Here we have a game played at 4040 rate which, unknown to both players, follows book lines for some time and leads to an interesting and hard fought middlegame.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 Bh5 My preparation for the razor sharp h5 must wait for another day. 7. d3 Nf6 8. c3 Be7 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Re1 b5 11. Bb3 d5 In principle it is right to open the centre when you are better developed but this costs material. We were playing a fast 40 minute game and this move certainly spices things up. The line is following Ivkov v Hort 12. g4 Bg6?!N 12... dxe4 13. gxh5!?N exf3 14. Qxf3 Qd7 Was what I had planned and strangeley what Neil had rejected the line for 15. h6 g6 16. d4 exd4 17. Rxe7 Qxe7 18. Qxc6 Rad8 19. cxd4 Rxd4 20. Nf1 Rd6 21. Qc3 Qd7 22. Bf4+/- ...is some silicon monster's view of what is best 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Rxe5 Nf4 16. Ne4! The move Neil had missed 16... Nxh3+ 17. Kg2! The knight is trapped 17... Bd6 17... Bxe4+ 18. dxe4 Bd6 19. Rf5 Qh4 20. Qf3 Nxf2 21. Rh5 Qxg4+ 22. Kxf2 Qxf3+ 23. Kxf3+- 18. Nxd6 cxd6 19. Rd5 Qh4 20. Qf3 Nxf2 21. Qxf2?! To quote Bronstein certainly the what else moves are not always the best. 21. Bg5+- 21... Qxg4+ 22. Kf1 Rae8?! 23. Bf4 Qh3+ 24. Kg1 Bxd3 25. Qg3 Qxg3+ 26. Bxg3 Bc4 27. Bxc4 bxc4 28. Bxd6 Re2? Now it's plain sailing. Keeping the exchange with Rd8 was mandatory 29. Bxf8 Kxf8 30. b4 Rc2 31. Re1 g6 32. Re3 Rxa2 33. Rc5 h5 34. Rxc4 Kg7 35. Rc6 Kh6 36. c4 h4 37. Rf3 on time 1-0 [Luke Boumphrey]