Ondangan,Ruben - McCraw,David [A07]
Dole Memorial , Round 1, 1999

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O–O Bf5 5.d3 e6 6.Nbd2 h6
7.Qe1 Be7 8.e4 Bh7 9.h3 O-O 10.Nh2!?

Now White is ready for a classic kingside onslaught with e5 and f4-5;
not wishing to endure such a position rated down (and my queenside
counterplay looks VERY SLOW in this position), I decided, instead,
to clarify the center & grab a piece of it.  Of course, e5 might get weak,
but I can counter a quick f4 with Bc5 and Qb6, with dark-square counterplay...

10...dxe4!? 11.dxe4 e5 12.a4 Qc7 13.Qe2!?

White adopts an interesting, if slow, plan to take advantage of the hole at f5;
I was more worried about Nc4 and Nf3 w/b3 and Bb2, against e5.

13...Nbd7 14.Re1 a5 15.Nhf1 Rfe8?!

Perhaps the immediate Nc5, against Ne3, was better;
I wanted to buttress e5 and give the e7 bishop a "nest."

16.Ne3 Nc5 17.Nf5 Bf8 18.Nf1 Rad8

White has f5 locked up, but it has cost him in development.  He might try Bd2 here, because weakening the queenside gives my knights some counterplay...

19.b3!? Ne6 20.c3

White didn't like letting my knight into d4, but this seems no better.

20...Nc5 21.Qc4 Nd3 22.Rd1 Nxc1 23.Raxc1 Qb6

Now Black has a slight advantage, based on play against f2 and b3.
Somewhere around here, White made his second draw offer...

24.N1e3 Bc5 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Rd1 Rxd1+ 27.Nxd1(Diagram)

27...Kf8?

Originally, I had planned Nh5 here, thinking the threat of Ng3 was very strong.
But the more I looked, Qe2! saves the day.  So, I took a pass... but the immediate
Ne8 is best, threatening Nd6 (xb3); I feared Ne7+ in this line, foolishly.

        27...Nh5 28.Qe2! Bxf5 29.exf5! Nxg3 30.Qxe5 and White is OK
        (actually, the position here is unclear).

28.Kf1 Ne8! 29.Nb2!?

Maybe as good as anything; White can't guard b3 and f2.  If, for example, N1e3,
then Bf5 wins a pawn on f2/e3; otherwise, how to defend against Nd6
(preceded, if necessary, by Bf5)?

29...Bxf5 30.Nd3 Bxf2 31.exf5 Bxg3 32.Nc5!?

Why not--a good try in a lost position?  Now Black provides a classic lesson
in the fine art of relaxing and kicking away a won game.

Originally I had planned 32...Qd8!? threatening mate, more or less forcing
33.Qe2 b6 34.Nd3 when the double attack on ...c6 and ...e5 had me worried;
I failed to visualize the powerful counter 34...Qg5! If then 35.Nxe5?? Qc1+
leading to mate.  Failing to see that, I picked the text, which is adequate, also ...

32...Qc7!? 33.b4!? axb4?

Of course, I saw 33...b6 34.Nd3 Nd6 counterattacking the ...f5 pawn,
but I didn't want just to trade the "perfectly good" c6 pawn for it;
besides, I thought I saw his idea & planned a counter-trap...

34.Qxb4 Qd6??

Last move I had planned this, "defusing" his battery, threatening mate, and, I thought,
taking the sting out of "any Knight move"; i.e., on Ne6 or Nd7, the king just moves up,
"and nothing else accomplishes anything for White."  Now, one move closer,
I should have rececked my faulty "anything wins" analysis, & noticed his threat of Nb7.
Then, I would have turned to the winning alternative:
        34...Kg8! 35.Nxb7 Qd7 36.Be4 Nf6 37.Nc5 Qd2 38.Nd3 Nxe4 39.Qxe4 Qxc3
        (other lines are possible).
But, instead, sure of my win & the power of Qd6, I moved almost immediately...

35.Nxb7!

Now, Black MUST play 35...Qe7 36.Bxc6 Bf4 37.Nc5 Qd6 38.Ne4 Qe7
with approximate equality.  But, smarting from the unexpected collapse of my game,
I immediately blundered ahead...

35...Qxb4?? 36.cxb4

Now White is winning.  Imagine my further shock when White almost immediately
offered me yet another draw!  He said he feared my "kingside majority."  But, in fact,
I'd be glad to jettison the e-5 pawn to get my bishop back into the defense of my queenside.
But it's already too late;  the connected passers steamroll down the board in any endgame,
opposite bishops or no... An interesting example of offsetting psychological blunders:
Black could not rid himself of the  'idee fixe' that "anything wins";
White could not shake his "anything to scare up a draw" resolve.

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