1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 This early thrust has an ancient pedigree. Once called the Lowenthal, it's now commonly known as the Kalashnikov variation, a wordplay on its more sedate (but not very sedate!) big brother, the well-analysed and highly complex Sveshnikov system (4...Nf6; 5. Nc3 e5!?). As this game shows, many of the motifs that define the Sveshnikov feature in the Kalashnikov too. But there are important differences. 5. Nb5 d6 Black often plays the provocative 5...a6 here, when 6 Nd6+ Bxd6; 7 Qxd6 Qf6 throws White out of routine patterns. But after 8. Qc7, White is fine. 6. c4 Be6 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 Be7 Sveshnikov features are prominent here, but with a key difference. It's moot whether 6 c4 (playing the bind) is better than 6 N1c3. The upside is better support on d5; but the trade-off is a 'hole' on d4. Both treatments of the opening appear equally often at GM level. 9. Bd3 Bg5 10. Nc2 Kalashnikov 'theory' seems to favour 9 Be2. But 9 Bd3 is closer to Sveshnikov-style, contesting f5. The N regrouping via c2 to e3 is common to both systems. More on 9...Bg5 next 10... Bxc1 11. Rxc1 Qg5 The motif ...Be7...Bg5 is common to both Sveshnikov & Kalashnikov systems. Black seeks to dump the 'bad' dark Sicilian bishop; or at least make it play. But there is a key difference. In the Sveshnikov, White has already crashed his own dark Bishop on f6 (BxN; BxB), so that ...Bg5 aims to contest Ne3, or even play for Bf4. But in the Kalashnikov, the exchange of dark Bishops gives White a free hand into e3, with advantage in my opinion. Incidentally, 11...Qg5 is a popular line. So Chris was well-prepped here. 12. O-O Nge7 13. Ne3 O-O 14. Ncd5 All 'theory' to this point. Now both players take a short breather from the 'book' ... 14... Rac8 15. a3 This pair of moves could be removed from the game: they contribute nothing useful. I certainly don't need to be expanding on the Q-side yet. However, Engine says 15 Nb6 here - which just goes to show that even Engine doesn't always know its arse from its elbow. 15... Ng6 16. Kh1 Nd4 17. g3 Bh3?! Normal service resumed. Both sides have got pretty much all they could expect from the opening stages; all key objectives met. The position is level. Now the battle of ideas begins. It is worth holding the position after move 17 in mind to compare it with the position at move 25. Things can change remarkably quickly in chess. 18. Rg1!? A good idea! And fairly primitive to be fair, since 19 f4 is signalled in neon lights. But the R must move because the immediate 18 f4 ef4; 19 gf4 Qh4 puts unanswerable questions to White's position. The alternative 18 Re1 looked too anaemic to me. 18... Kh8? A bad idea. Black really has got to get busy. The B is doing nothing useful. And 19 f4 is coming. Engine says 18...Bd7/e6. But I felt Chris should shake me up with something like 18...f5 - although Engine gives no support to this whatsoever. 19. f4 exf4 20. gxf4 Qh4 21. Bf1 Nc6 The unavoidable exchange of pawns has unhinged Black's N while opening lines to Black's K. Exchanging the bishops with 21...Bxf1 would have been a touch better. But after 22 Rxf1 (not Qxd4), White has a big advantage 22. Bxh3 Qxh3 23. Rg3 Qh4 24. Nf5 Qd8 25. Qh5! Engine says 23 Nf5 & 24 Rc3 traps the Q. But Human says the line played traps the K. Ponder this position; then recall the position after move 17. How things change 25... Nce7 Chris offers one (or both) of his battle-weary nags for my prancing thoroughbreds, the better to ease his defence. Alas, too little, too late... (...Rg8 & Nf8 shores up h7, but leaves f7 & the floodgates wide open) 26. Rh3 h6 And now, a nice move that caused my opponent to groan in anguish before resigning 27. Qxh6+!! The rest is left to all my pretty horses 1-0