2007 MCA Class Championships (1), 13.01.2007
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation [B80]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6
This is the Scheveningen Variation of the Sicilian Defense. I had recently decided to stop playing the Keres Attack because I had not been scoring well with it, but I hadn't found time to learn another line yet.
6.Be3 Be7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 a6 9.Bc4
Typically this bishop is placed on d3, but on c4 the bishop will have to retreat after Qc7.
9...0-0 10.0-0-0 Qc7
In typical Sicilian fashion kings are castled on opposite sides of the board. Black typically attacks with queenside pawns, meanwhile white attacks with a kingside pawn storm.
11.Bb3 b5 12.g4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Nd7 14.h4 Nc5 15.g5 Bb7 16.h5 Nxb3+ 17.axb3 Rac8 18.Rdg1
White needs to tear open a line on the kingside and should probably wait to bring the second rook to the kingside. Playing h6 forces g6, which weakens the dark squares around the black king. Then Bf6 practically forces black to trade bishops and allows white to open the g-file with gxf6.
18...e5 19.Be3 d5
Threatening a pawn fork on d4.
20.exd5
Nxd5 was correct here, and white maintains a slight edge.
20...Bb4
This is the move that white overlooked. The c3 knight is attacked 3 times now, but defended only twice.
21.Kb1
White really doesn't have time for this. The best defense to your opponent's attack is frequently counterattack. Therefore, g6 is correct, as it forces open lines in front of the black king. White would then have compensation for his pawn defecit. 21...Bxc3 22.bxc3 Qxc3
White is about to go down a pawn. Therefore, I followed the axiom of not trading pieces when behind, and thereby chose to keep the queens on the board. 23.Rh2 Bxd5 24.Qxd5 Qxe3 25.Rhg2 Rfd8 26.Qb7
White is still trying to find ways to keep the queens on the board in hopes for finding drawing chances.
26...Rb8 27.Qc6 Rdc8 28.Qd6 Qxf3 29.Qxe5 Re8
Black determined that taking the h5 pawn was dangerous while the white queen was on the b8-h2 diagonal, as Rh2 and Rgh1 might come next.
30.Qd6 Rbd8 31.Qc7 Rc8
Qxh5 winning another pawn or Rd1+ followed by a rook trade or Qxh5 are both preferable here.
32.Qh2 a5 33.g6 fxg6 34.hxg6 h6 35.Rf2 Qe4 36.Qd6 a4 37.Qd7 axb3 38.Qf7+ Kh8 39.Qxb3 Re6 40.Rgf1 Rxg6
Qxg6 and black is two pawns up with every chance of winning. Black was under 10 minutes left on his clock when he played this horrible blunder.
41.Rf8+ Rxf8 42.Rxf8+ 1-0
