1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qf3 Karklins has many unusual systems at his disposal in the Open Sicilian. 6...g6 The switch to a dragon setup is logical. On the Scheveningen 6 ... e6, the White queen can find a role on g3. And White is well-placed to meet 6 ... e5?! with 7 Nf5. 7.Bg5 Bg7 8.Bc4 0-0 9.Bb3 Nc6 10.Nde2 Retreating from d4, which has no piece support. 10...Qa5 11.Bxf6 Karklins' strategy becomes clear: he ditches the dark squares and bases his play around arriving on d5 with a knight. 11...Bxf6 12.0-0-0 Qg5+ Ivanov engineers a queen exchange to try to pursue an endgame initiative. [12...Bd7 13.Nd5 Bg7 14.Kb1 Qd8 is very sharp, with Black playing for ... e7-e6 and possibly ... a6-a5.] 13.Kb1 Ne5 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 Ng4 16.Rhf1 Bd7 17.Nd5 Bb5 18.Rd2 [18.c4 Bc6 19.Nxf6+ Nxf6 20.f3 appears relatively even.] 18...Bg5 Still unable to dislodge the f6 bishop from defense of the e-pawn, Ivanov at least wants to prevent the disruptive f2-f3, while also softening the potential support for the e4 pawn. 19.f4 Bf6 20.Nc7 Precipitating an opposite-colored-bishop ending. White can always blunt the long diagonal with c2-c3. 20...Bxe2 21.Rxe2 Rac8 22.Nd5 Kg7 23.a4 e6 24.Nb4 Rfe8 25.Nd3 The position is even. 25...Bd4 26.Ne1 h5 27.Nf3 Bf6 28.Rd1 Rc6 [28...Red8 is much safer. 29.Red2 Ne3] 29.e5 dxe5 30.fxe5 Be7 31.Rd7 b5 32.Rb7 Rc5 33.Ra7 Very effective probing of the seventh rank. 33...Bd8 [33...Rc6 34.Nd4] 34.Rxa6 bxa4 35.Rxa4 Re7 36.Ra8 Bb6 37.Ra6 Rb7 38.Ra4 Bc7 39.Rae4 Ra7 40.c3 Rb7 41.Bc4 Rb6 42.b4 Bb8 43.Kc2 Rc8 44.Kb3 Things are getting messy here. White might try instead to forestall Black from doublling on the c-file. [44.Bb3 Rbc6 (44...Kf8 45.Rc4) 45.c4; 44.b5] 44...Rbc6 45.Ra2? [45.Nd2 was possible to pre-defend the bishop on c4 though it then becomes very difficult for White to make any progress.; 45.b5 Rc5 46.Kb4 was another try.] 45...f5! This is suddenly very strong. 46.exf6+ [46.Rd4 Ne3] 46...Nxf6 47.Rd4 [47.Rh4 Bxg3] 47...e5 48.Rh4 e4 [48...g5?? does not work - 49.Nxg5 e4 50.Ne6+ Kh6 51.Nc5] 49.Nd2 g5 White's position is caving in but Ivanov has no time. 50.Rh1 e3 51.b5 Rc5 52.Re1 exd2 53.Re7+ Kh6 White won on time.