(;SiZe[8] PW[Fabio Dulcich] PB[Paul Yearout] GaMe[9] GN[Yearout-Dulcich] GC[Yearout-Dulcich] C[This game is from the AISE (Italian Association of Chess Variants) tournament of Grand Prix, 1993. Published also in Eteroscacco: the AISE bulletin. This commentary originally appeared in NostAlgia #356, p33. Reproduced with permission. ] ;B[b1-b3] ;W[h3-e3] ;B[b3- e3] C[The "Yearout Counterattack"] ;W[a3-c1] C[It is not usually a good idea in the opening to capture pieces on the edge, but this has the merit of threatening h6:e3] ;B[e3-b6] C[?!] ;W[a2-c4] ;B[c8-c5] ;W[a7-c7] C[!] ;B[d1-b3] C[There is no good move to protect c5, so Black chooses to develop elsewhere] ;W[c1-c5] ;B[b8-b5] C[Clearly, Black hopes to separate the units on a4, a5 and a6] ;W[h5-d5] C[Prevents g8-d5, which would severely reinforce the b file] ;B[f1-f3] ;W[d5-f3] C[White removes this unit from its own group, but it was simply necessary to prevent f3:d5, which would threaten g8:c4] ;B[e1-e3] C[threatening g1:c5] ;W[a4-d4] ;B[e8-e6] C[threatening g8:c4] ;W[h7-f7] ;B[d8-d6] C[Paul is persistent: this threatens f8:c5 and d6:d4] ;W[a5-b4] C[d4:d6 would be bad because of g1:c5] ;B[g1-g3] ;W[d4-d6] C[Deciding to capture an annoying piece, and also preventing g3:c7] ;B[g8-g6] ;W[h6-f4] ;B[g6-f5] ;W[c5-f5] C[!? The threat to c5 could also have been met by a6-a5, but White thought it best to rid himself of another nuisance] ;B[b3-f3] ;W[h4-d4] ;B[e3-e5] ;W[c7-c5] C[Black's lesser number of pieces is starting to make its disadvantage felt. It is not true that having fewer pieces makes connection easier; in fact, having more units can mean more possibilities and more threats!] ;B[g3-e3] ;W[f5-e4] C[Thus White completes his subtle blockade on the fourth rank to separate the dark forces; however, it is a rather fragile barrier and will require constant attention] ;B[f8-e8] ;W[h2-g2] ;B[e3-g3] C[Prevents g2-g3, and makes a first attempt to breach the blockade with e8:e4] ;W[b4-e7] ;B[g3-g5] C[Attacking e7 and c5] ;W[g2-g4] ;B[g5-c5] ;W[g4-e6] ;B[e8-c6] ;W[e6-d7] C[Hoping to play f7-d5] ;B[b5-b3] ;W[c4-g4] ;B[f3-d3] ;W[a6-c4] C[! After e4:c6, 24.d3e4+ White would have lost quickly] ;B[c6-e4] C[The barrier could not last forever, but it has usefully distracted Black] ;W[d7-c6] ;B[d3-f3] C[c6 cannot be taken: W\[e4:c6\]? B\[f7-f5\]+ W\[e5-b5\] B\[f5:c5\]++ W\[b5-b2\] B\[e7-e6\]++] ;W[d6-g6] C[The decisive move, threatening both g6:e4 and e7:c5] ;B[f3-c6] ;W[e7-c5] ;B[b3-b5] ;W[c4-e6] C[There is still no threat to connect on the next move in this final position, but Fabio presented a lengthy scholarly analysis to prove that ALL of his opponent' s moves lose! Black Resigns. Congratulations to Fabio and Paul for a keenly contested and fascinating game.] ;C[\[comments by ddyer\] I used LOAW to search the continuations beyond this point, and found a forced win for white in 3 moves. The best line is: E4:G6 F7-D5 G6-F5 G4-F3 F5-E4 F4-E3 ] )