The 2003 version of the Bottom-Half Class Championships was held by Ed Mandell at his Warren All the King’s Men Chess Supplies store over the weekend of June 21-22, 2003. Ben Finegold directed and played. By moving away from a hotel, the costs of putting on this event decreased greatly. The 56 players equaled the 2002 turnout.

TOP SECTION

The Top Section brought in ten players with the usual suspect, Ben Finegold, sweeping the his five games. The rest of the field was extremely competitive as only one other player, Krishnan Sudharsan, was able to score more than fifty percent. Here are some interesting games from this section:

Faris Gabbara (2060)
Ben Finegold (2631)
Round 1

Notes by Tim McGrew

Know your fundamental endgames!

Faris has held Ben back through the opening and the middlegame but has gradually been outplayed from an equal position. Now Ben has two extra pawns -- but are they enough to win? It all depends on White's technique.

60.Rg8

60.Rxf5! brings about a known drawing position since White's king can go to the “short side” of the pawn. 60...Kg3 61.Rf8 Kf3 62.Kg1! Rc1+ 63.Kh2= and any good elementary endgame book will demonstrate the draw from here.

60...f3 61.Rg7 Rg2 62.Rb7 Kg3 63.Rg7+ Kf4 64.Rb7

Unfortunately for White, exchanging with 64.Rxg2?? leaves Black with the opposition after 64...fxg2+ 65.Kxg2 Kg4 66.Kf2 Kf4 67.Kg2 Ke3 etc.

64...Ra2 65.Re7 Rd2 66.Rb7 Rc2 67.Ra7 Rc8

Ben tacks around, looking for a weakness in Faris' technique. “Leaning” on one's opponent is a well-known technique in such positions. It is hard to defend accurately move after move, hour after hour...

68.Rb7 Ra8 69.Kf2 Re8 70.Ra7 Re2+ 71.Kf1 Rg2 72.Rb7

Repeating the position we had at move 64.

72...Rg6 73.Kf2 Kg4 74.Rf7

74.Rb4+! would take away the useful f4 square from Black's king, making it much easier for White to hold the draw.

74...Rd6 75.Rg7+ Kf4 76.Rb7 Rd2+ 77.Kf1 f2 78.Rb4+ Ke3 79.Rb3+ Kf4 80.Rf3+

A cute stalemate trick, but Ben isn't going to fall for it.

80...Kg4 81.Rg3+ Kf4 82.Rf3+ Ke4 83.Ra3 f4 84.Rf3??

The long-awaited error. 84.Rb3 maintains the barrier across the third rank, preventing Black from making any progress.

84...Rd1+! 85.Ke2 f1Q+!

Now Ben simplifies into a won K+P vs K position.

86.Rxf1 Rxf1 0–1

Ben Finegold (2631)
Manis Davidovich (2101)
Round 2
Scandinavian: Modern, B01

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nf3

Ben ducks all theoretical disputations that might arise from 3.d4 or 3.c4.

3...Nxd5 4.g3

Completely tame. But this is Ben's recipe for defeating players rated 500 points below him: play innocuous systems and wait for the mistake.

4...Nc6 5.Bg2 Bg4 6.h3 Bf5 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3

Black to Move

8...e6

A little restrained. 8...e5 looks more testing. White is deliberately holding back in the center, and perhaps Manis was afraid of overextending, but there is a balance to be struck.

9.Rb1 Be4

More maneuvers with this bishop. Meanwhile, when do Black's other pieces get out?

10.d3 Bd5 11.0–0

11.c4!? looks good right away.

11...Ne7 12.c4 Bc6 13.d4

Contrast this position with the position five moves ago. Black's passive play has allowed White to take over the center unchallenged, and Black is not close to castling.

13...Nf5 14.d5!

Naturally: White opens the center while the Black king is still in residence there.

14...exd5 15.Ne5! Bc5 16.cxd5 Ba4 17.Qg4 Bxc2 18.Rb2 Nd4 19.Qxg7 Rf8 20.Nf3

This is fine, but at this point many roads lead to Rome. There is nothing wrong with 20.Bh6 or 20.Re1, for example.

20...Nxf3+ 21.Bxf3 Bf5 22.Qe5+

LPDO -- Loose Pieces Drop Off.

