Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. c4 e5 2. g3 d6 3. Bg2 g6 4. d4 Nd7 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nf3 Ngf6 7. O-O O-O 8. Qc2 Re8 9. Rd1 c6 10. b3 Qe7 11. Ba3 e4 12. Ng5 e3 13. f4 Nf8 14. b4 Bf5 15. Qb3 h6 16. Nf3 Ng4 17. b5 g5 18. bxc6 bxc6 19. Ne5 gxf4 20. Nxc6 Qg5 21. Bxd6 Ng6 22. Nd5 Qh5 23. h4 Nxh4 24. gxh4 Qxh4 25. Nde7+ Kh8 26. Nxf5 Qh2+ 27. Kf1 Re6 28. Qb7 Rg6 29. Qxa8+ Kh7 30. Qg8+ Kxg8 31. Nce7+ Kh7 32. Nxg6 fxg6 33. Nxg7 Nf2 34. Bxf4 Qxf4 35. Ne6 Qh2 36. Rdb1 Nh3 37. Rb7+ Kg8 38. Rb8+ Qxb8 39. Bxh3 Qg3
Yusupov’s 11...e4 and 12...e3 cramp White before the kingside pawns begin to move. The moves ...h6, ...Ng4, ...g5 and ...gxf4 create open lines while White’s queenside pawns advance far from the king.
Ivanchuk wins material with 20.Nxc6 and 29.Qxa8+, but Black’s queen, rooks and knights keep checking. The queen sacrifice sequence around Qg8+ pulls the white pieces away from defense and leaves the king exposed.
The finish 36...Nh3, 37...Kg8 and 38...Qxb8 removes White’s rook before 39...Qg3 creates decisive threats. The game teaches that material gathered on the opposite wing may be irrelevant when the defender cannot bring those pieces home in time.