 Rf8 15. Raf1 Ne8 16. e4 f6 17. Qf4 Ne5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. Qxe5 dxe5 20. g4 Bd7 21. Kh2 h6 22. a3 Kg7 23. b4 Rc8 24. b5 Nd6 25. Kg3 Rf7 26. Nd1 Rcf8 27. Ne3 Djukic,Z-Velimirovic,D/Kladovo 1991) 13… Nbd7 14. Qd2 Ne5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Qf2 Re7 17. Qf4 Kg7 18. Re2 Bd7 19. Rf1 Rf8 20. Ref2 Ne8 21. Rf3 a6 22. a4 b6 23. Qh4 f5 24. g4 Ref7 25. g5 Nc7 26. e4 f4 27. Ne2 Qxb2 28. Nxf4 Kg8 29. Qh6 Qg7 30. Qxg7+ Kxg7 31. h4 Bxa4 32. h5 b5 33. R3f2 bxc4 34. Bxc4 Bb5 35. Bxb5 axb5 36. h6+ Kg8 37. e5 dxe5 38. Nxg6 Rxf2 39. Ne7+ Kh8 40. Rxf2 Rxf2 41. Kxf2 b4 42. d6 Ne6 43. d7 Nd8 44. g6 hxg6 45. Nxg6+ Kh7 46. Nxe5 Kxh6 47. Ke2 Bykhovsky,A-Velimirovic,D/Becici 1993

13. Qd2

13. e4 Kg7 14. Rf2 Ng8 15. Qd2 Ne5 16. Nxe5 Rxe5 17. Raf1 f6 18. Ne2 Bd7 19. Kh1 Qe7 20. Ng1 Rh5 21. a3 b6 22. Nf3 Rf8 23. b4 Nh6 24. Kg1 Nf7 25. bxc5 bxc5 26. Rb1 Bc8 27. Qa5 Ne5 28. Nxe5 Rxe5 29. Rb8 a6 30. Rf3 f5 31. exf5 Bxf5 32. Rxf8 Kxf8 33. Qd2 Kg7 34. Bxf5 Rxf5 35. Re3 Qh4 36. g4 Rf4 37. Re7+ Qxe7 38. Qxf4 g5 39. Qf5 Qe3+ 40. Kg2 Qe2+ Damljanovic,B-Velimirovic,D/Cetinje 1993

13… Ne5

13… Rf8 14. e4 Ne8 15. Bc2 Ne5 16. b3 (16. Nxe5 dxe5 followed by Nd6 is the plan) 16… Qe7 17. Ne2 Bd7 18. Qc3 b6 19. Nf4 Rc8 20. Rf2 f6 21. Raf1 Ng7 22. g4 b5 23. a3 a5 24. Nxe5 fxe5 25. Ng2 b4 26. axb4 axb4 27. Qe3 g5 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. Rxf8+ Kxf8 30. Bd1 Qf6 31. Qc1 Be8 32. Qe3 Bg6 33. Be2 Ne8 34. Bd1 Kg7 35. Bf3 h6 36. Kh2 Qe7 37. Ne1 Qa7 38. h4 gxh4 39. g5 Qa2+ 40. Ng2 hxg5 41. Qxg5 Qf2 42. Qe7+ Kh6 43. Qxh4+ Qxh4+ 44. Nxh4 Bh7 0-1 Antic,D-Velimirovic,D/Subotica 2000

14. Nxe5 Rxe5

Often Black plays dxe5 with the idea of Rf8, Ne8-d6, but here this is impossible due to White’s quick pressure on the f-file: 14… dxe5?! 15. Qf2

15. Qf2 Kg7 16. Qh4 Qe7 17. Qf2 Bd7 18. Rae1 Re8 19. e4 Nh5 20. Nb1 f5! 21. Nd2

21… fxe4

21… f4!?

22. Rxe4 Rxe4 23. Bxe4 Rf8 24. Qxf8+ Qxf8 25. Rxf8 Kxf8

Black is content with a draw.

26. Kf2 Ke7 27. g4 Nf6 28. Bc2 g5 29. Nf3 h6 30. a4 b6 31. Ke3 Ng8 32. Nd2 Kf6 33. Ne4+ Ke5 34. Nf2 a5 35. b3 Ne7 36. Ne4 Be8 37. Ng3 Bd7 38. Nh5 Be8 39. Ng3 Bd7 40. Bd3 Bc8 41. Bc2 Bd7

Game drawn by repetition

1/2-1/2

1. d4 e6 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 b6 4. Nf3 Bb7 5. Bd3 d6 6. Qe2 Be7 7. h3 Nbd7 8. Ba6

White’s goal in this game seems to be to exchange pieces and keep the position equal, heading for a draw. The coach must have told him to bunt…

8… Qc8 9. Bxb7 Qxb7 10. Nbd2 Ne4 11. O-O-O Nxd2 12. Rxd2 Nf6 13. Qb5+ c6 14. Qd3 c5 15. Qb5+ Qd7 16. Qxd7+ Kxd7 17. dxc5 bxc5 18. Ne5+ Ke8 19. Nc6 Ne4 20. Re2 Bg5

20… Bh4!?