22...Qe7 23.Qxf5 1–0

Manis Davidovich (2101)
Thomas Hartwig (2155)
Round 3
Petrov: Cochrane, C42

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7 Kxf7 5.d4 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.Bc4+ Be6 8.Bxe6+ Kxe6 9.c3 d5 10.0–0 dxe4 11.Qb3+ Qd5 12.c4 Qd7 13.Rd1 Qc7 14.Nc3 Bxc5 15.Nd5 Bxf2+ 16.Kh1 Qc8 17.Bg5 Nd4 18.Qb4 Nf5 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.g4 Kf7 21.gxf5 Qxf5 22.Qe7+ Kg6 23.Rg1+ Bxg1 24.Rxg1+ Kh6 25.Qg7+ Kh5 26.Nxf6+ 1–0

Dmitriy Obukhov (2030)
Ben Finegold (2631)
Round 5
Queen's Gambit: Baltic, D06

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.d4 d5

What -- no Benoni!?

2.c4 Bf5

The Baltic Defense had a spurt of popularity in the 1980's when Dolmatov played it in a candidates match against Yusupov.

3.Nc3

Not bad if followed up properly. 3.cxd5 is widely regarded as the acid test of this variation. White obtains the two bishops almost by force and Black has to struggle to prove that he has adequate play, e.g. 3...Bxb1 (3...Qxd5? 4.Nc3 gives White an excellent center for free.) 4.Qa4+ c6 5.Rxb1! (Or even 5.dxc6!? Nxc6 6.Rxb1 Qxd4 when only Igor Rausis seems to believe in Black's position.) 5...Qxd5 6.f3 and even Ben Finegold would have to work a bit to generate play for Black against the coming e4.

3...e6

Ben knows his stuff. Though Black intends ...c6, it can't be played right now. 3...c6?! 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Qb3! is embarrassing, as Marshall explained to Tennenwurzel in their encounter in New York, 1911 (1–0, 24).

4.cxd5?!

But this lets Black off the hook, transposing into an innocuous line of the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. 4.Qb3 is the resolute way to play this variation and leads to immediate complications when Black takes up the challenge with 4...Nc6!?, a move introduced in the game Schelfhout-Lasker, Scheveningen 1913. White can only play this line if he really knows what he is doing since his path is strewn with traps, e.g. 5.Qxb7? Nxd4! –+ or 5.Nf3?! Nb4! with serious counterplay for Black.

4...exd5 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bf4 Nf6 7.e3 Qb6

Black is already taking charge of the position.

8.Qb3 Nbd7 9.Qxb6 axb6

Ben will make excellent use of the open a-file in the sequel.

10.Ne5 Bb4 11.Nxd7 Kxd7

Of course: the king stays in the center for the coming endgame.

12.f3 Ra3!?

Cute!

13.0–0–0 Ra5 14.g4 Bg6 15.h4

This sort of avalanche is usually just a momentary annoyance.

15...h6 16.Rh2

Indirectly defending the a-pawn since Black threatened ...Bxc3 and ...Rxa2.

16...Rha8

But the threat is renewed.

17.Rdd2? Rxa2

There goes the pawn after all.

18.Nxa2 Rxa2 19.Bd3 Bxd2+ 20.Rxd2 Ra1+ 21.Kc2 Rf1!

Neatly exploiting the pin on the Bd3. Now Black will mop up some more pawns.

22.Bxg6 fxg6 23.g5 hxg5 24.hxg5 Nh5 0–1

U1900 SECTION

Don Vandivier scored a solid four and a half points to take the U1900 section. Ray Garrison was clear second with three and a half. Don gives us a look a couple of his victories:

Don Vandivier (1883)
Dan Dlugas (1737)
Round 3
Alekhine: Krejcik, B02

Notes by Don Vandivier

1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4

I figure anyone bold enough to play the Alekine has spent HOURS studying the special lines and positions that arise from the opening - so why enter into a game that your opponent is prepared to play from memory?

2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 Bg7!

Black plays the best line, which will keep his rook from getting caught in the corner (after ...Rf8), and allow the king to shuffle over to the g8 square.

7.Nf3 Rf8 8.d4 Qf6 9.Nc3 d6

I think Black does better to play 9...Kg8 immediately.

10.0–0 h6 11.Bf4

I like this odd looking move. White's pieces will have more scope with the bishop placed on g3 rather than e3.

