This game might be of theoretical importance. It seems White players have found the way to play against one of the main lines of the Open Ruy Lopez.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 a6 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Be7 10. c3 O-O 11. Bc2 f5 12. Nb3 Qd7 13. Nbd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 c5 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. f3 Ng5 17. a4 g6 18. Kh1 Rfd8 19. Bxg5 Bxg5 20. f4 Be7 21. g4 fxg4 A novelty that doesn't seem to equalize for Black. After 21... b4?! 22. gxf5 gxf5 23. Qh5 Black was already in deep trouble in Guerra Mendez-Quesada Perez, Havana 2007. It continued 23... Rf8 24. Rf3 Rf7 25. Rg1+ Kh8 26. Rfg3 d4 27. Qf3 Rff8 28. Rg7 dxc3 29. Qh5 and Black resigned. 22. f5! Qxe5 23. Qxg4 Rd6 Also good for White is 23... Bd6 24. Qg2 (24. Rf2 Rf8) 24... Kh8 25. fxg6 Rf8 26. Rf7! 24. axb5 g5 25. Rfe1 Qf6 26. Re6 Rxe6 27. fxe6 h6 28. Qe2 Qf4 29. Rf1 Qc4 30. Qxc4 dxc4 31. Be4 Rc8 32. bxa6 Rc7 33. Bb7 1-0

The kind of spectacular finish that makes the combination books.

17... Rc3! 18. Qe2 Rac8 19. Nb3 Rxb3! 20. axb3 d4 21. Rxd4 Be5 22. Bd2 Nxd2+ 23. Rxd2 Rc1+! 24. Kxc1 Qa1+ White resigned because of 24... Qa1+ 25. Kc2 Qxb2+ 26. Kd3 Qxb3# 0-1

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qa4+ Bd7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qb3 b5 8. a4 Be6 9. Qa3 A very interesting series of moves now follows. Black sacrifices a pawn and then immediately exchanges queens! 9... b4 10. Qxb4 Nc6 11. Qc5 Qd6 12. Qxd6 exd6 The compensation is clear: an open b-file and the weakened b4 and b3 squares. 13. g3 Nb4 14. Nd4 Bd7 15. Bg2 Rb8 16. O-O Bg7 17. Rb1 O-O 18. b3 c5 19. Nf3 Rfe8 20. Bb2 Be6 21. d4!? An interesting try, since the pawn was doomed anyway. 21. Ba1 Nc2 21... Bxb3 22. dxc5 dxc5 23. Nd2 Bc2 24. Rbc1 Nd7 25. a5 c4 Also possible was 25... Rxe2 26. Nxe2 Bxb2 27. Rce1 Nd3 26. Ba1 26. Nxc4? Rec8 27. Nd6 Bxc3 26... Nc5 27. Na2?! 27. Nd5! and it's not so clear. 27... Bb3 28. Nxb4 Rxb4 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 Now it's probably over already. 30. e3 Rd8 31. Nf3 Ba4 32. Ne5 Bb5 33. Bc6 Nb3 34. Rc3 Nxa5 35. Bxb5 axb5 36. Ra1 Rd5 37. Nxg6 hxg6 38. Rxa5 Rb1+ 39. Kg2 b4 0-1

Another very theoretical game, but what else to expect with Kotronias involved?

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qa5 11. Bc4 b5 12. Bxb5 12. Bb3 b4 13. Ne2 e5 14. Qe3 Be6 15. Bxf6 exf4 16. Nxf4 Bxf6 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qh3 Kh8 19. Qxe6 Qg5+ 20. Kb1 Qe5 Dourerassou-Kotronias, Gonfreville l'Orcher 2007 12... Rb8 13. e5 13. a4 Bb7 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd5 16. Bxe7 Nxe7 17. Qd6 Nf5 18. b4 Nxd6 19. bxa5 Nf5 Almasi-Kotronias, Crete 2007 13... dxe5 14. fxe5 Rxb5 15. exf6 Rb4 16. Qe3 Bc5 17. Qg3 Bf2 18. Qxf2 Qxg5+ 19. Rd2 Rd8 An improvement over Guseinov-Sherbakov, Dubai 2002, where 19... Bb7 was played, and here with 20. Rf1 White seems to be keeping his extra pawn. 20. Rhd1 Rbd4? But Black immediately goes astray. Did he forgot about his preparation? This time I couldn't ask them before the camera, unfortunately! 20... gxf6 and Black seems pretty OK. 21. Ne4! This might well be lost for Black already. 21... Qh6 21... Rxd2 22. Rxd2 Rxd2 23. Qxd2 22. g4! R4d5 23. c4 R5d7 24. g5 Qg6 25. Rxd7 Rxd7 26. Rxd7 Bxd7 27. Qxa7 h6 28. Qb8+ Kh7 29. fxg7 1-0

This is what we call a walk-over.

1. d4 d6 2. e4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 a6 5. Nf3 Nd7 6. e5 c5 7. Bc4 cxd4? Necessary is 7... Nh6 for example 8. dxc5 Nxc5 9. Be3 Ne6 10. Qe2 Nf5 11. O-O-O O-O Palac-Wohl, Geneve 2004 8. Ng5! Nh6 9. Bxf7+ Nxf7 10. Ne6 Qa5 11. Nxg7+ Kf8 12. Ne6+ Kg8 13. Nxd4 dxe5 14. Nb3 Qb4 15. O-O e4 16. Be3 Qd6 17. Nxe4 Qxd1 18. Raxd1 Nf6 19. Nf2 Bf5 20. c3 Nd6 21. Bd4 Kf7 22. Nc5 Rhc8 23. Ncd3 h5 24. h3 b5 25. Ne5+ Ke8 26. Rfe1 h4 27. Nxg6 1-0

And a nice ending to end with. A classical breakthrough.

54. g4! fxg4 55. f5 Nh6 55... exf5 56. Nf4 56. f6 Ba3 57. Nf4 Bb2 58. Nxh5! Bxd4 59. Ng7 Bxe5 60. Bd2 Ng8 61. Nxe6+ Kd6 62. Nd8 Kc5 63. Nc6 Bxf6 64. Nxa7 Kd6 65. Nc6 Kc7 66. Bf4+ Kc8 67. h5 d4 68. h6 Nxh6 69. Bxh6 d3 70. Bd2 Bh4 71. Ne5 1-0