21. Rd1 Kd7 22. Na5 Kc7 23. Bxg5 Nxg5

Diagram # The position looks very equal, but Black starts to go wrong.

24. f3 f6 25. e4 Rhd8 26. Nc4 Rd7 27. f4 Nf7 28. Red2 Rad8 29. Ne3 Kc6 30. c4 g5?! 31. g3 h5 32. Rf2 Rg8 33. f5! Re8 34. b3 exf5

35. Rxf5

White probably missed a win here: 35. Nd5! f4!? (35… Rb8 36. Rxf5) 36. Nxf6 fxg3 37. Rg2 Re5 38. Nxd7

35… Rxe4 36. Nd5 Re2 37. Rd2 Re1+ 38. Kc2 Rg1? 39. Nxf6 Rb7 40. Ne4! Rh1 41. Nxc5! Re7

42. Ne4?!

After this, Black weasels out for a draw.

42. Nd3! Rxh3 43. Nb4+ Kb7 44. Nd5 Rd7 45. Rdf2 Ne5 46. Rxg5

42… Rxe4 43. Rxf7 Rxh3 44. Rf6 Rxg3 45. Rfxd6+ Kc7 46. Rh6 h4 47. Kb2 h3 48. Rh7+ Kc6 49. Rh6+ Kc7 50. Rh7+ Kc6 51. Rh6+ Kc7 52. Rh7+ Kc6 53. Rh6+ Kc7 54. Rh7+ Kc6

Game drawn by repetition. White played for a draw and got his result, but he probably missed some winning chances.

1/2-1/2

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 b6 6. a3 Ba5!?

This suspiscious Bishop move has a respectable pedigree.

7. Rb1 Na6 8. Bd2

8. Qa4 seems the most aggressive treatment for White, presenting Black with some tactical problems to solve. 8… Bb7 9. Bd2 (9. b4?! Bc6 10. b5 (10. Nb5? cxb4 11. axb4 Nxb4 12. Rxb4 O-O 13. Bd2 a6) 10… Be4 11. Rb2 cxd4 12. exd4 Nc7) 9… Bc6 10. Qc2 O-O 11. Ng3 Qc8? 12. d5 exd5 13. Nf5! Kh8 14. cxd5 Bb7 15. Nd6 (15. Bxa6!? Bxc3 16. Bxc3 Bxa6 17. Nxg7!) 15… Qb8 16. Nxb7 Qxb7 17. Bxa6 Qxa6 18. b4 1-0 Banikas,H-Simeonidis,I/Nikea GRE 2007 (45)

8… O-O 9. Ng3 Bb7 10. f3 Qe7 11. Bd3 d5 12. cxd5 Nxd5!?

More typical of these positions is 12… cxd4 13. exd4 Bxc3 14. bxc3 exd5+ 15. Kf2

13. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 14. Qxd2 exd5 15. O-O Nc7

Black seems to have a fully satisfactory position.

16. Rbd1 g6 17. Bb1 Ne6 18. b4 cxd4! 19. exd4 a5 20. f4 f5 21. Rfe1 Qd6 22. Re5!

White’s only chance for something is to use his control of the e-file. But there are other files.

22… axb4 23. axb4 Nd8 24. Rde1 Ra4!

25. Bxf5?

This seems prematurely desperate.

Better 25. Ba2 Nf7! (25… Qxb4 26. Qxb4 Rxb4 27. Bxd5+ Bxd5 28. Rxd5 Nc6 29. Rd1 Rd8=) 26. Re7 Ba8

25… Qxb4!

Black decides to have no part in 25… gxf5 26. Nxf5 Qf6 27. g4 Kh8 28. g5 when White definitely has something for his piece.

26. Qe2

26. Qxb4 Rxb4 27. Be6+ Nxe6 28. Rxe6 Bc8 29. Rd6 Rxd4

26… Qxd4+ 27. Kh1 Ba6 28. Qf3 Bb7 29. Nh5 Ra1! 30. Bb1 Qxe5! 31. fxe5 Rxf3 32. gxf3

32… d4!?

Also sufficient to win is 32… gxh5! 33. Bxh7+ Kxh7 34. Rxa1 Kg6

33. Nf6+ Kg7 34. Kg2 Ne6 35. Kf2 b5 36. Ne8+ Kf8 37. Nd6 Bc6 38. Rc1 Bd7

White’s Rook cannot get into Black’s position.

39. Ke2 Ke7 40. Kd3 Ra3+ 41. Ke4 Re3+ 42. Kd5 Rxf3 43. Be4 Rf2 44. h3 Rd2 45. Nc8+ Bxc8 46. Rxc8 Nf4+ 47. Kc5 d3 48. Bc6 Rc2+ 49. Kxb5 d2 50. Rc7+ Ke6 51. Rd7 Nxh3

White resigns

0-1