1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7

Goletiani normally plays 6... Bb4 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. a3 Bc5 9. Nb3 Ba7 10. O-O d6 11. Kh1 e5 12. Qf3 h6 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nd4 15. Nxd4 Bxd4 16. Qg3 g5 17. Be3 Bxe3 18. fxe3 O-O 19. Rf2 Qe7 20. Raf1 f6 21. e4 Bd7 22. Qe3 b5 23. cxb5 Bxb5 24. Bxb5 axb5 25. Rc2 Rac8 26. Rc6 Rxc6 27. dxc6 Rc8 28. Qb3+ Kg7 29. Qxb5 Qc7 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Qe2 Rb6 32. Qc2 Rb5 33. b4 d5 34. Qd3 1-0 Shabalov,A (2593)-Goletiani, R (2332)/Philadelphia 2005

7. a3

Preventing the bishop from pinning the knight.

7... Nc6 8. Be2 Ne5

A very rare continuation. Serbian GM Ilan Miladinovic has had good results by trading the knights and putting his bishop on the e5 square 8... Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Bd6 10. Bg5 Be5 11. Qe3 h6 12. Bh4 b5 13. cxb5 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Nxe4 15. Bf3 f5 16. Bxe4 fxe4 17. b6 Qc6 18. O-O O-O 19. Rfd1 d5 20. c4 dxc4 21. Bg3 Bb7 22. Rd6 Qe8 23. Qd4 Rc8 24. Rd7 Rf7 25. Rxf7 Qxf7 26. Rc1 Kh7 27. Be5 Qe7 28. h3 Qg5 29. Rc2 Rd8 30. Bd6 e3 31. f4 Qg6 0-1 Kovacevic,A (2535)-Miladinovic,I (2607)/Pancevo 2006

9. Be3 h5 10. h3 Ng6 11. Qd2 b6 12. f4 e5?!

The simple 12... Bb7 seems more natural.

13. fxe5 Qxe5 14. O-O-O! Bc5 15. Nf5

15. b4 Be7 16. Nf3 Qe6 17. e5! Nh7 (17... Nxe5 18. Nxe5! Qxe5 19. Bf4 Qf5 20. Bd3 Qe6 21. Rhe1 Qc6 22. Qe3) 18. Nd5 Bd8 19. Bd3 intending Qc2.

15... Bxe3 16. Qxe3 O-O 17. g4

17. Nd5! Nxe4 18. Rd4! Qxf5 (18... Nf6 19. Qxe5 Nxe5 20. Nxb6) 19. Rxe4 threatening both Rf1 and Nxb6.

17... Nf4 18. gxh5 d5?!

Better was 18... Nxe2+ 19. Qxe2 d5! 20. cxd5 Bxf5 21. exf5 Qxf5

19. Ne7+! Qxe7 20. Qxf4 dxe4 21. Rhg1 Kh7 22. Qg5 Rg8 23. Nxe4!

After this white is totally winning.

23... Bb7

23... Nxe4?? 24. Qxe7

23... Qxe4?? 24. Bd3

24. Nxf6+ Qxf6 25. Bd3+ Kh8 26. Qxf6 gxf6 27. h6 Bg2? 28. h7 Rg7 29. Rxg2!

A simple but very effective tactic.

29... Rxg2 30. Be4 Rc8 31. Bxg2 Rxc4+ 32. Kb1 Kxh7 33. Rd6 b5 34. Rxf6 b4 35. axb4 Kg7 36. Rxf7+ 1-0 [Bird C.]