1.c4
Nf6
2.Nc3
e5
3.Nf3
Nc6
4.g3
Nd4
5.Bg2
Nxf3+
6.Bxf3
Bb4
7.0-0
0-0
8.Bg2
c6
9.d3
h6
10.Bd2
Re8
11.Rc1
a6
12.a3
Bf8
13.b4
d5
14.cxd5
cxd5
15.Na4
Bg4
16.h3
Bh5
17.Nc5
b6
18.Na4
Re6
19.Re1
Rc8
20.Rxc8
Qxc8
21.Qb3
Qd7
22.Nc3
e4
23.dxe4
Nxe4
24.Nxd5
Nxd2
25.Qd3
Qb5
26.Qxd2
Rxe2
27.Rxe2
Bxe2
28.Qe3
Bc4
29.Nxb6
Be6
30.Bf1
Qc6
31.Bg2
Qb5
32.Na8
Qc4
33.h4
g6
34.Nb6
Qb5
35.Qd4
a5
36.Bf1
Qf5
37.Bd3
Qf3
38.bxa5
Qd1+
39.Kh2
Bf5
40.a6
Qxd3
41.Qxd3
Bxd3
42.a7
Be4
The knight in the corner
The old saying "A knight on the rim is dim" is well illustrated in the following game:
43.a4?!
Cheparinov continues to play for a win, instead of going in for the draw after [43.a8Q
Bxa8
44.Nxa8
Bxa3
, but one little detail slipped his mind.]
43...Bb4!
[Presumably Cheparinov had planned 43...Bc5?
44.a8Q+
Bxa8
45.Nxa8
Bxf2
46.a5
(Baburin) ]
44.a8Q+
Bxa8
45.Nxa8
Ba5
This emprisons the knight for a very long time. Despite that, the position should still be drawn, since in any case the black rook's pawn has to queen on a square of the wrong colour. But of course, it is very difficult to hold the ending over the board.
46.g4
Kf8
47.Kg3
Ke7
48.h5
gxh5
49.gxh5
Ke6
50.Kf4
f5
51.Ke3
Ke5
52.Kd3
Kd5
53.Ke3
Ke5
54.Kd3
f4
55.Kc4
f3
56.Kd3?!
from a practical point of view, it was better to free the knight from its exile immediately: [56.Kb5!
Be1
57.Nb6
Bxf2
(57...Kf5
58.a5
Bxf2
59.a6
Bd4
60.a7
f2
61.a8Q
f1Q+
62.Kc6=
) 58.Nc4+
Kf4
59.Nd2
Ke3
(59...Ba7
60.Kc4=
) 60.Nxf3!
Kxf3
61.Kc4=
(Baburin in Chess Today 3272). Because the white king is within Rauser's drawing zone: a3-c5-d4-e5-h2. The additional white a-pawn is irrelevant for this; all it could do would be to help White.]
56...Kf4
57.Kd4
Be1
58.Kd3
Bxf2
59.Nc7
Ba7
60.Nd5+?
loses the h5-pawn, as does [60.Nb5?
Kg4
61.Nd6
(After 61.Nxa7
Kg3-+
the f-pawn runs through.) 61...Bb8
62.Ne4
Kxh5
63.Nd2
Kg4
64.Ke4
f2
65.Ke3
Ba7+
66.Ke2
Kg3
67.Kf1
h5-+
; The knight had to hurry to the rescue with 60.Ne6+
After that, surprisingly, I could not find a win. 60...Kg4
61.Ng7
Bb6
(61...Bd4
62.Ne6=
) 62.Kd2
Kh3
63.Nf5
Bd8
64.Ke1
Kg2
65.Ne3+
Kg1
66.Ng4
(66.Kd1!?
) 66...Bb6
67.Kd2
Kg2
68.Kd3
Kh3
69.a5
Bxa5
70.Ne3
Bb6
71.Nc2
Bf2
72.Ke4
Kg4
73.Nb4
Bc5
74.Nd3=
Black may be able to win the knight, but not the game, because the white king can always take refuge in Rauser's drawing zone.]
60...Kg5!
61.a5
[61.Kd2
Kxh5
62.Ke1
Kg4
63.Nf6+
Kg5
64.Ne4+
Kf4
65.Nf6
Bd4-+
]
61...Kxh5
62.a6
[62.Ne3
Kh4
63.Ke4
f2
64.Nf1
Kg4-+
]
62...Kh4
63.Ne3
h5
0-1