[Event "Hastings"] [Site "?"] [Round "0"] [White "Tal"] [Black "Hartston"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B45"] [Opening "Sicilian: Taimanov, 5.Nc3"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 { A typical Sicilian Defense. Black uses the small center and flanking knights to keep White pieces off of the 5th rank and to keep some pressure on White's center.} 7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. f4 Qc7 10. Kh1 {All these moves are in line with the spirit of the Scheveningen Variation, which is a particular favorite of Kasparov. 10.Qe1 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 e5 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Qg3 Bc5 This wild sequence of moves ends with an important pin on the a7-g1 diagonal} 10... Bd7 11. Qe1 a6 12. Qg3 {White will attack on the kingside and Black will play on the queenside. Thus it is written in the Book of the Sicilian. Time is of the essence.} 12... b5 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 {Here the position is critical.} 14... Nxd4 {The wrong capture. 14...Nxe5 15.Bh6 Ne8 16.Bf4 Bd6 With a playable position for Black.} 15. Bxd4 Ne8 16. Bd3 {Even more efficient was 16.Ne4, as pointed out by Tal himself in his notes to this game.} 16... Bc6 { Now the e4-square is covered.} 17. Qh3 g6 18. Rae1 {It is impossible to overstate how strong this move is. In order for winning combinations to appear on the board one's forces must be in their optimal positions. It is little moves like this that distinguish master level play.} 18... Rd8 19. Qe3 Rd7 20. Bb6 Qc8 {White has a huge advantage in space, and Black is going to have a hard time defending all the holes in the position. The f7-square is particularly weak, a fact that Tal does not fail to notice.} 21. Ne4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 h5 { This is a very bad move because it undermines the support of the g6-pawn.} 23. Qh6 Ng7 {Now Tal finishes in typical brilliant style with a sacrifice that undermines the entire kingside.} 24. Rxf7 Rxf7 {If Black captures with the king he gates mated in two moves. Do you see how? 24...Kxf7 25.Bxg6+ Kg8 26. Qh7+} 25. Bxg6 Nf5 {25...Bd8 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Be3 The bishop circles round to the kingside and will be able to move to g5.} 26. Bxf7+ Kxf7 27. Qh7+ { Black resigned. If you are not sure why, play out this position against Gambit and you will quickly findout!} 1-0