1.e4 c5! 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.a4 a6 So far theory, although there are lots of choices along the way. I believe that Nigel and I have played this before but with 6. ... Nxb4.

7.Bc4 e6 Bc4 is provocative but in the spirit of the opening. If Black can play d5 without allowing tactics then he should be doing well.

8.0-0 Ne7 9.f5 This is also in the spirit of the opening. exf5 leaves Black unable to contest the d5 sqaure and White has his compensation. gxf5 is weakening on the King side. Neither is necessarily wrong but continuing to play for d5 seems right.

9...0-0 10.d3 d5! So Black gets in d5, and what has White got in response?

11.Ng5!? Complications! White is still sacrificing, a piece or a pawn, but these sort of tactics aren't what Black is hoping for. Fritz gives a wide range of options leading to, mostly small, advantages for Black. Typical of our games though, if Black makes a mistake it is likely to be fatal.

11...f6 12.Nxh7! dxc4?! "Now White is a little better after 13. Nxf8. There is no rush though! Better is 12. /\ Kxh7 13. fxg6+ although White gets compensation if either Nxg6 14 Qh5+ or Kxg6 14 Qg4+ Kf7 15 Qh5+ followed by taking on d5."

13.fxg6!? Nxc2?! A tricky defense. In many lines (for example if White responds with Qh5 immediately) Black's queen comes to teh aid of the Black squares with Qd4+, looking back to f6 and g7. Unfortunately for Black, White has some simple moves that wrap the game up quickly now.

14.Qxc2 cxd3 15.Qf2 Nxg6 16.Nxf8 Qxf8 17.Qg3 This is an accurate move that takes away a lot of Black's potential compensation based on the advanced pawn at d3.

17...Ne5 18.Bf4 Nc4 19.Qxd3 Nxb2?? 20.Qe2 f5 21.e5 We studied the critical positions between 11 Ng5!? and the following moves up to 13. ... Nxc2 after the game and found, to both players' surprise that Black's position is difficult. The sacrifice is as sound as most I have played - which is to say not entirely sound but hard to meet! *