White: Peter Bereolos

Black: GM Michael Rohde

2003 World Open

Round 8 Board 23

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 c5 5. Nf3 b6 6. Bg2 Bb7 7. a3 better is the normal 7. O-O cxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd3 with a slight advantage to White 7... Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Nc6 9. Ne5 Na5 10. Bxb7 Nxb7 11. d5 I was probably too influenced by the positive result of my game with Ibragimov, which objectively was not that great of a position for me. White should keep the center fluid for the time being with 11. O-O 11... Qc7 12. Nf3 O-O

13. Qd3? I saw this lost a pawn, but was very uncomfortable with my position after 13. O-O e5 14. Qc2 Na5 when I thought 15. Nd2 was forced and the dark squared bishop doesn't have much future. Instead, there was a tactical solution 15. Bg5 Nxc4 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Qf5 threatening both Qg4+ and Qxf6 13... exd5 14. cxd5 c4 15. Qc2 Nc5 this seems a little more accurate than 15... Nxd5 16. O-O when e4-e5 might give White some compensation. 16. Bf4 16. Nd4 to cover b3 16... Nxd5 17. O-O Nb3 18. Nxb3 cxb3 19. Qxb3 Nxc3 with clear advantage to Black 16... Qb7 17. Bd6?! If White had any compensation it was associated with the d4 square and bishop vs. knight. The plan initiated by this move throws away both of those assets. 17... Rfe8 18. Bxc5 bxc5 the doubled pawn helps Black by taking away d4 from the White knight. 19. O-O Qxd5 20. Rfd1 Qe6 21. e3 d5 22. Rab1 Qe4 23. Qxe4 Nxe4 24. Rbc1 Nf6 25. Nd2 Kf8 26. h4 Rab8 27. e4 This doesn't work, but passive defense wasn't going to get me anywhere either. 27... Nxe4 28. Nxe4 dxe4 29. Rd7 Re7 30. Rcd1 Rb3 31. Rd8+ Re8 32. R8d7 Rxa3 33. Rc7 Rxc3 34. Rdd7 Rf3 35. Kg2 Rf5 36. Rxa7 h5 37. Ra4 c3 38. Rc4 e3 39. fxe3 Rxe3 40. Rc7 Re2+ 41. Kh3 Rff2 [0:1]