2006 Michigan Class Championship, 1.14.2006
Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack [B76]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.g4
This is the last book move. Black would usually play Rc8 here.
10...Nxd4
This move has been tried 56 times according to Chessbase. White has dominated the games by winning 58%, while only losing 21%. It is worth noting that this move does not seem to have ever been played in GM games. However, at the class level we mortals must still find our way through the maze of lines and tactics to convert an opponent's opening positional concession into a full point. Many have lost their way along this path, and this is why we play the games out.
11.Bxd4 Be6 12.h4 Qa5 13.Kb1
White removes the king from the half open c-file.
13...Rfc8 14.a3 Rab8 15.h5
White is looking to open a file on the kingside.
15...b5 16.hxg6 hxg6
Mission accomplished. File open.
17.Qg5
I thought that Qg5, pinning the b5 pawn would freeze the black counterattack, while training another piece on the black king. However, a bigger threat can be mounted by capturing the knight on f6 and threatening to briong the queen to the h-file. White also has the option of Nd5, which threatens Nxe7+, winning a pawn.
17...Rxc3
This seems like a dubious speculative sacrifice. Black has mating chances, but will need black's cooperation to get checkmate.
18.Bxc3
Accepting the exchange sacrifice is the only reasonable move white has.
18...Nxe4
This second sacrifice was black's point. Black gets a pawn back if white plays BxQ, since black has NxQ. White can continue to trade off minor pieces for a bit longer, but he must be wary. The defense around his king is thinning.
19.fxe4
White really had no choice but to capture the knight, unless he wanted to trade off queens. With black holding an edge in piece activity this seemed more dangerous to me, so I captured the knight.
19...Bxc3
20.Qxe7
If white had recaptured on c3, then 20. ... Qxa3
would have led to mate if 21. Qc1, then 21. ... Qa2#. Otherwise, 21. ... Ba2+ 22. Ka1 Bb3+ 23. Kb1 Qa2+ 24. Kc1 Qxc2#. Ultimately, white must part with substantial amounts of material to hold the game. Rh2 is answered by Rb6, with mating threats coming on the a-file.
20...b4 21.Qxd6 bxa3??
Throwing the game away. Be5 is the best move with white answering by playing Qa6. There is still a lot of chess to be played after this.
22.Qxb8+ 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment