[Event "National Champs, NMLS "]
[Site "Kingston"]
[Date "2006.08.26"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "NM Duane Rowe"]
[Black "FM Warren Elliott"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C81"]
[WhiteElo "2389"]
[BlackElo "2425"]
[Annotator "Wilkinson, I"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2004.12.20"]

{NO. 1 MEETS NO. 2 RESULTING IN A PERFECT FIVE FROM FIVE!    In round 5 of the
2006 LASCO Jamaican Championships held at the Norman Manley Law School,
University of the West Indies, Kingston Jamaica, the leader NM Duane Rowe met
the defending champion FM Warren Elliott and a slugfest was expected. Rowe had
notched up 4 straight wins and was sitting comfortably atop the leaderboard
while Elliott was coming off a demoralising loss to the wily veteran NM Shane
Matthews in the previous round. The encounter took on added significance
because Warren was Jamaica's highest rated player while Duane was in number
two and with stated ambitions to claiming the number one spot.  The time
control was game in 90 minutes with an increment of 30 seconds from the first
move. Let the pyrotechnics begin!} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.
O-O Nxe4 {Elliott opts for Korchnoi's favourite Open variation in response to
the Ruy Lopez.} 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 {Diagram #} Bc5 (9...
Nc5 $5 {was worth a try. Indeed, the Hungarian queen of chess faced the
suggested alternative from the young talented Azerbaijani and won an immortal
game after 10.c3 d4 11.Ng5 Bd5 12.Nxf7 Kxf7 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.Qg4+ Kf7 15.Qf5+
1-0 (23) Polgar, J - Mamedyarov, S, 35th Ol (4), Bled, 2002.}) 10. Qe2 Bf5 11.
a4 b4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 O-O 15. Ng5 Nxe5 $5 ({
White is firmly on top In the following variation -} 15... Bg6 16. e6 $1 Kh8
17. exf7 Bxf7 (17... d4 $1 18. Qg3 d3 19. Bc4 Nd4 20. Bxd3 Bxd3 21. Qxd3 Qxg5
22. Qxd4 c5 23. Qd3 Rxf7 24. Rad1 Rff8 $16) 18. Rad1 d4 19. Nxf7+ Rxf7 20. Bxf7
dxe3 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. fxe3 Ne5 23. Bb3 g6 24. Rf4 a5 25. Rd4 Rf8 26. Rd5 Ng4
27. Rxa5 Nxe3 28. h4 Rf1+ 29. Kh2 Rf4 30. Re5 Nf5 31. h5 Nd6 32. a5 $18) 16.
Nxe4 ({An interesting line was} 16. f3 Bf5 17. Qxe5 $36 (17. g4 $5 $14) 17...
Qxg5 18. g4 $1 g6 19. h4 $5 Qxh4 20. gxf5 {but there was no need for White to
give Black so much counterplay particularly after} Qg5+ 21. Kf2 Rae8 $1 $132 {
with compensation for the piece.}) 16... dxe4 17. Qxe4 Qf6 {Diagram #} (17...
Qe7 $1 $14 {would have saved the pawn on b4 from immediate capture.}) 18. Qxb4
({White still maintains the edge after} 18. Rae1 Rfe8 19. Qxb4 Rad8 20. Qc3 Qf4
21. Re3 Ng4 $1 22. g3 (22. Rg3 $1 Ne5 23. Qc5 $14 Rb8 $14) 22... Rxe3 23. fxe3
Qh6 24. Bxf7+ $1 Kh8 25. h4 {although Black still has chances after} Qd6 $1 26.
Qe1 Qe7 $1 $132 {when White stands better but any result is still possible.})
18... Ng6 19. f4 $5 {An interesting way to try and press forward but anyone
who knows Rowe would not have been surprised by this choice. Coming in for
consideration was the developing} (19. Rae1 $16 {and after} a5 20. Qc5 Qxb2 21.
