English GM William Watson convincingly won the Prague Bohemians 1992 International. In his game against Czech IM A. Pekarek, Watson found himself, after wild opening complications, with only 2 knights for a queen. Watson proceeded to give an object lesson in how to barnacle. His strategy consisted of 1) freezing the kingside pawns, 2) liquidating the queenside pawns, 3) avoiding piece exchanges, 4) establishing a fortress-like blockade, and 5) engaging in annoying tactical skirmishes.

Pekarek, in frustration, became obsessed with breaking down the blockade, or forcing a tactical solution. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 3 Bb5 is considered a more viable option for the initiative against 2 ... Nc6 than 3 Bb5+ against 2 ... d6. 3...g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.c3 e5

A sharp and risky line, inviting White's following pawn sacrifice. The main line is 5 ... Nf6 6 Re1 Qb6, or 6 e5 Nd5. 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 cxd4 Better than 7 ... Nxd4 8Nxd4 cxd4 9 Bf4, or in this line 8 ... Bxd4 9 Nc3. 8.Bf4 a6 8 ... Nge7 9 Bd6 0-0 10 Nbd2 is more popular these days. 9.Bc4 White had many choices at this point. 9 Bd3 d6 10 Nbd2 Ne5, as in a 1972 game Meduna - Hort, is unimpressive. Interesting is 9 Qa4 Nge7 10 Bd6 0-0 11 Qa3, J. Whitehead - Zueger, Cagnes Sur Mer 1977.

After the positional 9 Ba4, Black should probably accede to 9 ... Nge7 10 Bd6, as he has too many targets after 9 ... b5 10 Bb3 d6 11 a4. Watson, typically, chose the most aggressive continuation. 9...d6 10.Re1 This may be too slow. Ciocaltea - Ghitescu, Romanian Champ. 1975 saw instead 10 Qb3 Qe7 11 Nbd2 Be5 12 Bg3 with decent compensation for the pawn. 10...Nge7 11.Ng5 11 Nbd2 0-0 12 Nb3 Bg4, or 12 h3 b5, does not work. 11...0-0 12.Qb3 The crude-looking 12 Qf3 should be met by the cold-blooded 12 ... h6! Then 13 Nxf7 Rxf7 14 Bxd6 (not 14 Bxh6? d5!) Qxd6 is better for Black. With the text Watson embarks on a fascinating combination. 12...d5 13.exd5 After this move, there is no turning back. If White wanted merely to recover the pawn, Black would be quite comfortable after 13 Bxd5 Na5 14 Qf3 Nxd5 15 exd5 Bf5. 13...Na5 14.d6!!

Hopeless was 14 Qc2 Bf5 15 Bd3 Rc8 16 Qe2 Bxd3. 14...Nd5 Deserting e7 while attacking more White pieces, Pekarek has no appetite for 14 ... Nxb3 15 dxe7. If then 15 ... Nxa1 16 exd8(Q) Rxd8 Black is up the Exchange, but 17 Nxf7 Rf8 - or 17 ... b5 18 Nxd8+ bxc4 19 Re8+ Bf8 20 Bd6 - 18 Re7! contains the vicious threat 19 Ng5+ Kh8 20 Be5. But what about, after 14 ... Nxb3 15 dxe7, 15 ... Qa5! hitting the rook on e1? DIAGRAM The position is then so complicated that it is worthy of inclusion in Dvoretsky's Candidates training course. 

