[Event "U.S. Open"]
[Site "Framingham"]
[Date "2001.08.08"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Hartwig, Thomas"]
[Black "Rensch, Daniel"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Hartwig,Th"]
[ECO "B96"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[PlyCount "48"]

{ The following game was an important breakthrough for me. If you check your d   atabase, you will reach the conclusion that I played twenty moves of theory, and then my first independent move was a timid mistake that lost. However, "cross my heart and hope to die", I was playing on my own after move seven! When my opponent informed me after the game that it was all theory, I was shocked and somewhat annoyed, but, I won't lie to you, my overwhelming feeling was excitement. Wow, I had created all of these moves at the board! And this is why the game is a breakthrough, because now I know that, at least when all of the conditions are right, I can play chess at a high level. I think this confidence had something to do with my strong finish in the tournament. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nc6 { This was a surprise, although I learned later that the move has recently become popular. At the time I thought it might be one of those nearly unsound but dangerous side variations, something like the Sicilian Pin Variation (2...e6 3.d4 cd 4. Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4). After some calculation I felt sure that I had found the critical line, so... } 8. Nxc6 ( 8. Qd2 { leads to a Richter-Rauzer, and probably would have been more pragmatic. } ) ( 8. e5 $5 { first is another important move-order that I had completely ignored during the game. } ) 8... bxc6 9. e5 h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. fxg5 Nd5 12. Ne4 Qb6 $1 { This was the first surprise after my analysis at move seven, where I only expected 12...Qa5+, but I couldn't figure out black's idea. 12...Qb6 came very quickly of course, and I started to get that nervous feeling. The main ideas include 13...Qxb2, and 13/14...Qb4+ which may pick up a loose piece along the fourth rank. } 13. Bd3 hxg5 14. Bxg5 ( 14. Bg3 { is, it turns out, the approved main line. Suffice to say that I considered it at the board, but my calculations were completely inadequate to make a decision and I had to go with my gut. And I still was hoping that in a few moves it would become clear how to 'refute' my opponent's 'obscure' choice, so I went with the most aggressive choice. } ) 14... Qxb2 15. c4 $1 { I finally resorted to this after rejecting the intended 15.O-O Qxe5 16.Nf6+ Nxf6 17.Bxf6 due to 17...Qxh2. The idea is simply to make black's knight move, but first I have to be willing to look at the position after 15...Qxg2. I decided, rightly it turns out, that there is nothing else and that the position at least remains unclear after 16.Rf1. } 15... Qxe5 16. cxd5 Bg7 $1 { Very strong. If I move the rook then black has simply 17...cxd5. So eventually I realized that my next move, bizarre as it looks, is forced. } 17. O-O $1 Qxh2+ 18. Kf2 f5 ( 18... Bd4+ 19. Ke1 { This variation is very pleasing from the aesthetic/paradoxical point of view, given that white has just castled! From the chess viewpoint, there are no more checks and white's attack is very dangerous. } ) 19. Qa4 $1 { Everything is attacked! } 19... O-O 20. Ng3 $2 ( 20. Nf6+ $3 { is correct, as quoted in the bulletin. The main reason I hadn't looked at this move was that I thought my position would be okay after 22.Bxf4 in the game, and time trouble was already looming as well. Now play could continue, for example: } 20... Bxf6 21. Bxf6 Rxf6 22. Rh1 Qe5 23. Qh4 Rf7 24. Rae1 Qb2+ $1 ( 24... Qf6 25. dxe6 Qxh4+ 26. Rxh4 Rf6 27. Reh1 Rxe6 28. Bxf5 ) 25. Re2 Qf6 26. dxe6 Qxh4+ 27. Rxh4 Rf6 28. e7 Bd7 29. Kg3 Re8 30. Kf4 Re6 31. Rxe6 Bxe6 32. Bxf5 Rxe7 33. Bxe6+ Rxe6 34. Kf5 Re5+ 35. Kf6 { and although white is a pawn down the position is still unclear. } ) 20... f4 21. Nf5 $2 { I had already seen the problem with this move, but didn't think there was anything better. In fact 21.Bxf4 is still messy. } ( 21. Bxf4 Qh4 ( 21... e5 22. Nf5 ) ( 21... Be5 22. Rh1 Qxh1 23. Rxh1 Rxf4+ 24. Qxf4 Bxf4 25. dxc6 ) 22. Kg1 Bxa1 23. Ne2 Bg7 24. Qxc6 Ra7 25. Qxd6 e5 26. Bxe5 Rxf1+ 27. Kxf1 Bxe5 28. Qxe5 Rf7+ 29. Kg1 { and white is still breathing. } ) ( 21. Ne2 $2 f3 { just loses. } ) 21... exf5 22. Bxf4 Qh4+ { This pin is the killer that I had missed. } 23. Kg1 c5 ( 23... Bxa1 { also wins. } ) 24. g3 Qh3 0-1