2005-2006 Metro Chess League
All the King's Men, Warren, 1.27.2006
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Nc6 8.e5
Aaron said that Nxc6 is the main line here, but I was following a sideline played by Nunn vs. Gormally in 1998.
8...h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.fxg5 Nd5 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.exd6
Here Nunn played e6 and deemed the position unclear. Fritz seems to think exd6 is best though.
12...Bxd6 13.Qd2
This is playable, but white yields the initiative. White keeps the initiative with 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Qd4 or 13. Qe2+ Kd7 14. O-O-O.
13...Qe7+
14.Be2 Qe4 15.Nf3
Notice how white's moves are all reactions to black. This is a clear indication that black now has the intiative. White yielded the initiative on move 13, and a strong player will not give it back.
15...Bg4
Bf4 maintains the pressure and keep white on the run.
16.Bg3
White is ahead a pawn and if he can neutralize the threat of the black attack, then he can settle in for a decent endgame. Here white offers to exchange dark-squared bishops. This is a product of black's inaccuracy on the previous move. If black chooses not to exchange, then he will have to relinquish the b8-h2 siagonal. 16...Bc5 17.Kd1
White seems to have time to play gxh6 here. The line would continue Be3 Qc3 Rxh6 and white would remain up a pawn.
17...Be3 18.Qd3 0-0-0 19.gxh6 f5 20.Re1 Rxh6 21.Nd2?
This is probably not losing all by itself, but it definitely is not a good move. At the table I also considered h3. After h3 Bh5, the move Nd2 looks a lot better. 21...Qxd3 22.cxd3 Bxe2+ 23.Rxe2 f4 24.Be1?
Bf2 is preferable because the rook is trapped on e2.
24...Nd4 25.Rc1+ Kb8 26.Rxe3
Unfortunately the sacrifice exchange is about the only playable move here.
26...fxe3 27.Bg3+ Ka8 28.Nf3 Nxf3 29.gxf3 d4
Excellent position for black with the passed pawn now being connected. 30.Be5 I gave this move 5 minutes, yet I still had close to 30 minutes left on my clock after playing this move. I probably should have taken more time here to come up with a more active plan.
30...Rd5 31.Rc8+ Ka7 32.Bg3 Rc6 33.Rxc6 bxc6 34.h4 Kb6 35.Bb8 Rh5 36.Bg3
Time after time white moves this bishop back and forth from and to g3 losing tempo. 36...Rf5 37.Ke2 Ra5
Meanwhile, black makes progress.
38.a3 Rb5
The rook is creating weaknesses in the white camp that neither the king nor the bishop will have time to guard.
39.b4 Rh5 40.f4 c5 41.Kf3 Rh8 42.f5
White has to try and get something going.
42...Re8 43.Be1
This really wasn't necessary. On the other hand h5 gives black something to think about.
43...c4 44.dxc4 d3 45.Bc3 d2 46.Ke2 Rd8 47.Bxd2 exd2 48.Kd1
Not much left for white to do. The black rook will quickly devour the isolated kingside pawns and then concentrate on the queenside pawns.
48...Rf8 49.Kxd2 Rxf5 50.Kc3 Rh5 51.c5+ Kc6 52.Kb3 Rxh4 53.Ka4??
Ending the game quickly.
53...Rh3 0-1
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