ToTheDeath: Annotations by GM Kavalek
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.e4 Nb6 9.d5 Na5 10.Nc3 c6 11.h3!? (White limits black's light bishop, but the move is an invitation to a pawn snatching.) 11...Bxc3?! (Lputian takes the pawn, hoping he can protect the weak dark squares around his king.) 12.bxc3 cxd5 13.exd5 Nxd5 (After 13...Qxd5 either 14.Ba3 or 14.Qe1 give white plenty of play.) 14.Bh6 Re8 (After 14...Nxc3 15.Qe1 wins .) 15.Ne5! Be6 (15...Nxc3? is met decisively with 16.Qf3!) 16.c4 Nb6 (The triple-attack on the c-pawn is tempting, but helping to defend the king with 16...Nf6 was preferable.)
17.Qe1! (Bronstein already sees his queen mating on the square g7.) 17...Nbxc4?! (Too greedy. After 17...Naxc4 18.Bxb7 Rb8 19.Bg2 [Not 19.Nc6? Qd7! 20.Nxb8 Qxb7 and black should win.] 19...Qd6 black has good chances to equalize.) 18.Qc3 (Threatening to mate on g7 after 19.Nxf7!) 18...f6 (Lputian defends against the mate, shortens the long diagonal and hopes to drive the white knight back.)
19.Rfe1!! (A victory for the human spirit! Bronstein does not retreat with his knight, keeping the pressure on. Almost all computer programs prefer the obvious 19.Nxc4.) 19...Rc8 (Lputian thought about this move for nearly an hour. The white knight on e5 is taboo. First, after19...fxe5? 20.Rxe5! white wins either after 20...Nxe5 21.Qxe5, followed by Qe5-g7 mate; or after 20...Rf8 21.Rxe6! Rf7 22.Rae1 Rc8 23.Rxe7! Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Qxe7 25.Bd5+ Qf7 26.Qg7 mate. Secondly, white wins a piece with a double-attack after 19...Nxe5? 20.Rxe5! Rc8 21.Qe1!, since 21...fxe5? is met by 22.Qxe5 and white mates.) 20.Rad1 Qb6? (Missing the best defense 20...Nd6! 21.Nc6 Nxc6 22.Rxe6 Ne5!, but not 22...Qa5? 23.Bd5! Qxc3 24.Rxe7+ Nf7 25.Rxf7 and white wins.)
21.Nd7! (The magician strikes again. After 21.Nxg6 black defends with 21...Ne5! 22.Qa1 hxg6 23.Rxe5 Bf7!) 21...Qb2 (Avoiding the trap 21...Bxd7 22.Rxd7 Ne5? 23.Rxe7! and white wins, e.g. 23...Rxc3 24.Bd5+ Kh8 25.Bg7 mate.) 22.Qd3 (22.Qf3! is stronger, for example 22...Ne5 23.Nxf6+ exf6 24.Qxf6 Nd3 25.Rxe6 Qxf6 26.Rxf6 and white should win because the black knights can't match the power of white's bishop pair. But we would miss the wonderful finale.) 22...Bf7 23.Re2 Qa3? (A decisive lapse. After 23...Qb5 24.Rde1 Nc6 25.Nxf6+ exf6 26.Rxe8+ Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.Bd5+ Kh8 29.Bxc4 white's bishop pair is unpleasant, but black is still in the game.) 24.Qd4 Qd6 (After 24...Ne5 25.Rxe5! fxe5 26.Qxe5 Qc3 27.Rd4 black has no good defense against 28.Qg7 mate.)
25.Qa1! (A perfect hiding place for the queen. White's attack is ready to explode.) 25...Qa6 (After 25...Qb4 26.Rxe7! white breaks through either after 26...Qxe7 27.Nxf6+ Kh8 28.Bg7+! [The point!] 28...Kxg7 29.Nh5+! Kh6 30.Qg7+ Kxh5 [Or 30...Kg5 31.f4+ Kf5 32.g4+ Ke6 33.f5+ gxf5 34.Nf4 mate.] 31.g4+ Kg5 32.h4+ Kxg4 33.Rd4+ Qe4 34.Qf6!! Rc5 35.Bf3+ Kh3 36.Bxe4 and white mates soon; or after 26...Rxe7 27.Nxf6+ Kh8 28.Bg7+! Kxg7 29.Ne8+ Kh6 [Or 29...Kf8 30.Qg7+ Kxe8 31.Qh8+ Bg8 32.Qxg8 mate.] 30.Qg7+ Kh5 31.Qxh7+ Kg5 32.Qh4+ Kf5 33.Qf6 mate.)
26.Rxe7! (Crashing the defensive base, white triumphs on the diagonal a1-h8.) 26...Rxe7 27.Nxf6+ Kh8 28.Nd7+ (The mating combination 28.Bg7+! shortens the game, for example 28...Kxg7 29.Ne8+ Kh6 30.Qg7+ and white mates either after 30...Kg5 31.Rd5+ Bxd5 32.Qxe7+ Kh6 33.Qh4 mate; or after 30...Kh5 31.Qxh7+ Kg5 32.Qh4+ Kf5 33.Ng7+ Ke5 34.f4 mate.) 28...Ne5 29.Nxe5 Kg8 30.Nc6! (Threatening both 31.Qg7 mate or 31.Nxe7 mate. Equally good was 30.Nxf7 Kxf7 [Or 30...Rxf7 31.Bd5, preparing 32.Qg7 mate.] 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kf5 [32...Kd6 33.Qxe7 mate.] 33.g4 mate.) Black resigned