GM Gulko (2631) – NM Hughes (2293) [E61]
US Championship (1), 08.05.2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bg5 d6 5.e3 0–0 6.Be2 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.d5 Bf5 9.f3 g5 10.Bf2 e6 11.h4 exd5 12.hxg5 hxg5 13.cxd5 Qa5 14.Bd3 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Nbd7 16.Nge2 Rfe8 17.Kf1 Ne5 18.Qf5 Nc4 19.Qxg5 Re5 20.Qf4 Nxb2 21.Rb1 Nd3 22.Qc4 Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Rae8 24.e4 R5e7 25.Rh4 Nd7 26.Rxb7 Ne5 27.Rxe7 Rxe7 28.Qb3 Qd8 29.Nd1 c4 30.Qe3 Rb7 31.Rh5 Nd3+ 32.Kg3 Rb1 33.Nf2 Be5+ 34.Rxe5? (34.f4 wins for White) Nxe5 35.Nd4 Qf6 36.Nf5 Rb3 (Not sure how this is possible when there is a pawn on a2) 37.Qf4 Qg6+ 38.Ng4 Qxg4+ 39.Qxg4+ Nxg4 40.Kxg4 c3 Black wins 0–1
The above is the game score of the game. However, some of the moves toward the end of the game did not make sense. Perhaps there was a relay problem.
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I heard on the ICC Radio Hughes and Sutovsky and Shahade talking about the game. At one point, Black played …a6 threatening …b5, so White stopped him with a4. So when Rb3 was played, the white a-pawn was NOT attacking it.
Congrats to Hughes!
-Seth
Perhaps they should use Mon Roi?