[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/NPVO0rIU"] [Date "2018.02.28"] [Round "-"] [White "yago666"] [Black "PGSankar"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2018"] [BlackElo "1906"] [TimeControl "2700+45"] [Termination "Normal"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B54"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/5wYcdjXQ/S58XREf0"] [Orientation "white"] { Sicilian Defense. A Lichess4545 mod shows us how it's done! White quickly gains a space advantage and presses it on the queenside. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 { White plays a very strange move order that doesn't commit white to blocking his c-pawn. } { [%cal Gc2c4] } (5. Nc3 { has been played in 116k Master-level games. } { [%csl Rc3][%cal Rc2c4] }) 5... Nc6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 (7... d5 { is the preferred move. Because white hasn't played Nc3, this typical Sicilian break is now possible. } 8. Bg5 dxe4 9. Qxd8+ Nxd8 { Afek, Yochanan - Har Zvi, Ronen, 0-1, Czerniak Memorial, 1996, https://lichess.org/py7A6id5 }) 8. c4 { The Maroczy Bind, shutting down all hopes of black's d5. Typically, black espouses a Hedgehog position, while white tries his luck via a kingside attack. } { [%csl Gd5][%cal Gc4d5,Ge4d5] } 8... Be7 9. Nc3 a6 10. Be2 O-O 11. Qd2 Rc8 { Black threatens to win the c4-pawn after a move like Na5. } { [%csl Rc4][%cal Rc6a5] } (11... b5 { targets the c-pawn another way, but Stockfish figured out all the tactics for me. } 12. cxb5 axb5 13. Bxb5 Nb4 14. O-O d5 { , and black gets in his break and equalizes. }) (11... Nd7 { would have been my choice because it readies f5 and hopes to bring the knight to c5, where it helps hold down the queenside. } { [%cal Rf7f5,Rd7c5] } 12. Nd5 Nc5 { and black still has some dynamic potential with b5 and f5. } { [%cal Rb7b5,Rf7f5] }) 12. Nd5 { But our favorite mod shows us the way, and immediately occupies the weakest square on the board. } 12... Bxd5 { A really bad move. The knight definitely is annoying, but black is clearly worse after trading. This is one of those situations where black needs to forget about the opponent's ideas and work on his on. } (12... Nd7 { , again headed for c5, is my choice. } { [%cal Rf7f5] }) 13. cxd5 (13. exd5 { is an interesting try, but } 13... Nb8 14. Bd3 Ne8 { and it's not entirely clear if white is better than in the other case. }) 13... Nb8 14. O-O Nfd7 15. Rfc1 { Well... absolutely! What else? Instinctive moves are often best moves. It's not at all clear to me why this is the best move other than "rooks belong on open files, so it must be played". } (15. f4 { is another instinctive move, taking advantage of black's backward d-pawn by trying to gain space on the other side of the board, but } 15... exf4 16. Bxf4 Bf6 { trades, which helps black's cramped position. }) 15... Rxc1+ 16. Rxc1 f5 { Black finally gets his own plan going, but the dynamics of the position have already changed. Black suffers from a permanent spatial disadvantage on the queenside and in the center. } 17. Na5 { Hunting down weaknesses. White notices that the b7-pawn is undefended and goes for it at once. } { [%cal Ga5b7] } 17... f4 18. Bf2 b5 { Avoiding the loss of material, but gifting white a very weak square. } { [%csl Gc6] } 19. Nc6 { [%csl Gc6] } 19... Nxc6 20. dxc6 { Passed pawn! } (20. Rxc6 { is also good for white, but it's not a passed pawn! }) 20... Nc5 21. Qd5+ Kh8 22. b4 { Shoo-ing away the knight. } 22... Na4 23. c7 Qc8 24. Bd1 Nb6 25. Bxb6 { Black resigns. 1-0. It's not obvious where black went wrong, but it is obvious where white went right. Knowing typical ideas of the openings one plays can help one quickly locate strong and accurate moves. } 1-0