[Event "GMA, Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Polgar,Ju"]
[Black "Timman,J"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway"]
[BlackElo "2590"]
[ECO "B49"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]

1. e4 c5 { Timman has played many openings. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 { This is one of the variations Polgar plays, so it appears Timman has decided she might not like to face it from the other side. Unlike variations with ...d7-d6 where Black uses an early ...Ng8-f6 to (more-or-less) force White into Nb1-c3 before c2-c4, in this variation the threat of an early ...Bf8-b4 helps to serve the same purpose. The thorny light square pawn structure also inhibits Bf1-c4. So, White usually aims for a Classical set-up with Nb1-c3, Bf1-e2, O-O and possibly Bc1-e3. This is one good way to get a "normal" Scheveningen position without facing the Sozin (Bf1-c4) , Velimirovic (Bf1-c4, Bc1-e3, Qd1-e2, O-O-O) or Keres Attack (an early g2-g4) . The primary cost to avoiding early king-side development (or any preparation to remove Ke8 from the center) is that White has some attacking options. } ( 4... Nf6 ) ( 4... e5 { Kalashnikov } ) ( 4... Qb6 { Benko } ) ( 4... g6 { Accelerated Dragon } ) 5. Nc3 ( 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 { Kan } ) 5... a6 { preventing Nb5 and possibly preparing ...b7-b5 and ...Bc8-b7; strangely Fritz7 doesn't like this move and says 6. Be3 gives White a nice advantage. } ( 5... Nf6 ) ( 5... Qc7 ) 6. Be2 Qc7 7. O-O Nf6 ( 7... Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bd6 9. Kh1 Be5 { Fritz7 } ) 8. Be3 ( 8. Kh1 { also prepares f2-f4 while avoiding ...Bf8-c5, pinning Nd4 } ) 8... Bb4 { This is a variation which was conceived in the 1960s, was revived in the 1980s by Karpov (and others) and has become popular again in the 2000s. White can defend Pe4 or attempt to play on the dark squares where Black is a little weak (only pieces guarding b6 & d6) . } 9. Na4 { Offering Pe4 and taking aim at b6; naturally Nd4 will need to exchange with c6 to allow Be3 to support Na4-b6. } 9... Be7 ( 9... Bd6 { was played in the 2003 Aeroflot Open (Moscow, Russia) , though it didn't succeed there } ) ( 9... Nxe4 { is playable, but not considered as good as the game move } 10. Nxc6 Qxc6 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Qd4 Bf8 13. Bf3 f5 14. Bf4 d6 15. Rad1 $16 { Fritz7 } ) 10. Nxc6 bxc6 { Fritz7 seems to like ...dxc6, but I have to admit I've never seen that move. } 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Nxc8 Qxc8 { White's Pb2 & Pe4 are threatened. Having a queen or bishop at c3, d4 or e5 would serve to restrain Black. } 13. Bd4 ( 13. e5 Nd5 14. Bc1 { Fritz7 } ) 13... d5 { Black takes the moment to gain some space in the center. Though it could be argued this just makes it easier for White to force lines open for the two bishops and White's other heavy pieces I think most players would follow Timman's lead. } ( { Kasparov-Anand, Linares 2002 continued } 13... O-O 14. e5 ) 14. exd5 cxd5 { This, incidentally, has the effect of making Bd4 rather safe, at least for the moment Black has no pawns to challenge it. } 15. c4 O-O ( 15... dxc4 16. Qa4+ { and Pc4 is recovered. White might even use follow-up with Rc1xc4 to bring other pieces into play } ) 16. Rc1 dxc4 17. Rxc4 { A Classical evaluation has to note that White has the two-to-one queen-side pawn majority when Black doesn't have a compensating central pawn presence and White has the two bishops. These are slight, but enduring positional advantages. I look at these two elements in terms of whether they help White to win: the bishops are considered a slight material advantage and the pawn majority is considered useful because their distance from the kings means that they can more easily be advanced (particularly in an ending) to create a passer which could promote. } 17... Qb7 18. Qc2 { threatening Rc4-c7 } 18... Nd5 19. b3 { Be2-f3 is appealing, but Nd5 can be supported by pieces. So, she keeps Be2 aligned with Pa6. I think 19. b3 is to defend the pawn AND to allow Bd4 to retreat to a1, so White can consider an offensive on the king-side. } ( 19. Rc1 ) 19... Rfd8 20. Qb2 $11 { according to Fritz7; not only threatening Bxg7, but controlling a3 to prepare Rf1-c1 } ( 20. Qe4 { Fritz7; perhaps intending Be2-d3, though the alignment of the bishops at d4 and d3 with Rd8 will involve some risk. } ) 20... Nb6 21. Rc2 ( 21. Rcc1 Ba3 22. Qxa3 Rxd4 23. Rfd1 $14 { Fritz7; My guess is this is so far from the plan Polgar had in mind that she'd avoid it for fear of having no good plan. } ) 21... Na4 $6 { He shouldn't put this piece out on a limb until he's gotten Pg7 defended. Of course, Fritz7 disagrees. } ( 21... Bf8 22. Be5 Rbc8 23. Rxc8 ( 23. Rfc1 Na4 24. bxa4 Qxb2 $19 ) 23... Rxc8 24. Rd1 $14 ) ( 21... Qe4 22. Rd2 Bg5 { Fritz7; roughly equal, but with White's position appearing quite fragile } ) 22. Qa1 Qe4 { This is the tactic Black expects will hold things together for him. } 23. Rd2 Bc5 { The problem with moves such as this is they force a dissipation of the immediate pressure and result in an even simpler position where White's bishop's superiority becomes more clear. } ( 23... Nc5 24. Rfd1 Bg5 25. Bf3 Qg6 26. Be3 Rxd2 27. Rxd2 Bxe3 28. fxe3 $11 { Fritz7 } ) 24. Bxc5 Nxc5 ( 24... Rxd2 25. Bf3 Qf5 ( 25... Qc2 26. Ba7 Rbd8 27. bxa4 Qxa4 28. a3 $16 { Fritz7 } ) 26. Be3 Rc2 27. bxa4 $16 { Fritz7 and Mark agree on most of this. } ) 25. Qc3 { White is still avoiding Be2-f3 because it just doesn't belong there. Instead they fight over the d-file and central squares; Timman can be quite Classicly inclined at times. } 25... Rxd2 26. Qxd2 $14 g6 $2 { The tactics have died down and White continues the original plan of development while keeping an eye on Pa6. Black's lone achievement is to simplify a bit so that Kg8 will be relatively safe. } ( 26... Qe5 { Fritz7; getting ahead of White's threat, allowing ...Nc5-e4 } ) 27. Rc1 $16 { Amazingly, after this Black has a lot of problems. Nc5 is strangely immobile and nearly defenseless. It's situations like this which seem so unexplainable and which computer programs exploit regularly. } 27... Qe5 $4 $18 ( 27... Qf5 28. Qd4 ( 28. Qd6 $4 Qxf2+ 29. Kxf2 Ne4+ 30. Ke3 Nxd6 31. Bxa6 $14 { Black will have  more freedom to use his pawns on the king-side, so White's queen-side  advantage isn't completely winning (yet) . } ) 28... Nb7 29. Bxa6 ) 28. f4 Qf5 ( 28... Ne4 29. fxe5 Nxd2 30. Bxa6 { Fritz7; and the idea of Rc1-c8+ to simplify to a won ending is very appealing } ) 29. Qd6 Rc8 30. b4 Qe4 { Polgar nails down the position and lets Pb4 win a piece; neat! } 31. Qd2 1-0