1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6

The Dragon Variation. Kasparov used this risky Defense to great effect in his 1995 World Championship Match against Anand. Hodgson is known for his dynamic opening repertoire, so this choice is not surprising. 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 The signal move of the Yugoslav Attack, in which White castles queenside, and throws his kingside pawns forward. 7...0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Bd7

More popular is the gambit 9 ... d5 (allowing 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Qxd5), and also possible is 9 ... Nxd4 (or the immediate 9 ... Be6) 10 Bxd4 Be6. The reason 9 ... Bd7, which is the normal move against 9 Bc4, is not favored against 9 O-O-O, is that if Black follows up with the maneuver ... Nc6-e5, ... Ra8-c8 and ... Ne5-c4, then White gets to save 2 tempi by playing Bf1xc4, as the White bishop has not bothered with the moves Bf1-c4 and Bc4-b3. 10.Kb1 In Huebner - Hort, Hamburg 1979,

White was able to get an advantage with 10 g4 Rc8 11 h4 Qa5 12 Kb1 Rfd8? (better was 12 ... Nxd4 13 Bxd4 Rfd8) 13 Nb3 Qc7 14 h5. 10...Rc8 11.h4 Ne5 A dangerous concept, as White's d4 knight is left unchecked, and as alluded to above, the trip to c4 is unproductive. 12.Nd5? Also bad is the direct 12 h5 Nxh5 13 g4 Ng3 14 Rh3 Nxf1 15 Rxf1 Nc4. However, 12 g4, eliminating the ... Nf6-h5-g3 idea, seems strong. 12...Nh5 13.Qe1 e6 14.Nc3 f5 This safeguards the position of the knight on h5. 15.Ka1?

With no kingside attack, Rowson has run out of ideas. I would have tried to introduce an element of confusion into the situation with 15 exf5! gxf5 16 Be2, and if Black then tries to gain space with 16 ... f4 17 Bf2 d5, then 18 g4! is not bad for White. 15...f4 16.Bf2 a6 Now Black has a dominating position. 17.Nb1 b5 18.Qb4 A useful sortie, hassling the one weak spot in Black's position - d6. 18...Rc5 19.Qb3 If 19 c3 with the idea of Nd4-b3, then 19 ... Qb8! 20 Nb3 Nc6 21 Qa3 b4 is very strong for Black.

19...Qf6 20.Nd2 Ng3 21.Bxg3 fxg3 22.c3 Rowson is playing carefully to neutralize Hodgson's pressure on the long diagonal. 22...Rfc8 23.Be2 Nc6 It turns out that White's knight on d4 is as well-placed as Black's was on e5. 24.Nxc6 R8xc6 25.Nb1 Rh5 The h4 pawn is the first concrete target that Hodgson has been able to find. However, a more consistent approach was 25 ... a5 looking to break down the long diagonal with ... b5-b4. 26.Na3 Qf4 Unfortunately, the immediate 26 ... Rxh4 is met by 27 e5! wrecking Black's structure. 27.Nc2 Rhc5?!

A change of heart. But here I think Black may as well have grabbed the h-pawn - after 27 ... Rxh4 28 Rxh4 Qxh4 29 Nb4 Rb6 White has no clear followup. 28.Nd4 Bxd4 29.Rxd4 Rh5 It may have been better to completely dispense with this and cover the center with 29 ... Kf8. 30.Qd1 Kf8? It seems that Black could have held equality with 30 ... Rxh4 31 Rxh4 Qxh4 after 32 Rxd6 Rxd6 33 Qxd6 Qh1+, or 32 e5 Qh2. 31.e5! This shot works because after 31 ... Qxe5 32 f4 wins as the bishop on e2 is defended now.

31...Qe3 32.f4 Rf5 33.Rxd6 Black's position is wrecked. 33...Rc7 34.Bg4 Rf7 35.Rd4! Closing the door on Black's queen. 35...h5 36.Re1 Qf2 37.Re2 Wins the queen, but stronger was 37 Bf3! and the game is over after 37 ... Bc6 38 Bxc6 Rxc6 39 Re2. 37...hxg4 38.Rxf2 gxf2 39.g3 g5!!

A brilliant shot. Now if 40 hxg5 Bc6!! and then 41 Qf1 Rh7, or 41 Rd2 Rfd7! winning for Black! 40.Qf1 gxh4 41.Qxf2 h3 Hodgson has forged a different, and protected, passed pawn. 42.f5 To get some central play. 42 Qe2 Rg7 does not get anywhere. 42...Rxf5 43.Rf4 Rc4 44.Rxf5+ exf5 45.Qb6 Rowson hopes that his roaming queen can do some damage, but one eye must always be kept on the pawn on h3. Meanwhile, Hodgson sets up a defensive wall along the third rank.

45...Rc6 46.Qd8+ Be8 47.Qg5 Bg6 Not 47 ... h2? 48 Qh4. Black needs to try to create a bridge for his rook to get to h6. 48.b3 Re6 49.Qh6+ Kg8 50.Kb2 Bf7 51.Qg5+ Bg6 52.Qh6 Bf7 53.Qg5+ Bg6 54.Qh6