1. e2e4  1... c7c6  2. d2d4  2... d7d5  3. e4e5  3... c8f5  4. h2h4 This is a very popular system against the Caro-Kann these days. 4... h7h5 This is the best answer, stopping the advance of the white pawns. 5. f1d3  5... f5d3  6. d1d3  6... d8a5  7. b1d2  7... e7e6  8. g1f3  8... g8h6  9. e1g1  9... h6f5 It's necessary to improve White's game in the next moves, since Black will manage to solve all the opening problems. 10. c2c4 [%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 10... f8e7 That's the problem: now White has to waste time defending the h4-pawn. 11. g2g3  11... e8g8  12. b2b3 [%c_effect b3;square;b3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] It's better to prepare the advance b4 to hinder the move c6-c5, as we will see in the game. 12... f8d8  13. f1d1  13... c6c5 This is a dream position for Black after the opening. This is a pawn structure that we often see in the French Defense, with the difference that here the light-squared bishop has already been exchanged. 14. d4c5 [%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] A new move, but this makes things worse. 14... a5c5 [%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;keyPressed;undefined;persistent;true] 15. d2f1 [%c_effect f1;square;f1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 15... d5c4 [%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] Stepanencu cannot resist the temptation to gain material, but this is a conceptually bad decision. It's clear that White has compensation for the queen after the forced sacrifice, but not only that: now the character of the game changes and chaos reigns on the board, with black's king in great danger. This could be avoided with the natural 15...Nc6, which would conserve a positional advantage without risk. 16. d3d8 This is a consequence of White's last move. 16... e7d8  17. d1d8  17... g8h7 White has rook and bishop against queen and pawn. The compensation is clear, as the knight on b8 is pinned and the black king is in danger. Objectively neither side has the advantage (at least that's what the computer believes), but in practice, I prefer to play with White here. 18. f1e3 [%c_effect e3;square;e3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] 18... c5a5 [%c_effect a5;square;a5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Threatening the rook on d8 and preparing to capture on b3. 19. f3g5  19... h7g6  20. e3g2 [%c_effect g2;square;g2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] A brilliant and desperate resource. 20... f5g3 [%c_effect g3;square;g3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A smart move. Too smart, to be honest. Black needs to release the f5-square to the king, but there's a better way to do this. 21. g2f4  21... g6f5  22. g5f7 [%c_effect f7;square;f7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] What a crazy position $1 22... a5c3  23. g1g2 [%c_effect g2;square;g2;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] I have a peculiar taste. In the midst of so many spectacular sacrifices, for me this is the best move of the game. A delicate king move, ignoring attacked pieces. 23... g3e4  24. d8f8  24... f5g4 [%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This move loses spectacularly. 25. c1e3 Not bad, but there's an even better solution that seems to be taken straight from a composition. 25... e4f2 A desperate attempt. to avoid the inevitable. 26. f4d5 [%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Another wonderful move. Again the idea is to release the f4-square for the rook. 26... c3a1  27. f7h6 [%c_effect h6;square;h6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] 27... g4h4  28. e3f2  28... h4g5  29. f2e3  29... g5g6  30. d5e7  30... g6h7  31. h6f7  31... b8c6  32. f7g5 