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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5
As this theoretical line proves the Petroff can lead to complications.
10.Nbd2 0–0 11.Qc2 Bh4 12.g3 Bf6 13.Bf1!
A typical defensive maneuver that reinforces the kingside.
13...Qe8 14.Bg2 Qh5 15.Qd3 Rae8 16.Nf1 g5 17.Bd2 f4 18.Ne5 f3?
This pawn sacrifice just doesn't work. Black could try 18...Nxe5 19.dxe5 Rxe5 20.f3 Nc5 with enormous complications.
19.Nxf3
For the next few moves White coolly defends and soon emerges with a better position.
19...Bd8 20.Re3 Rf5 21.Be1
21.c4 was even stronger.
21...Ref8 22.N1d2 R8f6 23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Qc4+ Kg7 25.Nd2 Rh6 26.Nf1 Bf3 27.b4 b5 28.Qb3 g4
Diagram

29.Rxe4!
A nice exchange sacrifice to put Black's attacking hopes to the end.
29...Bxe4 30.Bxe4 Rf8 31.a4 a6 32.axb5 axb5 33.Rd1?
In mild time trouble White plays somewhat tentatively. He could force a favorable ending: 33.Bd2 Bg5 34.Qd5 Bxd2 35.Qxh5 Rxh5 36.Nxd2
33...Be7!
This excellent move opens the d8-square for the important knight relocation.
34.Qa2 Nd8 35.Qb2 Nf7 36.Bd2 Bg5 37.Be1 Rf6
Another idea was to play on the e-file after 37...Re8 38.Bg2 Rhe6
38.c4? bxc4?
Time trouble errors from both sides. 38...Nd6 would net Black a pawn.
39.Bc3 Rh6 40.Qa2 Bf6 41.Qxc4 Ng5 42.Bg2 Nf3+?
This simply abandons the important c-pawn.
43.Bxf3 gxf3 44.Qxc7+ Kh8 45.Qd7 Rg6 46.Rd3 Bg7 47.d5 Rg4 48.Bxg7+ Rxg7 49.Qe6
Now White is winning because his king is being safeguarded by the knight, while the black king reqiures help from all the black pieces.
49...Rg6 50.Qe7 Rf5 51.Rc3 Rg7 52.Rc8+ Rg8 53.Rc7 Qg6 54.d6 Rd5 55.d7 Rd1
Diagram

If White simply wants to walk his b-pawn to coronation he has to worry about Black's back rank threats involving the Rxf1+ sacrifice. In an extremely adverse situation Brandon Burrows did a remarkable job creating counterchances.
56.Qe5+
White could play 56.Rc8 or simply 56.b5, because after 56...Rxf1+ 57.Kxf1 Qd3+ ( 57...Qb1+ 58.Qe1 ) 58.Ke1 Qb1+ 59.Kd2, and further checks only encourage the white king to go after the f3-pawn, take it and then hide on g2.
56...Qg7 57.Qxg7+?
And he gets rewarded! In this position White had a beautiful win with 57.d8N!! - there's nothing better than 57...Qxe5 58.Nf7+ Kg7 59.Nxe5+ Kf6 60.Nxf3 when he's up loads of material.
57...Rxg7
Now the d7-pawn is going to be lost.
58.Rc3 Rgxd7 59.Rxf3 Rb1 60.Kg2
In the final position White retains small practical chances, but Mark Geist was low on time. ½–½

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0–0 d5 5.c4 0–0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nc3 c5 8.Nxd5 Qxd5 9.d3 Nc6 10.a3
Diagram

According to the theory White is supposed to play10.Be3, which leads to a slightly better ending after 10...Bd7 11.Nd4 Qd6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bxc6 Qxc6 14.Rc1 Qe6 15.Rxc5 Qxa2 16.Rb5 b6 17.Qa1 Qxa1 18.Rxa1. IM John Donaldson is a leading expert in this line.
10...Qd6 11.Bf4 e5 12.Be3 Nd4
The game is roughly balanced after the more ambitious try, 12...Bd7 13.Ng5 b6.
13.Rc1 Be6 14.Bxd4 cxd4
Capturing with the other pawn, 14...exd4 that under different circumstances could have been good for Black, here allows White to "win" the opponent's bishop with 15.Ng5 Bd5 16.Ne4 Bxe4 17.Bxe4. The opposite color bishops made the draw almost ineveitable.
15.Qa4 Bd5 16.b4 a6 17.Qa5 b6 18.Qa4 Bh6 19.Rc2 b5 20.Qa5 Rac8 21.Rxc8 Rxc8
It seems that Black has prevailed in the positional battle, but there comes a well-timed pawn strike by Matthew Hoekstra.
22.a4! Rc2
Because 22...bxa4 23.Qxa4 would cover the c2-square preventing the black rook's penetration.
23.Ra1
23.axb5?? would be a big mistake as 23...Ra2 surprisingly traps the queen.
23...Rxe2 24.axb5 Qf6
It's important to realize that Black had to hurry up as 24...axb5 25.Qxb5 Bc6 26.Qc4 leaves the black queen tied up in defense.
25.Qxa6 Qf5 26.b6      Diagram

