1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. b6

Giving back the gambit pawn, but preventing the quuenside attack usually seen in the Benko - a nice, relatively modern line.

5... Qxb6 6. Nc3 e6

Now all the action is about control of the crucial centre squares.

7. e4 Bb7 8. Bc4 exd5 9. Bxd5 Nc6 10. Nf3 d6 11. O-O Be7 12. Bg5 O-O

The b-pawn is poisoned - 12... Qxb2 13. Rb1 Qxc3 14. Rxb7 and white has excellent compensation for the material.

13. Qd2 Rab8 14. Rab1 Rfe8 15. Qf4

The point! The knight on f6 is pinned, and the d-pawn is under attack. Black comes up with a great reply, though, and the game becomes very sharp.

15... Nd4! 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nxd4 cxd4 18. Bxb7!?

Now the game is all about which is more powerful - the central knight or the black bishop.

18... Qxb7 19. Nd5 Be5

And black is fine - the doubled pawns cannot be dug out.

20. Qd2 g6

Anticipating 21.f4. Now white is struggling to find a plan.

21. Rfe1 Rbc8 22. Re2 Rc5 23. b4 Rc4 24. Qd3 Rec8 25. f4 Bg7 26. g4!? Kh8 27. f5 Qb5 28. Kf2

28. f6?? Rc1+ and the Queen is lost.

28... Rc1 29. Qxb5 axb5 30. Rxc1 Rxc1 31. Rd2

Black has taken the advantage.

31... Be5 32. f6 g5! 33. Ke2 h6 34. Kd3 Kh7 35. Rf2 Rd1+ 36. Rd2 Rg1

White loses a pawn, and the game should be over. Black, however has only 15 minutes left (out of 105) and time becomes a major factor.

37. Rb2 Rxg4 38. Nc7 d5 39. Nxd5

39. Nxb5 dxe4+ and black has an easy win.

39... Rh4 40. a4 Rh3+? 41. Kc2 Rxh2+ 42. Kb3 Rh3+

Taking off the Rooks should leave black with a straightforward victory - but with only 4 minutes on the clock, he starts to lose his advantage. There is still plenty of play in the game.

43. Ka2 bxa4 44. b5 d3 45. Rd2 Rh1 46. Ka3

46. Rxd3?? Ra1#

46... Ra1+ 47. Kb4 a3 48. Nc3 Bxc3+ 49. Kxc3 a2 50. Kxd3 Rb1 51. Rxa2 Rxb5 52. Ke3 Kg6 53. Rf2 Rb3+ 54. Kd4 g4 55. e5 Rb6 56. Ke4 h5

Who has the advantage here? Black is a pawn up, but must guard against e6, and the g- and h-pawns may well be less powerful than they look. A draw was agreed at this point - black only had 20 seconds left, and white felt that he was losing on the board. With hindsight, however, white may have been better to force the win. The draw was the fairest result, however, as black surely would have queened if it were not for mistakes made under pressure of time.

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