Then working through the following variations, one must not only watch out for all tactical nuances, but one must also keep count of the pieces! Right now Black is up a queen for a knight. White has three tries: 1) 16 e8(Q)? loses to 16 ... Be6!! which defends f7 and the back rank and threatens mate and all of WHite's major pieces! 2) 16 exf8(Q)+ Bxf8 17 Bxf7+ Kg7 18 Re5 Nc5 leaves White with a rook and a knight for the queen but Black strongly threatens 19 ... Bd6 and 19 ... h6. White can try to improve this with 17 Re5! (instead of 17 Bxf7+) Nc5 18 Nxf7. But then Black is beautiful after 18 ... b5! 19 Bd5 Bb7. 3) 16 Bxf7+ (best) attempts to drive Black's king into the corner so as to win with a variation such as 16 ... Kh8 17 Re5! Nc5 18 e8(Q) and White is a piece ahead. But Black plays 16 ... Rxf7! 17 e8(Q)+ Rf8, and with even material Black is attacking White's major pieces. After 18 axb3! Qxa1, if 19 Bd6?! Black can draw with 19 ... Rxe8? 20 Rxe8+ Bf8 21 Rxf8+ Kg7 22 Rf7+ Kg8 (not 22 ... Kh6?? 23 h4 Qxb1+ 24 Kh2 Kh5 25 Rxh7+ Kg4 26 f3+ Kf5 27 Rf7 mate) but 19 ... Bf5! 20 Qe2 d3! is strong, so White is better off playing 19 Qe4 or 19 Qe2!? . 15.Bxd5?! Caught up in the excitement of the previous variations, White continues with a speculative queen sacrifice. Better was 15 Qf3! after which Black might take either bishop: 15 ... Nxc4? 16 Qxd5 Nb6 17 Qb3 h6 (the threat was 18 Re7) 18 Nxf7!! Rxf7 19 Re7 Qf8 20 Nd2! and Black has big problems; 15 ... Nxf4! 16 Bxf7+! (not 16 Nxf7 Qf6!) Kh8 (16 ... Rxf7 17 Nxf7 Kxf7 18 Re7+ Kg8 19 Qf4 Bf5 - 19 ... Qf8? 20 Qe4 - 20 g4 Nc6 with rough equality) 17 Qxf4 Nc4 (or 17 ... h6 18 Ne6) 18 Qg3 with a complex game. 15...Nxb3 16.axb3 Bf6! Stopping a later Re7. 17.h4 h6 18.Ne4 Bg7 19.g3 The combination has not worked out, and White is down material. The barnacle phase begins. 19...Be6 The only way to break White's hold on the center. Black is now hoping for 20 Bxe6 fxe6 21 Nc5? e5. 20.Bxb7 Rb8 21.Bxa6 Bxb3 21 ... Rxb3? 22 Nc5 Rxb2 23 Nxe6 fxe6 24 Bc4 would be messy 22.Nbd2 Bd5 23.Rac1 Qa5 24.Bf1 Rxb2 25.Bg2 Winning back control of the center, with the threat 26 Rc5 Qa2 27 Rxd5. 25...Bxe4 26.Nxe4 d3 Of course, Black has to expand sooner or later, but now the d-pawn may require Defense. 27.Red1 Rc2 28.Rb1 f5 The knight on e4 was very irritating. 29.Nd2 Rd8 30.Rb7 Qc5 31.Rc7 Now both sides have protected passed rooks. 31...Qd4 32.Re1 Preventing any exchange with 32 ... Be5. 32...g5 To eliminate White's d-pawn and stop seventh rank counterplay. 33.hxg5 hxg5 34.Bxg5 Rxd6 35.Rb7 Rd7 36.Re8+ Kh7 37.Be3 Qd6 38.Rb5 There has been only one exchange of pieces in the last 20 moves. 38...Qg6 39.Ra8 Rc1+?

Correct was 39 ... Qh5 preventing White from getting his bishop to h3 and meeting 40 Rxf5? with 40 ... Rc1+. If 40 Rb1 Rdc7 41 Nf3 Bh6 is strong, and 40 Nf3 d2 is curtains. White must try 40 Raa5!! with bizarre complications after 40 ... Rxd2 41 Rxf5 Qd1+ 42 Kh2. 40.Kh2 Rd1 On 40 ... Rdc7, threatening 41 ... Qh5+ 42 Bh3 Rh1+, 41 Rxf5 is possible. 41.Nf3 Bf6 If 41 ... d2 42 Ng5+ Qxg5 43 Bxg5 Rh1+ 44 Bxh1 d1(Q) White is OK with a rook, bishop, and pawn for the queen. But after the text it will become impossible to hold the f5 point. 42.Bh3 Qh5 43.Kg2 d2 44.Bxd2 R7xd2 45.Nxd2

Qe2? He had to play 45 ... Rxd2, with a potential draw after 46 Bxf5+ Kh6 47 Ra6 Qg5 48 Rbb6 Rxf2+ 49 Kxf2 Qxf5+, etc. 46.Bxf5+ Kh6 47.Ra7!

A winning shot, as 47 ... Be7 loses to 48 Rb6+ Kg5 49 Nf3+ Kf5 50 Ra5+ Ke4 51 e5+. 47...Qxb5 48.Rh7+ Kg5 49.Nf3+ Kxf5 50.Rh5+ Kg6 51.Rxb5 White has converted his sudden initiative into a simple endgame win. 51...Rc1 52.Rb6 Kg7 53.Rb7+ Kg8 54.g4 Rc2 55.Kg3 Bb2 56.Nh4 Bd4 57.f3 Bf2+ 58.Kh3 Rc3 59.Nf5! Rxf3+ 60.Kg2 Rf4 61.Ne7+ Kg7 62.Nd5+