11...a6?!

Black worries about the queen-knight intrusion on b5, but he is starting to fall seriously behind in development. He should play his king back to g8 and then develop his queen-side pieces.

12.Bg3 Qf5 13.Qe2

Of course White doesn't exchange queens. If Black can develop he will have the better game because of the bishop pair.

13...Bd7?!

Black is fine after 13...Nc6 14.Rad1 Kg8 15.Rfe1

14.Rad1 Re8?

And notice that 1) Black never played the important move ...Kg8, and 2) he further neglects his piece development.

15.Nh4! Qf6 16.Ne4 Qe7 17.Qf3+ Bf6 18.Nxf6 Qxf6 19.Qxb7 Bc6 20.Qxc7+ Re7 21.Qxd6 g5? 22.Be5! 1–0

It's fitting that the hanging knight covers the Black queen's escape.

Don Vandivier (1883)
Erik Dupuis (1822)
Round 5
Sicilian: Pelikán, B33

Notes by Don Vandivier

I have a short story to tell about this game. There I was sitting on board 1 in the last round and I only needed a draw to win the tournament. Nobody could catch me if I could only draw... Well, I was paired with White against Erik Dupuls, an opponent whom I did not know. (Editor's Note: Erik is from Illinois) However, I had watched some of his games and he easily rolled most of his opponents. “GEEZ”, I thought to myself, “I hope I don't blow my last game. I'll just play a safe game and take a draw.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5

The Pelikán! <GASP!> I hate playing against this line! How did he know that!? So then I slank down in my seat and began to try to remember how this crazy line went. I begin moving the pieces around in my mind to remember the critical moves that I must make in this line...

6.Ndb5 d6

And now I remember the variation 7.Bg5 a6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Na3 and then... OH MY GOSH! I got crushed in this line once because of sharp play by Black. Anyone who has studied the Pelikán and still wants to play it MUST know all the shots White can take... so I decided that I must NOT play the most aggressive line. I'll just play something that is unusual and doesn't allow Black aggressive counterplay. I looked at the position before me, and regardless of any “book knowledge” I might have, I should assume that my opponent was more prepared for this line than I. Therefore, my best choice is to throw out those old memories of lines and just “play chess”.

7.Nd5!?

I didn't know a thing about this line, but it appeared to keep Black from launching a violent counter-attack, and thus maintain control of the game.

7...Nxd5 8.exd5 Ne7 9.c4

The obvious move in this position. While I waited for my opponent to move I suddenly realized that he didn't have any real good moves. For example, if he were to play 9...a6? 10.Qa4! wins at least the exchange! The more I looked at the position, the more I realized that Black has a terrible game in this line.

9...g6? 10.Qa4!! Qd7 11.Nxd6+ Kd8

And now my opponent offers me a draw! WHOA! I have heard that some Grandmasters have given draws to other GM's in tournaments when the draw doesn't hurt them from winning the money, and it allows their opponent to place... But THAT is when both parties are playing for a draw. Anyone who has the gull to play the Pelikán is NOT playing for a draw! So I simply said, “Not in this position”. Besides, I have the responsibility to the other players in our class to play fairly in this game.

12.Nxf7+ Ke8 13.Qxd7+ Bxd7 14.Nxh8 Bg7 15.Nxg6 Nxg6 16.Bd3 Nf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.0–0–0 Rc8 19.Kb1 h6 20.Rhe1+ Kf7 21.Re4 Kg8 22.Rxf4 Re8 23.Re4 Rf8 24.Re7

Being the exchange and 4 pawns down, Black should resign.

24...Bc8 25.Rde1 Bf5 26.Bxf5 Rxf5 27.f3 Rf4 28.R1e4 Rf6 29.Rxb7 a5 30.Ree7 Bf8 31.Re8 Rf4 32.Rbb8 Kg7 33.Rxf8 Rxf8 34.Rxf8 Kxf8 35.Kc2 1–0

And Black finally resigns.

U1700/U1500 SECTION

Since there were only five players under 1500, those players were combined with the seventeen under 1700 players in one group. The prizes were still separate, though. Tying for first in the section were John Robertson and recent Hall of Fame addition, Harold Steen. Robertson took the title on tie-breaks. The top U1500 was Ahmad Abdul followed by Troy Dillabough. On to some more games:

Oliver Saylor (1549)
Wei Li (1692)
Round 2
Sicilian: Labourdonnais, B32

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5

If Black can get away with this move, then the Najdorf Variation (2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6) is just a loss of a tempo.

