[Event "FIDE (36)"]
[Site "Szirak izt"]
[Date "1987.07.??"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Beliavsky, A."]
[Black "Portisch, L."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Hartwig,Th"]
[BlackElo "2615"]
[ECO "A79"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[WhiteElo "2630"]

1. d4 { This game fascinated me for two reasons.  For one thing, because black appears to proceed so smoothly towards a completely dominating position around move 30.  Usually this indicates a big understanding difference between the opponents, but Beliavsky is a strong GM. What happened?... and this brings us to the second reason.  There is one move by black in this game that does not quite fit the "smooth" mold; it is absolutely dynamite.  If you are using Chessbase Reader to look at this game or something similar, put it into training mode.  I will warn you before the move you should try to guess. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 { This move-order is used almost exclusively today to avoid the variations with f2-f4.  In Portisch's case it would have been a stylistic preference, but one which demonstrated admirable prescience. } 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. e4 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Na6 { This is a very typical maneuver in the Benoni before a6, b5, although 9...a6 isn't a mistake.  The knight can be well-placed on c7 in conjunction with ...b5, even as a sack.  Also, unlike on d7, it doesn't get in the way from that square. } 10. Nd2 { Also a weird-looking move but you won't even glance twice if you've played through a lot of Benoni games. Playing the knight to c4 puts pressure on d6 and frees the path for the f-pawn. } 10... Re8 11. f3 Nc7 12. a4 b6 { This might seem inconsistent with what I said earlier about ...b5, but black isn't changing his plans. Rather, he is just going to play ...Ba6 and exchange it off for something first. } 13. Nc4 Ba6 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. Rb1 Bxc4 16. Bxc4 a6 17. b4 b5 { By the way, all of this, so far as I know, is still playable theory, and it may continue to be so for a few moves although I'm not certain.  Usually today it arises from the move-order 9...Re8. } 18. Bd3 c4 19. Bc2 { NOW!  Think about the position and try to guess what Portisch played. } 19... bxa4 $3 { So far I have emphasized that black's play is thematic and typical.  This move, on the other hand, is shocking and brilliant.  I am not a strong enough player to guaranantee to you the move's objective value, but I can tell you this.  Creativity, and keeping your opponent off balance, wins games.  Outplaying a strong opponent like Beliavsky as completely as we shall see later is not possible if he can predict all of your moves.  So, from a pragmatic point of view, completely sound or not, look for something like this in all of your games, as it can be absolutely devastating. } 20. Bxa4 Nb5 { This is the point.  By corrupting his pawn structure black brings the knight (which was doing nothing on c7) into the game. } 21. Kh1 Qb7 22. Bxb5 $2 { This completely vindicates black's plan.  Now he has a good structure back and he has made significant progress.  The a-file is open and the formerly useless c7-knight has been exchanged. } ( 22. Bd2 { seemed better with unclear play. } ) 22... axb5 23. Be3 Ng4 $1 { Black wants to exchange pieces, which breaks down white's blockade and brings him closer to a position where the passed c-pawn is a real trump. } 24. Bd4 Ne3 25. Bxe3 Bxc3 26. Bd4 Bxd4 27. Qxd4 Qa7 28. Qc3 Qe7 29. Ra1 { White must co-operate.  Otherwise black continues with, for example, ...Ra6, Qa7, Rea8, etc. } 29... Rxa1 30. Qxa1 Rc8 31. Rc1 Qc7 32. Qc3 ( 32. Rc3 Qb6 { with the idea of ...Qd4 or ...Qf2.  Inevitably black penetrates the position: } 33. Rc2 Qe3 ) 32... Ra8 33. f4 Qa7 34. Qd2 Qa2 35. Qe1 Qb2 36. Rb1 c3 $3 { The final touch!  Black's c-pawn has already become devastating, and the queen can remain on offer for a few moves. } 37. h3 Ra2 38. Qf1 c2 39. Rc1 Qxb4 40. e5 Rb2 41. Qf2 Qe4 42. Kh2 Qxd5 { And white resigned not a moment too early.  As a sort of post-script, I want to add that this game is an interesting lesson about the way opening theory is developed.  After I had completed my notes, I got a copy of Ftacnik's notes for the Informator.  He basically had two interesting things to say.  One was regarding the move 21.Kh1, which he thinks is a mistake.  I have to admit that I don't really understand his analysis, as he seems to be assuming that in any case white must play Ba4xb5, which I didn't agree with.  The second thing that was really interesting was the suggestion of 19.Be2... What do you think is the idea of that move?  That's right, to prevent 19...bxa4!  After the brilliant 19...bxa4 has been discovered, somebody finds 19.Be2, invents a logical explanation which is condensed to one sentence (if you're lucky) in the opening monographs to save space, and theory moves on.  No wonder it is so hard to understand!  The lesson is to look for the games behind the moves, and be reluctant to just accept that one-sentence explanation and be denied the pleasure of discovering what is really, actually going on with 19.Bc2. } 0-1