Yermolinsky,A (2552) - Shulman,Y (2550) [D31]
MI Exhibition Game San Francisco, 07.05.2003
[Shulman, Yermolinsky]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4
This gambit is normally associated with the great American attacker Frank Marshall.
4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2
6.Nc3 c5 gives Black a good Rubinstein French with White having wasted time on the knight moves.
6...Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2
8.Ne2 is also playable. One funny line goes like this: 8...Na6 9.Bf8 Ne7 10.Bxg7 Nb4 11.Bxh8 e5!! and who's playing a gambit now?
8...Na6
Other options include 8...c5, the idea of which is to invite the white bishop to a vulnerable square: 9.Bxc5 Qxg2 10.Bf3 Qg5 11.Qd4 Nd7 12.Bb4 Qe5+ and Black has made it out of the middlegame.
The immediate 8...Qxg2 9.Bf3 Qg5 is considered risky in view of 10.Ne2 Na6 11.Rg1 and White's lead in development is threatening. By the way, at this point 11...Qf6 doesn't win a piece because of 12.Bc3 Qxf3 13.Bxg7.
And finally, in the game that started the whole line Carl Schlechter defended with 8...Nd7 but Marshall kept the initiative after 9.Nf3 c5 10.Bc3 Ngf6 11.Qd6 Qc6 12.Qg3 and won brilliantly!
 

9.Bc3
Today's theory buffs rave about 9.Ba5 f6 10.Qd8+ Kf7.
The old move 9.Bd6 enjoyed some popularuty in the 1950's, but lately it has been refuted: 9...b6 10.Nf3 Bb7 11.Qd2 c5 12.0-0 0-0-0 and for the sacrificed pawn White has nothing but trouble on the d-file. ;
Meanwhile, 9.Bf8 is cute, but 9...Ne7 10.Bxg7 transposes to the game.
9...Ne7 10.Bxg7
As often happens in today's well-analyzed opening variations one move can initiate a forced sequence both sides have to follow to the end.The alternative is 10.Nf3, but in the latest games White has not been successful against Black's defenses: 10...0-0 11.0-0 f6 12.Re1 Ng6! 13.b4 e5 etc. Notice the impregnable pawn barrier set up against White's proud Bc3.
10...Rg8 11.Bf6
 

11...Rg6
Black could win a pawn after 11...Qf4 12.Bc3 Rxg2, but White gets to keep the dark-squared bishop and his compensation will last even in the endgame. See Onischuk-Novikov, Lindsborg 2002: 13.Nf3 Nf5 14.Be5 Qh6 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Nxd2 Rg6 17.Ne4 Ke7 18.h4! etc.
12.Bxe7
As much as we all admire attacking chess White is not advised to try 12.Bc3 Qxg2 13.Qd2 Qxh1 14.0-0-0. Looks promising, but Black replies 14...Nd5! 15.Nf3 Qg2 16.cxd5 exd5, and the reality sets in - White is worse.
12...Kxe7 13.Qd2 e5
Black needs to hurry to stop White's planned infiltration on the d-file.
14.Rd1
Very bad for White is 14.0-0-0? Bf5.
14...Be6 15.f3
 

15...Qf4!
This move is relatively new, but it has already begun to swing the evaluation of the entire line into Black's favor.
According to existing White does well in the endgame after 15...Qd4 16.Qxd4 exd4 17.Kf2 Rd8 18.Bd3, or in the sharp middlegame after 15...Qh4+ 16.g3 Rxg3 17.hxg3 Qxh1 18.Qg5+ f6 19.Qg7+ Bf7 20.Rd7+.
16.g3 Qxd2+ 17.Rxd2
White spent a lot of time here, but failed to make defensive adjustments. It made more sense to bring the king to the queenside: 17.Kxd2 Rd8+ 18.Kc3 Rxd1 19.Bxd1
17...Rgg8!
Black recognizes the importance of the d-file and refrains from 17...h5, which would be useless. The real target is White's queenside!
18.Bd3
 

