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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6!? The Anti-Tartakower variation of the "neo-Orthodox" QGD: not a common variation. The plan is to stop Black's freeing ...Ne4, though I suspect that allowing trades straight away doesn't really help White's prospects any, and indeed, this line tends to produce a great deal of draws. [6.Bh4 Ne4 the sound but but drawish Lasker variation 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Qc2 c6=; 6.Bf4!? 0-0 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Bb4+ 12.Ke2 Nc6 13.Bc2 Re8 14.Qd3 g6! 15.Bxh6 Bg4 with compensation for the material] 6...Bxf6 7.e3 0-0 8.Rc1 Nc6!? A fairly atypical "Tartakower" move. The Knight doesn't seem to be well placed on c6 in queen's-pawn complexes, as the c-pawn is generally a source of counterplay with ...c6 intending an evenutal ...c5. [the main line of the 8. Rc1 variation follows 8...c6 9.Bd3 Nd7 10.0-0 dxc4 11.Bxc4 e5 12.h3 exd4 13.exd4 Nb6 14.Bb3 Re8 with full equality and a fairly typical, drawish QGD line.] 9.a3 [9.Bd3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 11.d5 Ne7 12.Ne4 Nf5 13.Be2 Be7 14.0-0 Nd6 15.Ng3 ½-½ Portisch-Campora, Amsterdam 1984] 9...dxc4 [9...a6 is the main line of the 6. Bxf6 variation 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2 Ne7 12.0-0 c6 ½-½ Garcia Gonzales-Kavalek, Dubai 1986] 10.Bxc4 e5 11.d5 [the alternative 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5= looks very pleasant for Black.] 11...Ne7 12.Ne4!N A definite improvement over the alternative, 12. e4. The goal is simple; White must stop Black's e5, but Ne4 is more flexible since it attacks Black's bad-but-useful f6 bishop as well as keeping the center semi-open for the time being. [the stem game preceded, 12.e4 Ng6 13.g3 Be7 14.Nd2 Bd6 a useful manoeuvre seen in the main line 15.Be2 f5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Nde4= Spraggett-Byrne, New York 1983] 12...Ng6 13.Ba2 [better was the more aggressive 13.d6!? cxd6 14.Qxd6 Qxd6 15.Nxd6 Bg4 16.Nd2 (16.Nxb7!? leads to probable equality, though the continuations are sharp 16...Rab8 17.Bd5 Ne7 18.Be4 Bf5 19.Nc5=) 16...b6 with a slight edge for White due to his active placements and intiative] 13...Be7
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A critical position. Black looks O.K. to me here, due to his minor piece activity and easy development, though it is important not to underestimate White's space advantage and useful c-file pressure. +=. 14.0-0 [14.Qc2 Bg4 (14...Bf5 15.0-0+/=) 15.Nfd2 (15.Qxc7 Rc8 16.Qxd8 Rxc1+ 17.Kd2 Rxh1 18.Qc7 is unclear) 15...Rc8 seems to maintain balance.] 14...Kh8 preparing ...f5, else a discovered check after 15. d6 would be unpleasant. 15.Qb3 f5 16.Nc5 Bd6 17.Bb1? [17.Nxb7!? Bxb7 18.Qxb7 Rb8 19.Qxa7 Rxb2 20.Bb1 Rb8 21.e4 Ra8 22.Qb7 Rxa3 23.exf5 Nf4 is very sharp with complications likely favorable for White.] 17...Qf6 18.Rfe1 b6 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.dxe6 e4
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Black seems to have stolen the initiative, and can probably claim a slight advantage due to the central space and kingside prospects. The pawn on e6 is also a target. 21.Nd4 Rae8 22.Nb5 Nh4 23.Red1 Qg5 Black's accumulation of force looks impressive. 24.g3 Nf3+ 25.Kg2 Qh5 [25...Qe7? 26.Rc6 Ne5 (26...Rd8 27.Nxa7) 27.Nxd6 Nxc6 28.Nxe8 Rxe8 29.Rd7 Qxe6 is equal] 26.h4
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The critical position of the game. 26...Bxg3! [26...Qg6 27.Nxc7 Nxh4+ 28.Kf1 Bxc7 29.Rxc7 Nf3 30.e7 Rf6 31.Rxa7] 27.fxg3 Nxh4+! 28.gxh4 Qf3+
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Black has calculated that he can force a perpetual if he needs to, since the king has few escape squares. 29.Kh2 [29.Kg1 Qg3+ 30.Kh1 Qh3+ 31.Kg1 Qg3+ 32.Kf1 f4! and now A) 33.Rd5?? mate in 4 33...fxe3+ 34.Rf5 Rxf5+ (34...e2+ 35.Kxe2 Qxb3-+) 35.Ke2 Qf2+ 36.Kd1 Qd2#; or B) 33.Bxe4 et cetera 33...fxe3+ 34.Ke2 Rf2+ 35.Kd3 e2+ 36.Kc4 is winning for Black] 29...Qf2+ 30.Kh1 Qxh4+ 31.Kg1 Qg3+ 32.Kf1 f4!
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The point, as in previous variations. It is unclear where White could have played better; he is surely lost now. 33.Bxe4 What else? The e3 pawn is pinned, since the Queen on b3 is hanging. [33.Rd7? fxe3+ 34.Rf7 Rxf7+ 35.Ke2 (35.exf7 Qf2#) 35...Rf2+ 36.Kd1 Qg1#] 33...fxe3+ 34.Ke2 White's sole hope is that he can escape with at least a perpetual check, though he must give up a great deal of material just to avoid lurking checkmates.[34.Bf3? Qf2#] 34...Rf2+ 35.Kd3 [35.Ke1? Qg1#] 35...e2+ 36.Kc4 exd1Q 37.Qxd1 Qe5 38.Nc3 Rxb2 39.Qd7? b5+! 40.Kd3 [though White is lost anyway, better was 40.Nxb5 Qxe4+ 41.Kc3 Qe5+ 42.Nd4 Reb8-+] 40...Qg3+
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[after 40...Qg3+ 41.Kd4 (41.Bf3 Qxf3+-+) 41...Rd2+ White's prospects are absolutely hopeless.] 0-1
Summary: A scintillating double-piece sacrifice by Bologan produces one of his few wins of this recent strong tournament. I suspect that the "neo-Orthodox" variation of the QGD, in which White exchanges his bishop for the Knight on f6 rather than for the bishop on e7, allows Black too much comfort. Indeed, in this example, Bologan used his initiative to maximum effect and it is not easy to see exactly where White went wrong; it seems that there is no refutation of the bishop/knight sacrifice. In any event, Victor showed fans of attacking chess a brilliant win, and the careful study of this game will doubtlessly provide an excellent example of the maximal use of a slight initiative, as well as provide a good example of cold, calculating tactical ability.