[Event "GBR-ch"]
[Site "Scarborough"]
[Date "2001.08.10"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Emms, John M"]
[Black "Lalic, Bogdan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Martin,A (game of the day)"]
[BlackElo "2528"]
[ECO "E54"]
[EventDate "2001.07.30"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[WhiteElo "2532"]

1. e4 { Notes by IM Andrew Martin } 1... c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 O-O 9. O-O b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Ne5 { Classified by Bogdan Lalic as 'a tricky move' It seems to lead to no more
than equality. } 11... Bxc3 $1 12. bxc3 Qc7 13. Bb3 $146 { Obviously Emms isn't interested in the perpetual check : } ( { RR } 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Qg4+ Kh8 15. Qh4 fxe5 { 1/2-1/2 Schlusnik,N-Vadasz,L/Budapest 1997/CBM 57 ext (15) } ( { RR } 15... fxe5 16. Qf6+ Kg8 17. Qg5+ { 1/2-1/2 Timman,J-Karpov,A/La Valetta 1980/EXT 2000 (17) } ) ) 13... Nc6 14. Bxf6 { He has to play this move to get anything at all. } 14... gxf6 15. Ng4 $1 ( 15. Qg4+ Kh8 16. Qh4 Qe7 $4 ( 16... fxe5 $8 17. Qf6+ $11 ) 17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Bc2 ) 15... f5 $8 { The variations after } ( 15... Qf4 { don't look too promising. Black's Queen is driven passive and White can
revert to a more leisurelybuild-up } 16. g3 Qg5 17. f4 Qg7 18. Ne3 ( 18. Qe2 Rac8 19. Rae1 Na5 20. f5 Nxb3 21. axb3 Rxc3 22. fxe6 fxe6 23. Qxe6+ Kh8 24. Rxf6 Rxf6 25. Qxf6 Qxf6 26. Nxf6 $16 ) 18... Rac8 19. Qd3 $16 ) 16. Nf6+ Kg7 17. Nh5+ Kh8 18. d5 Rad8 19. c4 $6 { Playing for a mating attack right out of the
opening is hardly Emms' style. Here he misses a chance which might well have
helped him to reach the playoff eg } ( 19. Qc1 $1 exd5 ( 19... Ne5 $8 20. Qh6 f6 21. Nf4 $1 { An easy move to miss in the middle of such a tense game., } 21... Ng4 $8 22. Nxe6 Nxh6 23. Nxc7 Rd7 24. Ne6 $18 ) 20. Qh6 f6 21. Nf4 { This is the killer ! } 21... Rg8 22. Ne6 $16 ) 19... e5 20. Qd2 Nd4 21. f4 f6 22. Rae1 b5 $1 { Now Lalic starts to hit back. In a couple of
moves White finds his centre destroyed. } 23. fxe5 fxe5 24. Qg5 bxc4 25. Bxc4 Bxd5 26. Bxd5 Rxd5 $17 { Of course White can weave some complications with his
Queen and Knight but the impression remains that White's attack is over and
the counterattack is about to begin. The two players fight tooth and nail
over the next few moves. } 27. Re3 ( 27. Nf4 exf4 ( 27... Rc5 $1 $17 ) 28. Re7 Ne6 29. Rxe6 f3 $13 ) 27... Rc5 28. Qh6 Rf7 $1 29. Ree1 Qb6 $1 30. Qg5 h6 $1 31. Qg3 f4 $1 { So many exclamation marks but this is brilliant juggling from Bogdan.
There's a cute trap : } 32. Qh4 ( 32. Rxf4 Ne2+ 33. Rxe2 Rc1# ) 32... f3 33. Rf2 $138 { In time trouble Emms does well just to stay on the board. } 33... Rc2 34. Kh1 Nf5 $2 { Now it's Bogdan's chance that goes begging. Nervous,and in the
opponent's time trouble,he misses a relatively simple win : } ( 34... fxg2+ 35. Rxg2 ( 35. Kxg2 Rfxf2+ $19 ) ( 35. Kg1 Rfxf2 $18 ) 35... Rxg2 36. Kxg2 Nf3 $19 ) 35. Qa4 $8 { Missed by Black ! Thanks to Qe8+ White can keep afloat. } 35... fxg2+ 36. Rxg2 Rxg2 37. Kxg2 ( 37. Qe8+ Rg8 38. Qxf7 Qc6+ ) 37... Qb2+ 38. Kh1 Nd6 39. Qa5 Kh7 40. Qd5 $1 Qf2 { A worthy winner of the Alexander Best Game prize. 
 ' Justice ' exclaimed an exhausted Lalic in the commentary room shortly
after the finish. Excitement,tension,time-trouble,brillant attack and
defence - this game had it all.. } 1/2-1/2