18...f5
Now White is given the necessary time to complete his development.
The more energetic 18...Rgd8! would pose serious problems, for example:
A) very bad is 19.Ne2 Nc5 20.Bxh7 f5. Now the white bishop is in danger, so 21.g4 seems forced, and then comes 21...Rxd2 22.Kxd2 Rd8+ 23.Ke3 f4+ 24.Kf2 Rd2 with the black rook dominating the second rank it's a no brainer who stands better here.
B)19.b3 Nb4 20.Bb1 Rxd2 21.Kxd2 Rd8+ and 22.Kc3 is answered with 22...Rd1!
19.Ne2 Nc5 20.b3 a5
The beginning of a queenside attack White can parry only with great difficulty.
21.Bc2 a4 22.b4!
This exposes the pawns to danger, but  22.Nc1 seemed too passive.
Now the black knight would find itself out of play in case of 22...Na6 23.a3 Rgd8 ( 23...Bxc4? 24.Bxf5 favors White.) 24.Nc3 Kf6 25.c5.
Having figured it all out Black chooses the correct square for the knight
22...Nd7
 

23.c5 b6
The consequences of 23...Bxa2 24.Bxf5 Bd5 25.Bxh7 Rgf8 26.Be4 Nf6 27.Nc3 are unclear. Both sides have passed pawns, and Black seems to be a step ahead, but 27...a3 28.Ke2 offers nothing concrete.
24.cxb6 Nxb6 25.Nc3 Nc4 26.Re2 Rgb8!
With this active move Black sets a devilish trap...
27.Bxa4 Rxb4 28.Bb3!
...which White wisely avoids!  Here it is: 28.Bxc6? Ra3! 29.Nd1 Rb6, and the bishop has no place to go!
28...Na5 29.Bxe6 Kxe6
 

Black has obtained a small advantage due to the more active king and advanced pawns. The rest of the game was played in a five-minute blitz mode.
30.Kf2 Nc4 31.a4 Nb2 32.Ra1 Rb3
32...Nxa4 33.Rea2 Nxc3 34.Rxa8 Rb2+ was tempting, but beind down the exchange Black hardly gets any winning chances.
33.Rc2?
Surprisingly this is a serious error.  Obviously, 33.Rd2 was much better, not allowing Black to reposition his knight and keeping control of the second rank.
33...Nd3+ 34.Kg1 Nb4 35.Rcc1 Ra5!?
Black refuses to repeat!
36.Rab1?
Exchanging pieces only helps Black, whose king will be able to quickly enter into the center.
36...Rxb1 37.Rxb1 Nd5!
Black advantage grows to dangerous proportions.
38.Nxd5
 

38...Kxd5
More principled was to connect the pawns with 38...cxd5, unfortunately it runs into 39.Rb6+ Kd7 40.Rb5!
In the pawn ending after 40...Rxb5 41.axb5 Kd6 42.g4! the separated white passers are too much to handle for the black king. Just to save the game Black has to enter a pawn race 42...fxg4 43.fxg4 Kc5 44.g5 Kxb5 45.h4 d4, which ends peacefully.
39.Ra1 c5 40.Kf2 Kd4 41.g4!
Desperately seeking counterplay - always a good idea in blitz!
41...fxg4?
Too accommodating.  After the correct 41...f4! the white king would be forever confined to the first two ranks which in rook endings usually spells big trouble.
42.fxg4 c4 43.Rd1+
 

The rest of the game illustratres how effective a rook can be defending against split pawns. First, it needs to get to a position to attack from behind.
43...Ke4 44.Ra1 Kd3 45.Rd1+ Ke4 46.Ra1 c3 47.Ke2 Kd4 48.Rd1+ Kc4 49.Rd7 Rxa4 50.Rxh7 Kd4 51.g5 Ra2+ 52.Kd1 Rg2 53.h4 e4 54.Rd7+
Second, the checks keep on coming and the black king has nowhere to hide.
54...Ke3 55.Rc7 Rd2+ 56.Kc1 Kd3 57.g6 Rg2 58.Rd7+ Kc4 59.g7 e3 60.Rc7+ Kd3 61.Rd7+ Ke4 62.Re7+ Kd3 63.Rd7+ Ke4 1/2-1/2


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