Howell-Ben
World Youth, Oropesa 2000

Notes by John Emms

1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Nb6 5 exd6 cxd6 6 Nc3 g6 7 Be3 Bg7 8 Bd3 0-0 9 Nge2 Nc6 10 b3 Nd7?!
Placing the knight back onto the f6-square looks like an extravagant waste of time. Black should instead strike out immediately in the centre with 10...d5. Then 11 c5 Nd7 12 Nxd5 allows 12...Nxc5!.
11 0-0 Nf6 12 h3!
Preventing the possibility of exchanges with either ...Ng4 and ...Bg4. Black's four minor pieces do not have enough space in which to operate smoothly.
12...b6 13 Qd2 Bb7 14 Rac1 Rc8 15 d5 Ne5 16 Bb1!
Once again preventing Black from alleviating his position with exchanges.
16...a6 17 a4 a5 18 Bd4 Ned7 19 Ng3 Nc5 20 Bc2 e5 21 dxe6 fxe6 22 Rfe1 e5 23 Bxc5 Rxc5 24 Nge4 Nxe4 25 Bxe4 Rf7 26 Bxb7 Rxb7
White has cleverly exchanged the right pieces, leaving himself with a classic "good knight versus bad bishop" situation. Black also has to put up with pawn weaknesses on at both b6 and d6.
27 Ne4 Rcc7 28 Rcd1!
A sign of mature play. White could capture on d6 immediately, but the weakness will not go away.
28...Rd7 29 Qd5+ Kf8 30 Re3 Rf7 31 Qxd6+ Qxd6 32 Rxd6 Rbd7 33 Red3 1-0
Black is only a pawn down but resignation is by no means premature. White dominates the board and will soon pick up Black's weak b6-pawn too.