5.Nb3

White flinches! 5.Nb5! is the right move, giving Black a headache because of the weakness of the d6 square.

5...Nf6 6.Bg5 Be7

6...h6 also comes into consideration.

7.Nc3 0–0 8.Be2 a6

There is nothing wrong with 8...Nxe4 9.Bxe7 Nxc3 10.Bxd8 Nxd1 11.Rxd1 Rxd8 picking up a pawn for free. This combination remains possible over the next few turns.

9.0–0 b5 10.a3 d6 11.Qd2 Be6 12.Nc1?

Retrograde development! White cannot afford to go into reverse gear now. Despite the positional threat of ...Bxb3, it was important to get the rooks into the game, perhaps starting with 12.Rad1.

12...Nd4 13.Bd1

White is in full retreat mode.

13...d5!

Taking advantage of the opportunity to open the center just when White has done the most to gum up his own piece coordination.

14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.N3e2??

As I sometimes say to my students, no move without a one-ply search! 16.Nd3 would at least make a fight of it, though Black has a very pleasant position in any event.

16...Nf3+ 0–1

Loose Pieces Drop Off!

Jack Wood (1634)
Johnny Johnson (1523)
Round 2
Sicilian, B40

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3

An unusual decision. White wants to play the game like a Philidor in reverse -- a reasonable if not overly ambitious approach to meeting the Sicilian Defense.

3...e6 4.Be2 g6 5.c3 Bg7 6.Nbd2 d5 7.0–0 Nge7 8.Qc2

All of this has been played before! In the early 1990s Igor Rausis, always something of a maverick in his openings choices, got this position twice with White. His results were lackluster (one draw and one loss) and he didn't continue to use the system but that doesn't mean it is not playable.

8...b5

Now we're off the beaten track. Black usually castles at this point.

9.d4 c4?!

Locking up the pawns at this stage looks like a poor idea. Black loses most of his pressure on the White position since pieces alone will never cause any trouble at d4.

10.b3 0–0 11.h4 f5?!

The beginning of Black's king-side troubles. There is no need to weaken the pawn wall like this. In particular, Black is now more vulnerable than before to an h5 thrust.

12.e5 Bh6 13.Nh2 Bd7 14.h5 g5?!

Another poor decision, though one can have some sympathy for Black. The pawns are coming forward too fast and his king will soon be quite exposed.

15.Ndf3! f4?!

After this third weakening move it is probably too late to recover. Eventually, if your opponent plays well, many ?!s will add up to a ? or even a ??

16.Ng4 Nf5 17.a4 cxb3 18.Qxb3 Na5 19.Qb4 bxa4 20.Bd3

20.Nf6+ is interesting. Black's queen is overloaded trying to defend d7 and a5, so he must give up the exchange with 20...Rxf6 21.exf6. Fortunately for Black, he does have some play for the exchange after 21...Rb8. Chess is not an easy game!

20...Rb8 21.Qc5 Nb3 22.Qxa7 Nxa1 23.Ba3 Bg7 24.Rxa1 Rf7 25.Nxg5 Rb3 26.Nxf7 Kxf7 27.Bc2 Rxc3 28.Bxa4 Rc7 29.Qa6 Nxd4 30.Bd6 Rc4

White to Move

31.Qa7

31.Bxd7! Qxd7 32.Qa7 allows White to dominate the 7th rank, e.g. 32...Qxa7 33.Rxa7+ Kg8 34.Nf6+! Bxf6 35.exf6 and Black is helpless to stop the march of the f-pawn.

31...Nc6 32.Bxc6 Rxc6 33.Rb1 Qc8?

The final error. 33...h6 34.Rb7?? Rc1+ 35.Kh2 Qh4#

34.Rb7 Rxd6 35.exd6 Bd4

35...Ke8 allows 36.Rb8

36.Rxd7+ 1–0

U1300/UNRATED SECTION

For the second year in a row, a Brooks is the section champion. This time the champion is Brandon Brooks, only giving up a last round draw. Second place was a tied between Atulya Shetty and Glenn Smith. This section was home to some of the more exciting games in the tournament. Here are a few samples:

Anatoli Zaremba (1202)
Glenn Smith (1289)
Round 1
Semi-Slav, D45

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3

This is an extremely solid system against Black's Semi-Slav, having enjoyed widespread popularity since its adoption by virtually all of the other top players a hundred years ago.

