[Event "GMA, Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Ponomariov,R"]
[Black "Radjabov,T"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Hathaway"]
[BlackElo "2620"]
[ECO "E97"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[WhiteElo "2730"]

1. Nf3 { After getting stomped on by Anand in the previous round it now appears Ponomariov wants a quieter and more closed position. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 { It's impossible to know the intentions of someone who uses this move-order. He might want to play e2-e4 and then d2-d4 to achieve the full pawn center without allowing a Gruenfeld Defense or he might intend to play g2-g3 in any case. } 3... Bg7 { Some players are still comfortable with a standard-issue King's Indian Defense. } ( 3... d6 { Allows Black to meet e2-e4 with ...c7-c5, if he wishes and is comfortable with a Maroczy Bind, which would occur after d2-d4 ...c5xd4. } ) ( 3... c5 ) 4. e4 d6 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 { This is most common, but there are alternatives. With this move Black aims to pressure White's pawn center, perhaps to play ...exd4 to open the g7-a1 diagonal for Black's Bg7. White can aim for an end-game with the Exchange Variation (7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8) or he can block the center with the Petrosian Variation (7. d5) or he can maintain the tension and see what develops; keeping an eye on Black's threats of course. } ( 6... Nc6 ) ( 6... c6 ) ( 6... Na6 ) 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 { In some lines White doesn't mind a pawn trade, but he rarely wants to allow a knight exchange along with it. It's considered much better to push Black's Nc6 back to keep Black cramped. } 8... Ne7 9. b4 { Bayonet Variation - feared for a time, it's now considered strong, but not overwhelming. White aims for c4-c5 and holds off on maneuvering pieces. } 9... Nh5 { preparing ...f7-f5 and in some cases ...Nh5-f4 } 10. Re1 ( 10. c5 Nf4 { threatening ..Nxe2 to trade-off a minor piece before going forward with ...f7-f5 } 11. Bxf4 exf4 12. Rc1 { was the main Bayonet sub-variation for a long time. When Rf1-e1 was played successfully it became "all the rage". } ) 10... f5 ( 10... h6 11. Nd2 Nf4 ( 11... Nf6 $4 $16 { and White has his offense well under-way while Black has  nothing } ) 12. Bf1 { is better for White } ) 11. Ng5 { This is one of the unusual features of the Bayonet Variation. As far as I know, it's the only King's Indian Defense variation where the knight goes on this adventure. } 11... Nf6 12. f3 { secures e4, but allows ...Nf6-h5, weakens Kg1 and fixes the pawn structure, so Black will have time to think about how to go around it. } ( 12. Bf3 $5 ) 12... Kh8 { This is an interesting approach: Black expects Ng5-e6 to be played eventually, so he just keeps his coordination good and considers ways to regain perfect control of e6 (...Ne7-g8, ...Qd8-e7 for example) . } ( 12... h6 13. Ne6 Bxe6 14. dxe6 { and then Black's attention would be focused on getting rid of Pe6 while maintaining his coordination. } ) 13. Rb1 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 fxe4 { Black fixes White pawns on light squares to hinder Be2 and it also ends the possbility of e4xf5 to loosen-up Black's king-side. } 16. fxe4 Nc6 $1 { This is more aggressive than ...Ne7-g8 and Nc6 has square d4, so Black's position looks very good. It's up to White to show he can hold Pe6 or create an offense, somewhere on the board as compensation. } 17. Nd5 { sort of threatening b4-b5 and e6-e7. Though Black could easily respond with ...Nc6-e7 it's not the move Black really wants to make. } 17... Ng8 { So, Black redefends square e7, keeping Nc6 free to move Nc6-d4xe6. Nd5 has the effect of keeping Pe6 safe from Black's queen because it also threatens Pc7. } 18. Bd3 Nd4 19. Qg4 { More support for Pe6, just in the nick of time. Now Black can consider ...c7-c6 to kick Nd5 away, but he also has to consider how he will defend Pg6. } 19... g5 $5 { It's really odd that Black would move this pawn near his king, but it does avoid Black having pieces on awkward squares. I suppose Black is thinking about ways to fight