Conquest,S (2490) - Ristic,N (2370)
European Club Ch.
[Conquest,S]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Cd2 dxe4 4.Cxe4 Cf6 5.Cxf6+ exf6 6.c3 Fd6 7.Fd3
As Black I have played 7...Fe6 here, which I believe is more flexible than the text.
7...0-0 8.Dc2 Te8+ 9.Ce2 h6
Or 9...g6 10.h4.
10.0-0 Dc7 11.Cg3 Cd7 12.Fd2
To meet 12...c5 with 13.Tae1, when Black has no time to connect his rooks.
12...Cf8 13.f4!?
In some sense quite an "ugly" move, but there is also plenty of logic behind it: Ce6-f4 is prevented (see game), and White seizes extra space on the kingsside.
13...Ce6 14.Ch5 Cf8?
The only move with any purpose here was 14...c5, and after 15.f5 (15.dxc5? Dxc5+ wins the knight) only then 15...Cf8. It is vital for Black to achieve some kind of settlement in the centre; a passed pawn on d5 is easily blockaded, and will only be a major liability for Black as an ending approaches.
15.h3 c5 16.Tf3!
Black's time-wasting has allowed White to organise a powerful attack on his king.
16...c4 17.Tg3!
It is not surprising that this sacrifice is possible, although after a simple move like 17.Fe4 it is hard to see how Black will defend. 17...cxd3 18.Txg7+ Rh8
Here I was originally intending just 19.Dxd3, but, as it turns out, the variations after that move are far from clear.
 

19.Cxf6!!
[19.Dxd3 Fe6! 20.f5 (20.Dg3 Cg6) 20...Fc4 21.Fxh6!! I had seen this beautiful idea when I played 17.Tg3!, which almost convinced me to try 19.Dxd3; however, as with many of the prettiest variations, the refutation lies in not accepting the material. 21...Cd7! (21...Fxd3? 22.Cxf6! and Black will be mated on g8 or h7. A nice position!) 22.Df3 Or 22.Dd2 Te2. The White Queen cannot reach the war zone. 22...Fe2 23.Df2 Fxh5 24.Dh4 Tg8!? 25.Txf7 Txg2+!]
19...Rxg7
Anything else is mate.
20.Cxe8+ Rg8 21.Cxc7 dxc2 22.Cxa8
The white knight has completed its elegant tour: h5xf6xe8xc7xa8. White is an Exchange and two pawns up, and if Black plays to win the trapped Ca8 with ...b6 (...b5 will be met by a2-a4!) then after Tc1xc2 and Cxb6 White will have rook and four pawns for two bishops: a crushing advantage. Instead, Black hangs on to c2, but this means that the Ca8 stays very much alive too.
22...Cg6 23.g3!?
Very likely not the most precise. I considered that the h3 pawn was not a priority here.
23...Fxh3 24.a4!
The mission to reach the knight on a8 is similar to the plot of Steven Spielberg's "Searching For Private Ryan."
24...Fe6 25.a5 Fd5 26.Rf2 f5 27.Tc1 Fb3 28.c4! h5 29.c5 Fb8 30.a6 Ce7 31.axb7 Rf7 32.Fa5 Cd5 33.c6 Cxf4
A last salvo.
34.gxf4 Fxf4 35.Txc2

1-0
 

Conquest,S (2490) - Mariotti,S (2470)
European Club Ch.
[Conquest,S]

1.d4 Cf6 2.Cf3 d6 3.Cc3!? Cbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Fc4 h6?
Obviously Mariotti is not too sure of himself in this opening. Anyone who plays the Philidor regularly knows that 5...Fe7 is the move here, since the variations beginning 6.Fxf7 Rxf7 7.Cg5 are not too promising for White.
6.0-0 Fe7 7.a4 a5 8.De2 c6 9.Td1 Dc7 10.Fa2! 0-0
[10...Cf8 11.Dc4! Fe6 12.d5; 10...Cb6!?]
11.Ch4!
Exploiting the weaknesses created by Black's fifth move. With the pawn back on h7 he could play 11...g6 here.
11...exd4 12.Txd4
Here Mariotti wrote down 12...Te8 on his scoresheet, hung his hand over his rook, then apparently saw something and took his hand back. I tried to look unconcerned and started analysing the correct 12...Ce5. Some ten or fifteen minutes later, to my great surprise, his hand returned to the f8 square. [12.Cg6 dxc3 13.Cxe7+ Rh8 14.Cf5 d5! 15.exd5 cxd5÷]
12...Te8?
 

13.Fxf7+!!
The previous day, versus Ristic, I had sacrificed the same piece.
13...Rxf7 14.Dc4+ d5
[14...Rf8 15.Cg6#]
15.Cxd5!
[15.exd5? Cb6]
15...cxd5?
The only real defence was 15...Ce5 16.Cxc7 Cxc4, when White has many ways to keep a huge advantage. At least if 17.Txc4 Td8! hangs on a bit. [15...Cxd5 16.Txd5! cxd5 (16...Cb6 17.Tf5#) 17.Dxd5+! Rf6 (17...Rf8 18.Cg6#) 18.Df5#]
16.Dxc7 Fc5 17.Fe3
[17.Td1 Cxe4 18.Fe3?? Fd6-+]
17...Fxd4 18.Fxd4 Txe4 19.Fxf6

1-0