Inspiring Sniper game

I witnessed this game on ICC today. GM TurkishStar gets the Sniper beatdown. Still, as great as this game was from Black's point of view, I still don't really believe in the soundness of this Sniper opening. Enjoy.

(1) TurkishStar (2619) - VIKID (2599) [B06]

ICC 5 0 Internet Chess Club, 07.08.2012

[Bill]

1.e4

[1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.dxc5 is one transposition. Black hopes for the Dzindzi Indian, but rarely gets it] 1...c5 [1...g6 2.d4 (2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 c5 4.dxc5) 2...Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.dxc5 another transposition, via a Sniper move order] 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.dxc5 Bxc3+ the common element to the Sniper/Dzindzi set ups 5.bxc3 Qa5 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.Qb4 but it's hard to really believe in Black's posiiton after this move 7...Qc7 8.Bd3 Nc6 [8...b6?! the key idea, but premature. Black should develop a piece first (at least) 9.cxb6 axb6 10.Be3 Na6 11.Bxb6 this looked ridiculous for Black in Pashikian-Istratescu, Turkey 2004, although Black managed to draw 11...Qc6 12.Qd4 d6 13.a4 0–0 14.a5 Nc5 15.Bxc5 dxc5 16.Qa4 Qc7 17.Nf3 Bd7 18.Qa2 Rfc8 19.Nd2 Qf4 20.g3 Qh6 21.Nc4 Be6 22.Qa4 Bxc4 23.Bxc4 Rd8 24.Bd3 Ng4 25.h4 Ne5 26.0–0 g5 27.Kg2 Qh5 28.hxg5 Qf3+ 29.Kg1 c4 30.Bxc4 Rd2 31.Qb4 e6 32.Bd3 Qh5 33.Kg2 Qf3+ 34.Kg1 Qh5 35.Kg2 Qf3+ drawn] 9.Qb5 probably a slight mistake [9.Qa4 Nd8 trying to regroup and attack the c5 pawn, but it seems Black will have to pitch a pawn eventually with ...b6 or ...d6 later anyway; 9.Qc4 Ne5 10.Qd4 b6 11.cxb6 axb6 12.Ne2 Nc6 13.Qe3 0–0 is suggested by GM Henley in Crushing White: The Sniper Volume 1. Black intends ...d5 next. The key question - is this line really playable for Black?] 9...Nxe4! Diagram

XABCDEFGHY
8r+l+k+-tr(
7zppwqpzpp+p'
6-+n+-+p+&
5+QzP-+-+-%
4-+-+n+-+$
3+-zPL+-+-#
2P+P+-zPPzP"
1tR-vL-mK-sNR!
xabcdefghy

nice tactic!10.Bxe4 Qe5 11.Qc4 f5 12.f3? [as neat as that was, White still seems better after 12.Nf3 Qxe4+ 13.Qxe4 fxe4 14.Ng5 b6 15.Nxe4 bxc5 16.Nxc5 d6 17.Nd3 Rb8 I suppose Black is sort-of OK here, but White blunders and we are still worse? A sign this opening just sucks] 12...b5 flashy but taking the piece straight away may be better 13.Qd3 fxe4 14.fxe4 Nb4! another neat manuever!! 15.cxb4 Qxa1 16.Ne2 Rf8 17.Qb3 [17.Qd5 Rb8 18.Rf1 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 Qg7] 17...Bb7 18.Kd2 Bxe4? [18...Qe5 escapes and keeps the material] 19.Nc3 Bf5 20.Re1 [20.Qd5 Rd8 21.Re1 staying active and keeping the queen boxed in] 20...Be6 21.Qa3 Rf6 22.Bb2 Rf2+ 23.Ne2 Qxa2 24.Qxa2 Bxa2 25.Ke3 Rxg2 26.Be5 Bc4 27.Nd4 a5 28.bxa5 Rxa5 29.c6 d6 30.Bg3 e5 31.Nf3 Bd5 32.c3 Ra3 33.Rc1 b4 34.c7 Kd7 35.Ne1 Rxg3+ 36.hxg3 Rxc3+ 37.Rxc3 bxc3 38.Kd3 Kxc7 39.Kxc3 Be4 40.Kd2 d5 41.Ke3 Kd6 42.Kf2 Ke6 43.Ke3 Kf5 44.Kf2 Kg4 White resigns. A nice takedown of a GM!! 0–1