on the light squares and he can't be defending too much if he expects to play offense. } 20. Qh3 { threatening e6-e7 with Bc1xg5 to follow } ( { It seems to me the big test is } 20. h4 gxh4 21. e7 $2 Nxe7 22. Bxh6 Bxh6 23. Qxh4 Ng8 $19 ) 20... c6 21. Ne3 ( 21. e7 Nxe7 22. Bxg5 cxd5 23. Bxh6 ( 23. exd5 Qc8 24. Bxe7 Qxh3 25. gxh3 Nf3+ 26. Kh1 Nxe1 27. Rxe1 Rf3 $13 ) 23... Qc8 24. Qh4 $11 ) 21... Qf6 { Finally Black has Pe6 in mortal danger and there is the immediate threat of ...Qf2+, mating. } 22. Ng4 Qe7 { keeping an eye on Bc1xg5 } 23. Be3 Nxe6 { Black's plan is succeeding very nicely. He's kept his position intact and won Pe6. Now, in theory he should be able to start offering piece trades to win with his extra pawn. In practice it might take a bit more work than that. } 24. g3 Qd7 { It looks like he's aligning with Qh3, but it's possible he means to bring ...Ng8-e7-g6 (or somesuch) or to advance ...d6-d5. } 25. Rf1 d5 $2 $11 { Allowing Pe4 to move and release Bd3 can't be good. } ( 25... Rxf1+ 26. Rxf1 Rf8 27. Rxf8 ( 27. Rf5 { also looks good } ) 27... Bxf8 $15 28. Bxa7 ( 28. Nxh6 $2 Bxh6 29. Bxg5 Kg7 $17 ) 28... c5 29. b5 Nd4 30. Qh5 $14 { according to Fritz7 and probably because of White's two bishops, despite Bd3 being rather bad and Ba7 misplaced } ) 26. Rf5 $6 ( 26. exd5 $142 cxd5 27. Nf2 $11 { Mark & Fritz7 } ( 27. cxd5 $2 Qxd5 28. Bf5 $17 ) ) 26... dxc4 { Black has to be careful of which lines he opens. It could be disastrous to open the wrong diagonals for White's bishops. } 27. Bxc4 Nd4 28. Rxf8 Rxf8 29. Qh5 { ending the alignment with Qd7 and preparing to threaten Be3xg5. At the moment it's indirectly defended by ...Nd4-f3+. } 29... Qd6 ( 29... Qe8 { prevents White's offense from proceeding unimpeded and offers another piece trade in the hopes of gaining a simpler position where the extra pawn can be more useful } ) 30. Kg2 b5 31. Bf7 ( 31. Bxg8 Kxg8 32. h4 { is one way to keep real pressure on Black's king } 32... Qe6 { Fritz7 has another view of things. It sees the bigger picture (in a tactical sense) and knows the White king-side attack isn't winning, so he finds a variation which few people would even consider. } 33. Rb2 Qc4 34. Rf2 Rxf2+ 35. Nxf2 Qxb4 36. hxg5 hxg5 $17 ) 31... Nc2 { I think this is a critical position for both players. White has asserted some offense and Black has "stated" his position is impregnable. Then there is also the possibility for Black to play offense, but it's not clear whether it works. Black's first effort at an incursion occurs when White's Qh5 and Bf7 are amazingly out of position to respond in defense and Rb1 can't easily get into play. But are they needed? } ( 31... Nf6 $5 { Fritz7's second favorite move, but one I think is pretty neat, for all the curious variations which can arise from it. } 32. Nxf6 ( 32. Qg6 $4 Rxf7 ( 32... Nxg4 $5 33. Qxd6 Nxe3+ 34. Kf2 Ng4+ 35. Kg2 Rxf7 $19 { Mark & Fritz7 } ) 33. Qxf7 Nxg4 $19 ) 32... Qe7 ( 32... Qxf6 $2 33. Rf1 Qe7 34. h4 Qxb4 35. Bxg5 Ne6 36. Bxh6 Qxe4+ 37. Kh3 Qh7 38. Bxg7+ Nxg7 39. Qxh7+ Kxh7 40. Bg6+ Kg8 41. Bh7+ Kxh7 42. Rxf8 $18 { Fritz7 } ) 33. Bg6 Qxf6 $15 { Fritz7 } ) ( 31... a5 $15 { Fritz7; Only a computer program would consider such a move with White's threats to Kh8 on-going. } ) 32. Bc5 Qd2+ 33. Nf2 ( 33. Kh1 $4 Ne1 $19 ) 33... Nf6 34. Qg6 Ng4 $17 { Fritz7 } ( 34... Nxe4 $1 $17 { Fritz7 } ) 35. Kg1 $19 { If White can't continue the attack with Bc5xf8 then he's at a standstill and Black's attack will probably win. Apparently Radjabov has fended-off the FIDE champion's attack and has counter-attacked successfully. Ponomariov must have been shocked and dismayed to be dismissed so efficiently. } ( 35. Bxf8 $4 Nce3+ 36. Kh1 Nxf2+ 37. Kg1 Nh3+ 38. Kh1 Qg2# ) ( 35. Rd1 $4 Nce3+ 36. Bxe3 Nxe3+ ) 35... Nce3 36. Bxe3 { After this dark squares remain "solid" and White's troops aren't perfectly aligned to invade on the light squares. } 36... Nxe3 37. h4 ( 37. Qh5 g4 ) 37... Qe2 38. Qh5 g4 { Ironically, White can't prevent Black from invading on the light squares (e.g. ...Qe2-f3-g2#) . Pono must have wondered why he wasn't able to involve Rb1 more. Radjabov had to be jubiliant to have succeeded so well. } 0-1