5...Bd6 6.Bd3 dxc4

Though I don't play this system for Black, I would be worried about releasing the central tension this early. Perhaps 6...Nbd7 or 6...0–0 is better.

7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a5

Very ambitious play -- too ambitious, perhaps.

9.0–0

9.e4! looks like an effective way to carve out a large chunk of real estate in the center.

9...Qc7 10.Bd2

This looks a little slow, but White has a good idea in mind: to occupy the c-file and torment the backward pawn on c6. Remarkably, he manages to follow through on this theme for the rest of the game.

10...Ng4 11.g3

11.h3 might be preferable, but both moves get the job done.

11...Bb7 12.Ne4! Be7 13.Rc1 Ba6 14.a3 Nd7 15.Qc2 a4?

Hereabouts Black needs to play ...b4 to have any play at all. Now his c-pawn is like a ball and chain.

16.Bb4

There is nothing wrong with the blunt 16.Qxc6, but White seems determined to take his time about it.

16...Bf8 17.Qc3 Rc8 18.Rc2 Ndf6 19.Rfc1 Bb7 20.Nxf6+ Nxf6 21.Bxf8 Kxf8 22.Ne5

22.Bxb5! is another way to cash in on White's massive buildup of force on the c-file.

22...Nd5 23.Qc5+ Qe7 24.Qxe7+ Nxe7 25.Be4

The final straw.

25...g6 26.Nxc6 Nxc6 27.Bxc6 Bxc6 28.Rxc6 Rb8 1–0

A relentless exploitation of the weak c-pawn -- most instructive!

Glenn Smith (1289)
Kwame McShan (996)
Round 2
French: Labourdonnais, C00

Notes by Tim McGrew

1.e4 e6 2.f4?!

Not a good decision when Black is prepared to hit back with ...d5. White can come to grief on the open dark diagonal.

2...d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Qb6 5.Nc3 Bd7 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Be3

Black to Move

8...Qxb2?!

Black can actually get away with this, but there is no need for him to wrestle with the resulting tactics. The old bit of advice about not capturing your opponent's b-pawn is a bit of an overstatement, but not much! 8...Nc6 is simpler and stronger, keeping the threat of a capture on b2 hanging over White's head. As Nimzowitsch taught, the threat is often stronger than the execution!

9.Ncb5 Qb4+?

Black naturally wants to extract the queen as quickly as possible, but this decision turns out to be tactically flawed. The right move is 9...Bxb5 10.Bxb5+ (10.Nxb5? Bxe3 11.Nc7+ Kd8 12.Nxa8 Qc3+ 13.Ke2 Bd4! and White has no time for 14.Rb1 because of 14...Qe3#) 10...Nc6 11.Rb1 Qc3+ 12.Qd2 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Nge7 14.Bxc6+ bxc6 15.Rb7 White's active rook compensates for Black's extra pawn.

10.c3 Qa5 11.Nb3!

The fork picks up a piece.

11...Qd8 12.Bxc5 a6?

Compounding Black's woes by driving this knight where it wants to go anyway. 12...Bxb5 was mandatory, though Black's position is unenviable.

13.Nd6+ Kf8 14.Nxb7+ Qe7 15.Bxe7+ Kxe7 16.Qg4 g6 17.Qh4+ f6 18.N3c5 1–0

Timothy Mayo (Unr)
Anatoli Zaremba (1202)
Round 4
Sicilian, B50

Notes by Tim McGrew

The Sicilian is like a high-performance sports car. Handled with great skill, it can do amazing things. Handled with even a slight bit of carelessness, ... it can crash, spectacularly. Mayo and Zaremba have just stolen the keys and are in for a wild ride!

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 g6 5.Ng5?!

Well this is blunt! But it just forces Black to block the diagonal leading to f7. White's loss of time should be an even greater factor than Black's slightly weakened pawn structure. 5.e5!? would give the game an original twist, e.g. 5...dxe5 6.Nxe5 e6 7.Qf3 and Black has to find a way to cope with White's pressure without the aid and comfort of reams of GM analysis. Szymczac-Barria, World Under 26 Team Championship prelims, 1976 (1–0, 31).

