[Event "taimanov sicilian: illustrative game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/NZY0Tufw/K45PLMsu"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B47"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/realhercules"] [UTCDate "2020.06.14"] [UTCTime "03:32:03"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/NZY0Tufw/K45PLMsu"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. Na4 Be7 10. c4 Nxe4 11. c5 O-O 12. Rc1 Rb8 { A prophylactic move. The white knight may well be heading to b6, so the rook makes sure it won't be attacked when the knight gets there. } 13. g3 { Supporting a possible Bf4. } 13... Kh8 { Black tucks his king into safety. Complications arise after 13...f5 14 Bf4 e5 15 Nxf5! exf4 16 Qd5+ Kh8 17 Nxe7 Nxe7 18 Qxe4 d5 19 cxd6 Qxd6, although this final position looks pretty equal. } 14. Bf3 f5 { Supporting the attacked knight. The other option was to retreat with 14...Nf6, although in this case Black would remain very passive. } 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. Qc2? { After this move Black is able to break out of his bind. 16 Qg4!?, as suggested by Agnos, may be stronger. White will be able to round up Black's extra e4-pawn and 16...e5 can be answered by 17 Nf5!. } 16... e5 17. Nb3 { 17 Nxc6 dxc6! suddenly frees Black's c8-bishop. Mter 18 Qxe4 Bf5 19 Qb4 Bh3 20 Rfe1 Qd7 Black plans ...Qf5-f3. } 17... d5 { Black must free his position. } 18. cxd6 Qxd6 19. Bc5 Qf6 20. Qe2 { 20 Bxe7 Nxe7 21 Qxe4? loses material after 21...Bh3! } 20... Bh3 21. Rfe1 Nd4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Bxe7 Qxe7 24. Qxe4 Qf7! { White has finally won his pawn back but the position has been blown open. The light squares around White's own king are particularly weak and in the long run this proves to be decisive. } 25. f4 Qxa2 26. Qxd4 Rbd8 27. Qb4 Qd5 28. Rc2 Rfe8! 29. Rce2 Re3!! { The beginning of a marvellous mating idea } 30. Nc3 { Of course the rook cannot be taken: 30 Rxe3 allows 30...Qg2 mate. } 30... Qf3 31. Qc4 Rd2!! { Now 32 Rxd2 Rxe1+ wins, but Black's last move also contained a devastating threat! } 32. Qc5 Qg2+ { White resigns } *