1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 The Scheveningen Variation. Because of the strength of 6 g4 (the Keres Attack), many GMs prefer to arrive at the Scheveningen by an alternative move order. For example, Kasparov plays the Najdorf 5 ... a6 (instead of 5 ... e6), and will reply to quiet moves such as 6 Be2 with a transposition into the Scheveningen with 6 ... e6. Another popular method of "backing into" a Scheveningen is to play a Taimanov setup (e.g., 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3) with a later ... d7-d6.

6.g4 h6 7.h3 Again Bologan deviates early from usual practice. The main line is 7 h4 Nc6 8 Rg1 (preparing g4-g5) h5 9 gxh5 (if 9 g5 Ng4) Nxh5 10 Bg5. Instead, White has renounced all intentions to play g4-g5, and shores up the g4 pawn, looking to quietly fianchetto. 7...Nc6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Bg2 a6 10.Qe2

10...Nxd4 In conjunction with his next move, this may be an overly optimistic approach by Yermolinsky. I think the non-committal 10 ... Qc7 was best, as then if 11 O-O-O Bd7 followed by ... b7-b5 with a good game for Black. 11.Bxd4 e5 12.Be3 Be6 13.0-0-0 Now because White can jam up the d5 square and establish a space advantage, there is no danger in his king living on the queenside. 13...Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Nd7 16.Kb1 0-0 17.Be4 White has a nice edge here;

although Black can trade off his "bad" bishop and his knight has a square on c5, there are no levers against the White king, whereas White can strive to open some lines against Black's king with g4-g5 17...Bg5 18.h4 Bxe3 19.fxe3 Nc5 20.Bf5 Rc7 21.c3 e4 If 21 ... g6 22 Bc2, then Black will have to make some concessions after White plays h4-h5. 22.g5 g6 23.gxh6 Qf6

Yermo is looking to repel the White bishop, and after 24 Bh3 Kh7 25 Rdf1 Qe5, Black can try for a counterattack on the queenside. 24.Rdf1!! Now the threats are 25 Bxe4 or 25 Bxg6; if 24 ... Qe5 25 h5! gxf5 26 Rxf5! is very strong (26 ... Qxf5? 27 Qg2+). Therefore, Black accepts the piece sacrifice. 24...gxf5 25.Qh5 Kh8 A key point of the sacrifice is that Black cannot establish his queen on g6. 26.Rxf5 Qd8 27.Rg5! This is much stronger than 27 Rg1 f6!

27...Nd3 The alternative here was 27 ... Rg8 (27 ... f6 28 Rg7! does not help) but after 28 Rg7!! Rxg7 29 hxg7+ Kxg7 30 Rg1+ Kf8 31 Qh8+ Ke7 32 Rg8 Qd7 33 Rb8!! White is winning, as the Black queen cannot venture out due to 34 Qd8 mate, and meanwhile there is no Defense to the threat of 34 Qf8+ Kf6 35 Rd8. 28.Rhg1 Ne5 29.h7 Ng6 30.Qh6 All White needs to do is dislodge the knight from g6 to unleash a hurricane on the g-file. 30...Rxc3 31.h5 Rc7 32.hxg6 fxg6 33.Qxg6 Rxh7

34 Qxh7+ would bring it to a close.