My opponent in this game was Pete Michelman of Albany, New York.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bb4 6.e3 b5 7.Bd2 a5 8.axb5 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 cxb5 10.b3 Bb7 11.bxc4 b4 12.Bb2 Nf6 13.Bd3 Nbd7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Re1 Be4

Position after 15...Be4

My novelty. This blockading idea seemed like a logical enough reaction to White's possibly premature rook deployment.

Shortly after sending this, I learned that in Sadler-Krasenkov, Germany 1998, Black had chosen to blockade the other way: 15...Ne4 16.Nd2 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Qc7 18.c5 f5 19.f3 Nf6 with interesting play;

15...Re8 see Lifson-Morss.

16.Bxe4 Nxe4 17.Qc2

17.Nd2 Nxd2 18.Qxd2 Qc7 19.Qc2 Rfc8 and the simplification has been very helpful to Black.

17...f5 18.c5

18.Nd2 Nxd2 19.Qxd2 Qc7 with good play for Black.

18...Qc7 19.c6

19.Qc4 Qc6 is comfortable for Black;

19.Nd2 Nxd2 20.Qxd2 Nf6

A) 21.Qc2 Ng4 22.g3 (22.f4?! Nf6 and Black establishes an immortal knight on e4) 22...Qc6 23.h3 Nf6 24.Qa4 Qf3 and White can't keep up his queenside blockade and still defend his kingside;

B) 21.f3 21...Qc6 and the queenside pawns will soon roll.

19...Rfc8

Position after 19...Rfc8

20.Rac1

20.Rec1 activating the least active piece, looks like better chess on principle. But evidently White expects a central breakthrough.

20...Qd6 21.Qa4

The only way to prevent a5-a4.

21...Nb6 22.Qb5 Nd5 23.Ne5

23.Qc4 a4 is excellent for Black.

23...a4

23...Nec3 24.Qb7 Qc7 25.f3! Ra7 26.Qxc7 Raxc7 27.e4 Ne7 28.Bxc3 is winning for White.

24.f3

Innocuous is 24.Qb7 Qc7.

24...Ng5

24...a3? 25.Bxa3.

25.Nd7

This came a surprise.

More logical, but perhaps less effective, is 25.e4 fxe4 26.fxe4 Nf6

Analysis postion after 26...Nf6

A) 27.Nc4 Qf4 28.Rf1 (28.Ne5 Ngxe4 29.Qxb4 Qf2+ 30.Kh1 Nd5; 28.Qxb4? Ng4 29.Qd6 e5 and Black smashes through on the kingside) 28...Qh4 29.g3 Qh5 is highly promising for Black;

B) 27.Qd3 27...Ngxe4 28.Rxe4 (28.Rc4 b3 29.Rxe4 Nxe4 30.Qxe4 a3 31.Bc3 b2 and Black wins) 28...Nxe4 29.Qxe4 a3 30.Ba1 b3 31.Bc3 Qd5! and in conjunction with the fearsome passed pawns, the rook will outmatch the minor pieces.

25...b3 26.e4

Position after 26. e4

26...Nf4

A very daring move, but one whose soundness I now suspect.

It was probably better to play 26...Nc7 27.Qe2 (27.Qb7 a3 28.Bc3 b2 29.Rcd1 fxe4 30.fxe4 Ne8! 31.d5 exd5 32.exd5 Qg6! with extraordinary complications ) 27...a3 28.Nb6 axb2 29.Qxb2

Analysis position after 29. Qxb2

A) 29...Nb5 30.d5! fxe4 31.fxe4 Qb4 32.Nxa8 Rxa8 33.Qe5 is good for White;

B) 29...Qb4 30.Nxa8 Rxa8 31.Rb1 (31.Re3? Ra2) 31...fxe4 32.fxe4 Ra6

B1) 33.Qxb3 Qxd4+ (33...Qxb3? 34.Rxb3 Rxc6 35.h4) 34.Qe3 Qxe3+ 35.Rxe3 e5 with equality;

B2) 33.h4! Nf7 34.Re3 Rxc6 35.Rxb3 Qd6 36.Rb8+ Nd8 37.Qb4 and Black seems to be in trouble;

Analysis position after 32...Nxe4

Black's knights are a match for White's rook and dangerous c-pawn.

C1) 33.Rf1 Qd6 (33...Nd2? 34.Qb7 Qxd4+ 35.Kh1 Rd8 36.Rcd1) 34.Qe3 Nf6 35.Qe5 Qxe5 36.dxe5 Nfd5 and Black stands very well;

C2) 33.Qe3 33...Qxe3+ 34.Rxe3 Nd6 and the ending appears to be tenable for Black] 27.Nb6 Nfh3+ 28.gxh3!

28.Kh1 Nf2+ 29.Kg1 Nfh3+ and White can take the draw if he wishes.

28...Nxf3+ 29.Kf2?

Michelman later told me that he rejected the alternative as losing, but I don't understand the basis for that opinion. The move played indeed does lose.

White waiting for White's reply to 28...Nxf3+, I became aware of the questionable soundness of my idea. I struggled with the following variations: 29.Kg2 Nxe1+ 30.Rxe1

A) 30...a3 31.Bxa3 Qxa3 32.Nxc8 Rxc8 33.exf5 strongly favors White;

B) 30...Rcb8 31.exf5 Qf4 (31...a3? 32.Rxe6) 32.c7 Qxc7 33.Nxa8 Qc2+ 34.Qe2 exf5 35.Nc7 Qxc7 36.Qe6+ Qf7 37.d5 again with great advantage to White;

C) 30...Qxc6 31.Qxc6 Rxc6 32.Nxa8 Rc2+ 33.Kg3 Rxb2 34.exf5 exf5 35.Nb6

C1) 35...Rd2! 36.Nxa4 Rxd4

Analysis position after 36...Rxd4

Whether Black can hold this ending is a critical question for the soundness of 26...Nf4.;

C2) 35...Ra2 36.d5 b2 (36...a3?! 37.Nc4) 37.Rb1 Ra3+ 38.Kg2 Rg3+ 39.hxg3 (39.Kxg3 only draws) 39...a3 40.d6 a2 41.d7 axb1Q 42.d8Q+ Kf7 43.Qd5+

Analysis position after 43. Qd5+

Black's inactive queen puts him at a big disadvantage.;

C3) When I played 26...Nf4, I looked forward to 35...a3?! 36.Nc4 Ra2 but I missed 37.d5 and White's d-pawn is much more dangerous than Black's advanced b- and a-pawns.

29...Qf4 30.Ke2

30.Nd5 exd5 31.Qxd5+ Kh8 32.Qxf5 Qxf5 33.exf5 Nxe1 and White is lost.

30...Nxe1

Position after 30...Nxe1

White is without hope.

31.Kxe1

31.Rxe1 Qxh2+ 32.Kf1 Rab8 and so forth.