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(6) Cummings,D (2475)
2001 Canadian Open (5), 2001
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 Bf5 4.c3 Certainly discourages Nb4, though I doubt if it was a real threat. 4...e6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.Nbd2 h6 7.b4!? I am not a fan of the way David plays the opening, but to be totally honest, he emerges from the opening in good shape. 7...Bd6 8.b5 Ne7 [8...Na5!? 9.Nb3!?] 9.c4 Ng6 Come to think of it, I also don't like the way black plays the opening either. This is the problem with annotating other peoples' games...taste and style are not objective! 10.Bb2 0-0 11.0-0 Ne4 12.Ne5!? [12.c5!? Be7 13.a4!? …Pa5] 12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bb4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qb3 Bc5 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.Bd4! Rfd8 [17...a6!? This is how I would play the position. I think that it is about equal, not to say very drawish. Perhaps Christiansen wanted more and was willing to take risks!?] 18.Qe3! Christiansen underestimated this move 18...Rxd4 19.Rxd4 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Rd8!? [20...a6!? 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Qxe4 axb5 23.Qxb7 Rxa2 24.cxb5 Qc5!?] 21.Qe3!? A question of style. Christiansen , after the game, remarked that white is also better after taking the a pawn. Cummings, however, probably didn't want to put his queen out of play against his famous opponent [21.Qxa7 b6 22.a4! Qc5 23.a5 Qxc4 24.axb6 cxb6 25.Qxb6 Rd2 26.Qb8+ Kh7 27.b6 Rb2 28.Qa7!?ƒ] 21...Qb4!? With his e pawn in destiny's hands, black must play actively 22.Bxe4 Bh3 [22...Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxc4 24.Qxb7] 23.Bg2! Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Qxc4 25.Rc1 Qd5+ [25...Qxb5 26.Rxc7±] 26.Qf3! Christiansen thought highly of this move after the game. 26...Qxe5 27.Qxb7 Rd2 28.Rxc7 f5! curiously, in this heavy piece ending the white king is also not so safe. 29.Qa8+?! Kh7 30.Rc8?! David, short of time, starts to play very riskily. Despite appearances, the black king is quite safe. The next move emphasizes this 30...Qxb5! covering the e8 square 31.Rh8+ Kg6 32.Qg8 probably it is already too late to save the game. Being in time trouble doesn't help either. 32...Qb7+ 33.Kh3 Rxe2 34.Qh7+ Kh5! 35.Qg8 Rxf2 And just who is mating who? 36.Rxh6+ desperate 36...Kxh6 37.Qxe6+ Kh7 An interesting game. It looked very much as though David was pressing his opponent at first, only to lose his way when short of time. 0-1
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