Move

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. c4 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Ng4 8. Qxg4 Nxd4 9. Qd1 e5
   I spent the morning preparing this line. I don't think that my opening choice was wrong - Shabalov just played better than me in this game, which can happen in any opening.
10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O d6 12. a4 a6
   Previously Black tried 12...Be6 13 Nb5 a6 14 Nxd4 exd4 15 Bd2 Rc8, but after 16 b3 f5 17 exf5 Bxf5 18 Qf3 White was better in Spraggett-Garcia Blanco, 1992.
13. a5 Be6 14. Qa4!? Rc8
   I did not want to move this rook, as it disables me to play ...b6 (b5) later. However, I could not find any particularly useful move. Perhaps, I had to play 14...f5, though White is better after 15 exf5!? Nxf5 16 Bb6. I also thought of something like 14...b5, but I did not like the positions after 15 axb6 Qxb6 16 b4, where White can improve his position.
15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. cxd5 Rc5
   Played to provoke b2-b4, which would have taken away the b4-square from the white queen, reducing White's chances on the queenside. I could not find anything better than this idea then and still cannot do it now.
17. Rfc1 Qe7 18. Rxc5!
    Brilliant judgement! White needs to create a target on c5, as well as to weaken the e5-pawn.
dxc5 19. Rc1 Rd8 20. Qc4 Bf8 21. f4! Qf6 22. b4!
   White systematically weakens the d4-knight. White's pressure is very unpleasant here and I failed to find any counter-play.
exf4 23. Rf1 b5 24. axb6 Qxb6 25. Bxf4
    Even better was 25 Rxf4! Bh6 26 bxc5 Qb8 27 d6 Bxf4 28 Bxf4.
Qxb4 26. Qxa6 Nb3??
   A really stupid move. I had to play 26...Bg7, although Black's position would remain very difficult.
27. Be5 Be7 28. Qa7 c4 29. d6 Re8 30. Qd7 Qb6+ 31. Kh1 Qd8 32. Bxc4
   Time: 1.40 - 1.54 Fine game by Shabalov!
1-0