Qxc7 Qf6 22. Re3 Rfc8 23. Qb7 {White has a big advantage.}) 19... Rab8 20. Qc5
Qxb2 ({A lot of nerves would have been required to essay} 20... Nxf4 {
after which White can coolly ignore the pawn on c7 and play} 21. Rae1 (21. Qxc7
Qd4+ 22. Kh1 Ne6 23. Bxe6 fxe6 24. Qc6 $16 {also looks good for White.}) ({
Seeking to exploit the pin immediately with} 21. g3 $2 {is bad in light of}
Qd4+ $1 22. Qxd4 Ne2+ 23. Kg2 Nxd4 $15 {when, with material equal and Black
having a "storming steed" it is he who stands better.})) 21. Rae1 Nh4 {
This move would return to haunt Elliott. He could perhaps have given serious
attention to} (21... Rfe8 {when White can press inexorably forward with} 22. f5
$1 Nf8 {
choosing from among a bevy of good moves such as 23.Rd1, 23.Qxc7 or even} 23.
f6 $5) 22. Qg5 $1 Qd4+ 23. Kh1 Qd8 24. Rd1 $1 {Diagram #Very strong as the
exchange of the powerful ladies on g5 favours White.} ({Rowe avoids} 24. Qxd8
$5 {which seems to give Elliott more fighting chances. In one sample variation
play could continue:} Rbxd8 25. f5 g6 26. fxg6 Nxg6 27. Rf6 Rd6 28. Ref1 Ne5
29. R6f5 Ng4 30. Rxf7 Rxf7 31. Rxf7 Kh8 $1 {but White, a pawn to the good and
with bishop against knight, has the better chances to win after} 32. g3 $1 $16
Ne3 33. Kg1 Rc6 34. Rf2 Kg7) 24... Qf6 $2 {With Rowe "hugging up" the
initiative from the start and putting Elliott under constant pressure the
defending champion cracks. Elliott's position was exacerbated by the fact that
he was down to less than five minutes on his clock. As the text-move loses
quickly, Warren had to play -} (24... Qxg5 25. fxg5 Ng6 {
although his defence is cheerless after} 26. Rd7 $1 $16 {
When White puts the precious f7-square under siege and has a clear advantage.})
25. Qxf6 $1 gxf6 26. f5 $1 {The point. The "stray horse" is now trapped.} Rb4
27. g3 {Come to me baby!} c5 28. Bd5 {Rowe even has time for an intermezzo.}
Rxa4 29. gxh4 {Objectively, Black can now resign.} Rxh4 {Warren plays on
probably remembering that no one ever got anything by giving up!} 30. c4 Rb8
31. Rb1 Re8 32. Rg1+ Kf8 33. Rb7 Re7 34. Rb8+ Re8 35. Rg8+ Kxg8 36. Rxe8+ {
After a pair of rooks leave the battlefield, Black's cause is even more
hopeless. The first player now proceeds to wrap up the game comfortably.} Kg7
37. Re7 Rf4 38. Rxf7+ Kh6 39. Rxf6+ Kg5 40. Rf8 (40. Rxa6 Kxf5 41. Ra5 Ke5 42.
Rxc5 Kd4 43. Rc8 $18) 40... Rxf5 41. Rc8 $1 {
Diagram #Avoiding the last "trick".} ({Exchanging rooks with} 41. Rxf5+ $2 {
would allow Black to "give more trouble" and spring to life especially because
of his passer on a6 and his more active monarch. For example,} Kxf5 42. Kg2 Ke5
43. Kf3 Kd4 $1 44. Ke2 Kc3 $1 45. Kd1 Kb2 $1 {
when it is much harder for White to convert.}) 41... Rf1+ 42. Kg2 Ra1 43. Rxc5
Kf4 44. Rc7 h5 45. Re7 a5 46. c5 Rc1 47. c6 a4 48. Re4+ Kf5 49. Rc4 {
The Kingston College "old boy" romps to five from five!} 1-0