Seeking a Creative Outlet

The BBC World Service doco, "Seeking the Endgame" was aired yesterday and for those who didn't hear it, you can listen to the podcast here. In it, we hear GM Ian Rogers say the following:

Well, for me it's an avenue for creativity. If on your day you can create a game that will be published around the world that people will look at and admire, I mean I haven't had too many days like that in my career, but one or two I've played a game where I'm really happy with and I know that its gonna make anthologies and be published around the world. I can't paint or write novels or anything like that so chess is for me an outlet like that.

GM Rogers is being a bit too modest, of course, for I'm sure he's produced many a masterpiece over the years. Who can forget this, for instance?

1992 Manila Olympiad
Rogers, Ian
Milos, Gilberto
A41

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Bg4 4. e4 e6 5. h3 Bh5 6. Qe2 c6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. h4 h6 11. O-O-O Nd7 12. Kb1 Qc7 13. Rg1 h5 14. g5 Be7 15. d5 e5 16. Bh3 O-O-O 17. Nd2 Kb8 18. Nc4 Nb6 19. Nxb6 Qxb6 20. Rd3 Ka8 21. a3 Rdf8 22. Bf5 Bh7 23. Rgd1 g6 24. dxc6 bxc6 25. Bd7 Qc7

Position after 25...Qc7

26. Bxc6+ The second time this bishop forsakes itself. The first time it was turned down, but now Milos has no choice. 26...Qxc6 27. Nd5 Bd8 28. Rc3 Qb7 29. Rb3 Qc6 30. Rdd3 Ba5 31. Rdc3 Bxc3 32. Qa6 1-0 Because 32...Qxa6 33. Nc7#

Actually, there's an interesting side story to this one. The game was in contention for the brilliancy prize that Kasparov ultimately won for his victory in Kasparov - Nikolic. If you pull up that game in Chessbase, it's hard not to agree that Kasparov deserved the prize. Problem was Kasparov himself was a judge! And, if you believe the chatter on chessgames.com about this little controversy, there may have been some other shenanigans going on, too.