In this game, my opponent was Jack Maxfield of Wichita Falls, Texas, where he is a retired Air Force NCO. Jack and I had the occasion to play OTB in 1973 or thereabouts, at an Air Training Command Championship held at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas. Today at age 86, he is still quite active in correspondence chess, with the rank of Master.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.0-0

Position after 8. O-O

This was once considered the main line, and was recommended in the first, 1984 edition of Tim Harding's Evans Gambit: and a System vs the Two Knights Defense; 8.Nxc6 see last month's column. Recent theory, notably the second, 1991 edition of Harding's book, recommends 8.Be3 -- see Danzanvilliers-Morss.

8...0-0 9.Nxc6

Position after 9. Nxc6

White wins material, but at too much expense of time, seeing that Black's pieces are already so active.

Theory used to recommend 9.Bxc6 bxc6 and now:

A) 10.Nxc6 is a move conceived by Australian GM Ian Rogers. Rogers-Pavlovic, Sokobanja 1989, went 10...Qd7 (10...Qh4 11.Be3 Ba6 12.Bxc5! Bxf1 13.Be3! Ba6! 14.Na3! favored White in Esteves-Peres, Cuba 1991) 11.Nd4 Qe7! 12.Bf4 (12.Be3 Qxe5 13.c3 Bd6 is good for Black) 12...f6! 13.e6 (13.exf6?! Qxf6 14.Be3 Ba6) 13...Bxe6 and now:

A1) The game with Pavlovic went 14.c3 Bf7 15.Nd2 Rfe8 16.N2b3 (best is 16.a4 a5 17.N2b3 Bb6 with approximate equality) 16...Bb6 17.a4 c5 18.Nf3 a5! with somewhat better play for Black;

A2) Rogers later recommended 14.Nxe6 14...Qxe6 15.Bxc7 Rac8 16.Bg3 (16.Bf4 Nxf2! 17.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Qf5) 16...f5 17.Bf4 as favoring White. I think this claim is pretty optimistic. For example, 17...Qb6 18.Qxd5+ Kh8 and Black has terrific play;

Analysis position after 10. Be3

The critical continuation is 10...Qe8 11.Nd2 Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Qxe5 13.Nxc6 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Qxb2 15.Rab1 Qa3 16.Qd4 Ba6 17.Rf4 and Harding, in his 1984 edition, considers this position as favoring White. Harding gives 17...Qxa2 (but Black should be in no hurry to take the a-pawn; he should play 17...Bc4 defending the d-pawn and preparing ...Rae8 when, in my opinion, White lacks sufficient compensation for his weak pawns) 18.Ra1 Qc4 19.Ne7+ Kh8 20.Qe5 and White has a strong initiative.

9...bxc6 10.Bxc6 Ba6 11.Bxa8

11.Qxd5 Bxf1 (11...Qxd5 12.Bxd5 Rad8 13.c4 favored White in Chigorin-Charousek, Budapest 1891) 12.Qxe4 Bb5! 13.Nc3 Bxc6 14.Qxc6 Bd4 and particularly in context of Black's lead in development, White's pawns are not worth the lost exchange. Batanjac-Vujosevic, Yugoslav Champ. 1996.

11...Bxf1 12.Kxf1

This unbooked move looks reasonable, and it may be the best move in the position.

12.Qxd5? Bc4; 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Bxg2 (13...Qg5 14.Kxf1 Qxe3 15.Qe2 Qf4+ was Dufresne-Anderssen, 1st Match Game, Rotterdam 1861) 14.Qg4 Bh3 15.Qxh3 Qg5+ 16.Kf1 Rxa8 and Black was winning in Hermann-Keres, postal 1936.

12.Qxf1? Bxf2+ 13.Kh1 Qh4.

12...Qh4 13.Qf3 Rxa8 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.bxc3

Position after 15. bxc3

Played with the following cute idea.

16.Qxd5 Re8

Indirectly defending the bishop. Black has the advantage based on his better development, better pawns, and more secure king.

17.Bb2 Rxe5 18.Qa8+ Bf8 19.g3 Rf5

This move took some thought. In spite of Black's awkwardness on his back rank, it seems best to claw away at White's king.

20.Qg2 Qh6

The conservative choice would have been 20...Qxg2+ with an advantageous ending, but I decided to try to exploit White's trouble with his king.

As it turned out, White could not find a solution to the resulting problems.