5...e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Bb5 Bg7 9.Bf4?!

This may have been an oversight, but actually it carries a drop of poison.

9...e5

Obvious, but also dangerous as Black re-opens that diagonal leading to f7. Now is a good time for 9...h6! chasing back the knight.

10.Qc4 Qc7?

Here the game takes a sudden sharp turn and the sports car goes up on two wheels. 10...0–0 is the only truly safe move here.

White to Move

11.Be3

Not bad, but Black's multiple weaknesses leave him open to a more dramatic shot. 11.Bxc6+! takes advantage of the focal point at f7, the undefended Black queen and the undefended bishop at g7. The line runs 11...bxc6 12.Nb5! Qd7 13.Nxd6+! Qxd6 14.Qxf7+ Kd8 15.Qxg7+-

11...0–0

Castling into relative safety, but White still has the initiative.

12.Nd5 Qd7 13.0–0–0 Re8?

Giving White one more opportunity for a quick tactical shot.

14.Qb3

Again, second-best. 14.Nxf6+! Bxf6 15.Rxd6! takes advantage of the weakness at f7. The tactics are simple but pleasing: 15...Qe7 16.Nxf7! Qxf7 17.Rxf6 Qxc4 and now 18.Bxc4+ comes with check, leaving White two pawns ahead.

14...a6?

And this weakens the b6 square.

15.Bc4

White is reacting rather than seizing the initiative. 15.Bxc6! bxc6 16.Nb6! and White is picking up more than the exchange since Black cannot even take back, e.g. 16...Qb7 17.Nxa8 Qxa8? 18.Qxf7+ and Black is busted.

15...b5?

Giving White a last chance to strike at f7. 15...Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Rf8 leaves White on top, but there is no immediate disaster.

16.Nb6?!

This wins some material but relieves Black from the terrible pressure on f7. 16.Nxf6+! Bxf6 17.Bxf7+ Kg7 18.Bxe8 Qxe8 19.Rxd6 should end the game.

16...bxc4 17.Qxc4 Qb7 18.Nxa8 h6?

Allowing more fun and games on d6.

19.Nb6?

In his eagerness to extract the knight, Mayo gives up the other knight and loses a large part of his advantage. 19.Rxd6 hxg5 20.Qxc6 Qxc6 21.Rxc6 Bb7 22.Rxf6 Bxf6 23.Nc7 Rd8 24.f3 leaves White a couple of pawns up.

19...hxg5 20.Nxc8?

20. Rxd6 would avoid bringing Black's rook to the c-file.

20...Rxc8 21.Rxd6 Nb4!?

A very nice concept. 21...Nd4! is slightly more accurate, but in either event Black takes over the initiative.

22.Bc5 Nxe4!?

22...Nxa2+! 23.Qxa2 Rxc5 gives Black a clear and probably decisive advantage.

23.Qxb4 Qxb4?

No, not this way! Black misses his chance to pick up the White g-pawn. 23...Nxd6! 24.Bxd6 Qxg2 keeps a clear edge.

24.Bxb4 Nxd6 25.Bxd6

The dust has settled and White has a healthy extra pawn and reasonable winning chances. But the fun is not over yet.

25...f5 26.Rd1 e4 27.g3?

Positionally suspect. White is putting his pawns on the same color squares as his bishop -- this is only a good idea in some opposite color bishop endings. Worse, the pawn at h2 is now very difficult to defend. 27.Be7 g4 28.Rd7 keeps White's initiative.

27...Kf7 28.f4?

No....! Now White's king-side pawns fall apart.

28...exf3! 29.c3 Rh8 30.Rd2 Re8 31.Bc5 g4 32.Rd7+ Kg8 33.Kd2

This gives Black the seventh rank with a gain of time, after which White can never recover. Passive defense with 33.Kd1 isn't beautiful and may in the end be hopeless, but it was White's only chance here.

33...Re2+ 34.Kd3 Rxb2 35.Bd4 Bxd4 36.Rxd4 g5 37.Rd8+ Kf7 38.Kd4 f2

“Can't stop me now!”

39.Rd7+ Ke6 0–1

Enough is enough. But seriously -- Tim, Anatoli -- do your parents know what you did with that car??