(1) Steiner,Tim (1982) - Sulman,Robert M (2200) [E32]
North American Open '01 Stillwater, OK (7), 02.09.2001



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.Bg5
5. a3 is more dependable.

5...d6 6.e3 e5 7.dxe5
7. Nge2 has a better track record.

7...dxe5 8.Nge2 c6 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.a3 Be7 11.Ng3
Eyeing the nice e4,f5 squares. Black may be tempted to move g6 which would weaken his king position even further.

11...h6 12.h4
Bold.

12...Re8 13.Nf5 Bf8 14.g4 hxg5?
[Fritz 8: 14...Qa5 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.g5 Bxf5 17.Qxf5 Bxa3 18.Ra1 Qb4 19.Rxa3 Qxb2 20.gxf6 Qxa3 21.Qc2 gxf6 22.Bd3 a5 -0.50/11 ]

15.hxg5 g6?
[Fritz 8: 15...Nh5 16.g6 Nf4 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Ne4 Kg8 19.exf4 Qa5+ 20.Qd2 0.75/11 ]

16.gxf6 Qxf6+- 17.Ne4 Qd8 18.Nh6+?
[Fritz 8: 18.Nfd6 Bxd6 19.Nxd6 Re7 20.f3 Qf8 21.g5 b6 22.b4 Rb8 23.Qe4 Bb7 24.Bd3 f5 25.gxf6 2.34/13 ]

18...Kg7?!
Black needed to swap that piece off to give his king more squares to escape to. [Fritz 8: 18...Bxh6 19.Rxh6 Kg7 20.g5 Qe7 21.c5 f5 22.gxf6+ Nxf6 23.Nxf6 Qxf6 24.Rd6 Be6 0.56/0 ]

19.g5 Qa5++/- 20.Rd2 f5 21.gxf6+ Nxf6 22.Rg1 Re6?!
[Fritz 8: 22...Kxh6 23.Nxf6 Bf5 24.e4 Be6 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Qd3 Kg7 27.b4 Qc7 28.Qg3 Bf7 1.56/11 ]

23.Nf5+
Those knights are pesky.

23...Kh8 24.Nh4 Bg7?
[Fritz 8: 24...g5 25.Nxg5 e4 26.Ng6+ Kg7 27.Nxe6+ Bxe6 28.Nxf8+ Kxf8 29.Kd1 Ke8 30.Kc1 Rd8 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Bg2 Kc8 2.97/11 ]

25.Rxg6?!
[Fritz 8: 25.Nxf6 Rxf6 26.Nxg6+ Kg8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Qe4 Rh6 29.Qg2 Rh7 30.Qg5 Qxd2+ 31.Kxd2 Be6 32.Bd3 6.31/13 ]

25...Ne8?!
[Fritz 8: 25...Nh7 26.Qd3 Nf8 27.Qd8 Qxd8 28.Rxd8 Re7 29.Rg1 3.84/12 ]

26.Ng5 Rxg6??
[Fritz 8: 26...e4 27.Nxe6 Bxe6 28.Rxe6 Nf6 29.Re5 Qb6 30.c5 Qa5 31.Re7 b5 5.66/11 ]

27.Qxg6 Nf6 28.Nf7+?
Ooppsy daisy. I can afford this oversight. [Fritz 8: 28.Qf7 Qxd2+ 29.Kxd2 Bf5 30.Nxf5 17.19/9 ]

28...Kg8 29.Nh6+ Kh8 30.N4f5?
White is getting careless. [Fritz 8: 30.Bd3 e4 31.Bxe4 Qxd2+ 32.Kxd2 Nxe4+ 33.Qxe4 Bxh6 34.Qe8+ Kg7 35.Qg6+ Kf8 36.Qxh6+ Ke7 37.Qg7+ Ke6 38.f4 7.63/10 ]

30...Bxf5 31.Nxf5 Qc7 32.f3 e4?!
[Fritz 8: 32...c5 33.Rg2 e4 34.Nxg7 Rg8 35.Qxf6 Rxg7 36.fxe4 Kg8 37.e5 5.62/12 ]

33.f4?!
[Fritz 8: 33.Rh2+ Kg8 34.c5 Rd8 35.Bc4+ Rd5 36.fxe4 Kf8 37.exd5 cxd5 38.Bxd5 Nxd5 39.Rh7 Nf6 7.75/12 ]

33...Kg8??
Second time 'round. Will White succeed? [Fritz 8: 33...Nh7 34.Rh2 Bxb2 35.Rxb2 Rg8 36.Qe6 Rb8 37.Ne7 Qa5+ 4.97/11 ]

34.Rg2 Ne8 35.c5
And finally the last piece enters the fray. This is by far and away the most bizzarre and interesting game I have ever played. My opponent, ten years ago, used to be a 2450+ player from New York who just recently got back into chess. He was complaining vehemently after the game that I was some sort of ringer and that that the chess gods willed my victory without his permission. Anyways, I can't say that I've ever overlooked a two move mate especially against such a strong player. It should be noted that White never castled. I've also never played a game with so many inaccurate moves by both players. Ah well, a win is a win. 1-0