1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 dxe5 5. Nxe5 The Rat variation unknown to me before this game. 5... Nbd7?! 6. d4 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Ng4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 9... Kd8 Asks for trouble e.g 10. Ke2 Nxe5 11. Bf4 Nd7 (11... f6 12. Rad1+ Nd7 13. Ne4 b6 14. Bc6) 12. Nd5 10. e6 Presumably this has all been worked out by the G.M before but it was all new to me. Here I used up one of my 3 passes. 10... fxe6 10... Bxb5 11. Nxb5 O-O-O+ (11... Nxf2+ Is still bad) 12. Ke2 fxe6 13. Nxa7+ 10... Nxf2+ 11. Ke2 Bxb5+ 12. Nxb5 Nxh1 13. Nc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 is hopeless for black 11. Bxd7+ Kxd7 12. Ke2 g6 13. Ne4 I believed this is the move that lets whites advantage slip but 13. Rd1+ Kc6 (13... Ke8 14. Ne4 b6 15. Ng5 And black is in trouble) 14. Ne4 h6! removes the sting from whites position 13... Kc6 14. Ng5 Bh6 15. Nxe6 Bxc1 16. Raxc1 So white has regained his pawn and has a small positional advantage. However the position is greatly simplified and I believe black should hold this position. 16... Kd6 It is essential to dislodge the knight. 17. Ng5 Rhf8 18. Rhd1+ Kc6 19. f3 Rf5! The knight is pushed back with some tactics. 20. Ne4 Nf6 21. Nc3 Nd5 Here I was confident enough to offer the draw. 22. Nxd5 Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Kxd5 24. Rd1+ Ke6 25. Ke3 Rf8 It is essential to find activity for the rook and preferably a target. 26. Ke4 g5 27. g3 g4 28. f4 Rf5 29. Rd2 Here the pawn ending has to be judged after 29. Rd7 Rxf4+ as winning for white but(29... Rh5 30. Rxb7 Rxh2 31. Rxa7 Re2+! 32. Kd3 Rg2 looks to give black at least sufficient counterplay.) 29... b6 30. a4 Rh5 31. b3 Rf5 32. Re2 Rh5 Here rd5 might be better 33. Kd3+ Kd6 34. Kc4 a6 35. c3 Rd5! Having played this after a pass the GM should have been suspicious but maybe my nerves encouraged him to play his next. 35... e5? 36. Rd2+ Ke6 37. Rd5 Rf5 38. Rxe5+ Rxe5 39. fxe5 Kxe5 40. a5 Was what I had speant my time avoiding. 36. Rxe7?? 36. b4 cxb4 37. cxb4 b5+ 38. axb5 axb5+ 39. Kc3 e5 is perhaps how the game should continue but here too black has no worries. 36... b5+ 0-1 [LukeB]