Morozevich - Bezgodov

Morozevich - Bezgodov

Tomsk 1998. The Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Nd2 Nc5 8. Be2
Then it was a novelty. Perhaps here Black had to try 8...Qg5.
Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Nb3! Nxb3 11. axb3 d5 12. exd6 Bxd6?
Black hopes that active piece play will compensate his chronic pawn weaknesses, but Morozevich proves that this idea is flawed. Better was 12...cxd6.
13. Ra4!
From here the rook works very nicely.
Bf5 14. Bd3!
Every exchange helps White to exploit Black's pawn weaknesses.
Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Qf6 16. g3! Rfe8 17. Kg2 Bc5 18. Rf4 Qe6 19. Rd1 Bd6 20. Rc4! c5 21. Qf3 Rab8 22. Bd2 f6 23. Ra1! Rbd8 24. Be3 Qe5 25. Rc3! Ra8 26. Ra5
White's splendid position play is bearing fruit now.
Qe4 27. Bxc5 Qxf3+ 28. Kxf3 Be5 29. Re3 Bxb2 30. Rxa7 Rxe3+ 31. Kxe3 Rxa7 32. Bxa7 Kf7 33. Kd3 Ke6 34. b4 c6 35. Bd4 Bc1 36. Be3 Bb2 37. Kc4 Kd7
Black resigned as after 38.c3 he would lose his bishop.
1-0         
[notes by Alexander Morozevich]