Bates,R (2357) - Middelburg,T (2328) [A07]
Smith & Williamson Young Masters Witley (4), 17.07.2000
[Vigus,J]

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 c6 [A quiet opening, but Bates gathers many points with such lines. In Bates-Vigus, Rd 9, I also failed to equalise: 2 ..Nf6 3 g3 c6 4 Bg2 Bf5 5 0-0 e6 6 c4 Nbd7 7 b3 Bd6 8 Bb2 Qb8 9 Nc3 0-0 10 Nh4 Bg6 11 Nxg6 hxg6 12 e3 b5 13 Rb1 Qb7 Here a draw was agreed, which was sufficient to give Bates equal first place. But the plan of c5 and f4 would leave White a free hand on the kingside, with Black's counterplay minimal. Middelburg suffers similarly.] 3 g3 Bg4 4 Bg2 Nd7 5 0-0 e6 6 Nbd2 f5 Black tries to take advantage of White's slow opening. With the bishop outside the pawn chain this may look like a good Stonewall set-up for Black, but... 7 c4 Ngf6 8 Qb3 Qb6 9 Ng5! How does he defend the e6 pawn? 9 Ng5 effectively forces a favourable exchange of queens. 9 ..Qxb3 10 axb3 Ke7 11 f3 Bh5 12 Nh3 White's knight manoeuvres in this game are excellent, but here prophylaxis is not required and the direct 12 e4 improves. 12 ..Bf7 13 e4 g6 14 Nb1!? Bg7 15 Nc3 Ne8? [Black waits, avoiding pawn captures because his king may become vulnerable in the centre. But while Black still has counterplay against the d4 pawn, he should try 15 ..Nxe4! 16 fxe4 Bxd4+ 17 Kh1 dxe4 with a safe king and three strong pawns for the piece.] 16 Be3 Nc7 17 Rad1 Nb6 18 Bf4 Ne8 Ugly, but the knight's mission to c7 has proved abortive. 19 cxd5 cxd5 20 Rfe1 Kd7 21 Be5! Bxe5 Black, reduced to passivity, prefers to open the d-file rather than watch a White knight spring to e5. 22 dxe5 Nc7 23 exd5 exd5 24 f4 h6 25 Nf2 Ke7 26 Ne2 Be8 27 Nd4 Ne6 28 Nxe6 Kxe6 29 Nd3 Bc6 30 Nc5+ Ke7 31 b4 a6 32 b3! Typically patient. 32 ..Rhd8 33 Kf2 Nd7 This combined with 35...b5 is a panicky plan which prods White's knight back to where it wants to go. But Middelburg faces a slow death on the kingside in any case. 34 Na4 Ke6 35 Rd2 b5 36 Nc3 Nb6 37 Ne2 Bb7 38 Nd4+ Ke7 39 h3! h5 40 Bf3 Rac8 41 g4 hxg4 42 hxg4 [42 hxg4 An early resignation, but 42 ..fxg4 (42 ..Rf8 43 gxf5 gxf5 44 Rh1 with relentless threats) 43 Bxg4 Rc3 44 f5 is a decisive breakthrough.] 1-0