[Event "U.S. Open"]
[Site "Framingham"]
[Date "2001.08.04"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Hartwig, Thomas"]
[Black "Malutich, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hartwig,Th"]
[BlackElo "1600"]
[ECO "C18"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[WhiteElo "2060"]

{ I am pleased to announce that the quality of my annotated games will be going down for a couple of weeks! You see, I have actually played in a tournament, and done rather well (6/9 in the U.S. Open). Therefore, we must dwell on my great success (-: -- Actually, in the first round which we are looking at this week, I already had a tough job beating a 1600. However, sometimes this works well as it gets the juices flowing early. Whatever doubts I had about annotating this game were absolved by a feeling that this is chess as it is really played at my level, and it may be of interest in that respect. } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. Qg4 Qc7 8. Bd3 $1 { This is not a particularly great move from the objective point of view. However, subjectively I think it is right. This avoids all of the well-traveled theory after 8.Qxg7 which, despite his rating, my opponent could easily look up. Here, even if my opponent knows to take the pawn, the position will become unbalanced and unfamiliar (to him). In such a position the likelihood of him playing timidly and badly is high. } 8... cxd4 9. Ne2 Nbc6 $2 { There it is. } ( 9... dxc3 { is consistent and correct, however after: } 10. Qxg7 Rg8 11. Qxh7 Nbc6 12. Bf4 Bd7 13. O-O O-O-O 14. Bg3 { there remains a game to be played. White loses a pawn but gets something rare for the Winawer, well-placed pieces and a safe king. Further, the h-pawn may become a menace. The game could continue: } 14... Nxe5 15. Rfe1 N7c6 16. Nxc3 a6 ) 10. cxd4 { Now white simply has more space, and has whatever chances exist on both sides of the board. } 10... Ng6 11. Be3 ( 11. h4 h5 12. Qg3 Nxd4 13. Bxg6 Nxe2 14. Kxe2 fxg6 15. Qxg6+ Qf7 { probably correctly. } ) ( 11. O-O { is possibly better, simply refusing to be baited by the g6-knight. Then the bishop goes to a3. } ) 11... Bd7 12. h4 h5 13. Qg5 Nce7 14. O-O O-O-O 15. Nf4 $5 { There are other plans, but this works excellently in the game. After 17...g6 black has no hopes of kingside counterplay. } 15... Nxf4 16. Bxf4 Nc6 17. c3 g6 ( 17... Na5 18. Qxg7 Ba4 19. Bg5 { and black probably has no compensation. } ) ( 17... Rdg8 $5 ) 18. a4 Na5 { I was hoping to see this! } 19. Qe7 Bc6 20. Qb4 b6 21. Bg5 Rd7 22. Rfc1 Qb7 23. Rab1 { So far everything has gone excellently for white on the board and on the clock. Now, however, white has to be very precise. My great advantage is that black is tied, so I can choose when and where to strike. This would be no advantage if I strike at the wrong moment and simply release black's pieces. There is a phase where the momentum temporarily shifts in a chess game and the pressure is on the attacker to find the right continuation. This is it. } 23... Kb8 $1 { Black defends well for the next few moves and doesn't get spooked. For example, I was hoping he might be nervous to play this after I had plonked my rook onto the b-file. } 24. Rc2 Rc8 25. f3 $5 { My position is not yet so good that I didn't hope to take advantage of my opponent's time trouble. Therefore, since he was not impressed by my rook maneuvers, I decided to do something on the kingside. There is also a chess case for this move in terms of the "principle of two weaknesses". } 25... Ka8 26. Kh2 Rdc7 27. g4 hxg4 28. fxg4 Nc4 $1 { Bold and good. } 29. Bxc4 { Already with the following move in mind. However, as I mentioned white has to be very exact about when to strike. This is not the right moment. } ( 29. Rf2 $5 ) ( 29. Kg3 $5 { intending 30.Bf6, 31.Kf4!?, 32.h5, etc. is very interesting. } ) 29... dxc4 30. a5 $4 { I played the tempting (especially in view of the clock), but completely wrong continuation. I was lucky to get out alive. } 30... Be4 31. Ra1 { This is the follow-up, even if it loses. 31.Qb2 is technically "better" but has no point. } 31... Bxc2 32. axb6 a6 $4 { A narrow escape. } ( 32... Qf3 33. bxc7 Qf2+ 34. Kh3 Be4 { wins for black. } ) 33. bxc7 Qxb4 34. cxb4 Rxc7 35. Rxa6+ { Now I felt fine about my winning chances. However black, no doubt rattled, compounded his error before the time control. } 35... Kb7 36. Ra5 Kb6 $2 37. Bd8 1-0