26...Bxf3?
Joshua Friedel must have thought the point was in the bag. By hurrying to win a piece he missed a much better move. Just look at 26...Be3!!, bringing the idle bishop into play.
"To be successful most attacks require the cooperation of all your pieces", we don't remember who first said this, but it had to be someone famous, like Bobby Fischer or Bruce Pandolfini.
Following is a brief analysis of this fascinating position:
27.b7 (27.fxe3 allows a quick mate: 27...Rxg2+ etc.) 27...Bxf2+ Now White is at a crossroads.
A) In case of 28.Kf1 Bxb7 he has to see the only defense 29.Nh4! (29.Qxb7 Qxd3 is hopeless.) 29...Bxa6 30.Nxf5 Now Black, if he doesn't want to blunder into mate with 30...Bxd3?? 31.Ra8, has to consent to an opposite color bishop ending: 30...Rb2 31.Rxa6 gxf5 32.Rf6 , where the presence of the rooks gives him good winning chances after the correct move 32...e4!;
B) 28.Kh1 28...Qxf3! is a spectacular shot. It seems like nothing, even a spare queen after 29.b8Q+ Kg7 is going to save White. Yet, it's not true. White parries the threats to his king with 30.Qf8+!! Kxf8 31.Qd6+ Kg7 32.Qxd5 hoping to survive the ending after 32...Qxd3 33.Bf1 Qe4+ 34.Qxe4 Rxe4 35.Kg2. Who knows, maybe he can.
27.Bxf3 Rb2
The line 27...Qxf3 28.Qa8+ Qxa8 29.Rxa8+ Kg7 30.b7 is heartbreaking, if you're Black.
28.b7 Be3
Familiar idea, but it's too little, too late...
29.b8Q+ Kg7 30.Qaa8 Rxf2 31.Qf8+ 1–0

Steigman,A (2278) - Traldi,M (2154) [B24]

U.S. Cadet Championship Mechanics' Institute (7), 28.06.2000

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.Bg5?!
The idea of this bishop move is known from many different openings that feature the black dark-square bishop fianchetto. White wants to provoke the weakening move h7-h6.
7...d6 8.0–0 Qc7 9.Qd2 h6
Here it comes! White thinks he now gets more targets on the kingside and begins a standard issue pawn storm. 10.Be3 a6 11.f4 Nd4 12.g4 f5!
Meeting the challenge face to face. The kingside becomes a war zone, and the black king can still retreat to the opposite side of the board.
13.gxf5 gxf5 14.Ng3 Bd7         Diagram

15.Nce2
I guess, somewhere around here A.J. Steigman realized that things were not exactly going according the plan. The text move begins an attempt to get some counterplay. White is looking at the queenside, but I think it could be accomplished through the center. First order of business is to eliminate the strong black bishop:15.Nh5 Rg8 16.Nxg7+ Rxg7, then safeguard the king: 17.Kh1 0–0–0 18.Rg1 Rdg8, and finally take some action: 19.Bxd4 cxd4 20.Ne2 e5 21.c3. In this case, I think, chances would be mutual.
15...Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 0–0–0 17.Qf2
I do not like moving the queen away from eyeing h5. 17.Rab1 seems better.
17...Bc6 18.Rab1 Rdg8 19.b4 cxb4 20.Rxb4 h5 21.Ne2 h4 22.h3 Rh6 23.Kh1 Rg6 24.Bf3
It is obvious that the intiative belongs to Black. He controls a lot of squares close to the white king, so the first check can the last ever needed to checkmate. With his next move Matthew Traldi begins a well-timed operation designed to open access to the g3-square.
24...fxe4 25.dxe4 d5 26.Bb6
After many movers of positional maneuvering we get a chance to look at some tactics. If 26.Nd4, then Black must avoid 26...dxe4 27.Nxc6. Instead he may want to examine 26...Bxd4 27.Bxd4 dxe4 28.Be5 Qa5!, where neither 29.Qa7 exf3 30.Qb8+ Kd7 31.Rd1+ Nd5 32.Rxb7+ Bxb7 33.Qxb7+ Ke8 34.Qa8 Kf7, nor 29.Re4 Rg3! 30.Kh2 Rxf3 31.Qxf3 Qd2+ seems to work for White. Another good option is 26...Rg3 27.Nxe6 Rxh3+ 28.Kg2 Rxf3 29.Qxf3 Qd6. Steigman;s move was considered a mistake by both players, but in fact it may be quite good. 26...Qd7 27.e5?
This mistake surrenders the all-important f5-square. The right way to continue was 27.Rd1 e5 28.f5.
27...Nf5 28.Ba5
Better defensive chances were offered by 28.Rg1.
28...Ng3+ 29.Nxg3 Rxg3 30.Qa7?
The queen sortie meets with a rough response. Only way to go was 30.Kh2 Kb8 31.Rfb1 Qf7, but Black's better anyway.
30...Bxe5!       Diagram

It is all over after this shot.
31.Bg4
In bad time trouble White allows checkmate.
31...d4+ 32.Kh2 Rg2+ 33.Kh1 R2xg4+ 34.Kh2 Rg2+ 35.Kh1 Rf2# 0–1

Thanks to this victory Matt Traldi caught up with the tournament leader Mark Geist. They were both awarded the title of the U.S. Cadet Co-Champions. Congratulations!