[Event "World Youth Championships 2023"] [Site "Montesilvano"] [Date "2023.11.14"] [Round "2"] [White "Carrizo, Luciano Ariel"] [Black "Zhao, Erick"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2176"] [BlackElo "2340"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B92"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation"] [StudyName "2023 World Youth"] [ChapterName "Carrizo, Luciano Ariel - Zhao, Erick"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/eisyxdYL/hxxGjvzc"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 { This idea of playing Nc3-d5 and e4xd5 against the Najdorf is done to argue that the queenside pawns can provide enough problems to prevent Black from ever activating their kingside majority. These positions might not be as overtly attacking as the opposite-side castling variations, but they are very strategic and require lots of calculation. Basically, White either gets rolling with c4-c5 or they have to wait until Black finds the right time for ...f7-f5 and ...e5-e4 in order to place a knight on e5 and enjoy the initiative. } 10... Bf5 11. Qd2 Nd7 12. Na5 Qc7 13. c4 O-O 14. O-O Bg6 15. b4 f5 16. f4 exf4?! (16... Bf6 17. Rac1 exf4 (17... b6 18. Nb3 Rfe8 19. Kh1 a5 20. bxa5 bxa5 21. c5! a4 22. cxd6 Qxd6 23. Nc5 (23. Rc6 $16) 23... exf4 24. Bxf4 Be5 25. Ne6 Bxf4 26. Nxf4 { and Black went on to win on move 50 in Fiedorek – Olsen, Pardubice, 2021. }) 18. Bxf4 Be5 19. c5! Bxf4 20. Qxf4 Rae8 21. Bf3 Ne5 22. Nc4 Nxc4 23. Qxc4 $16 { and White won in 41 moves in Harsha – Kilic, Novi Sad, 2022. }) 17. Bxf4 Nf6 18. c5 $146 { White has never tried this move right away before, but it makes sense. } (18. Rac1 Ne4 19. Qe3 Qd7 20. Rfd1? (20. c5! $16) 20... Rfe8 21. Bf3 Bh4 22. Bxe4 Rxe4 23. Qf3 Qe8 (23... Rae8 $17) 24. Rf1 Qd8 25. Kh1 Qb6 26. a3 Rae8 27. c5 dxc5 28. Nc4 Qd8 29. bxc5 Rxf4 30. Qxf4 Bg5 31. Qd6!? { when White managed to wrangle control of the endgame in Sukandar – Tay, Kolkata, 2009. }) (18. Bf3 { might be the strongest move. } 18... Ne4 19. Bxe4 fxe4 20. c5 Qd7 21. c6!? (21. Nc4 Rae8 22. Nxd6 $16) 21... bxc6 22. Nxc6 Bf6 (22... Rf5!) 23. Rad1 Rfe8 24. a4 Bf7 25. Be3 $16 { and White won in only nine more moves in Galkin – Baklan, Metz, 2000. }) 18... Ne4 19. Qe3 Bf6 20. Rac1 Qf7 21. cxd6 Bd8 { White had a number of fantastic resources here, including } 22. Nb3?! (22. Rc7! Qf6 (22... Bxc7 23. dxc7 Rfc8 24. d6 $18) 23. Nxb7 $18 { or }) (22. Nc6! bxc6 23. dxc6 $18) 22... Re8 23. Qf3 Bb6+ 24. Kh1 Rac8 25. h3 Red8 26. Kh2 Qxd5 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Rd1 Qe6 29. d7 Rd8 30. Nc5 Bxc5 31. bxc5 Bf7 32. Bc4 Qe7 (32... Qxc4 33. Bc7 Nxc5 34. Bxd8 Be6 35. Bb6 Nxd7 36. Qxb7 $18) 33. Bxa6?? { The idea of connecting the pawns should be crushing if Black captures, but what if he ignores the bishop and takes the pawn? White had a winning move here, but the idea is pretty deep, to put it mildly. } (33. Qb3! Nxc5 (33... Bxc4 34. Qxc4+ Qf7 35. Qxf7+ Kxf7 36. Bc7 $18) 34. Bxf7+ Qxf7 35. Qb6 Rxd7 { is probably why White thought there was nothing here, but apaparently he has the spectacular } (35... Qe7 36. Bd6 $18) (35... Ne6 36. Rd6 $18) 36. Qd8+!! Rxd8 (36... Qf8 37. Rxd7 $18) 37. Rxd8+ Qf8 38. Rxf8+ Kxf8 39. Bd6+ $18) 33... Rxd7 { now, Black draws. } 34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Be2 Bxa2 36. Qa3 Be6 37. Bf3 h6 38. Qb4 Qd5 39. Qb5 Kh7 40. Qe8 Bd7 41. Qe7 Be6 42. Qe8 Bf7 43. Qe7 Kg8 44. Bd6 Qe6 45. Qxe6 Bxe6 46. Bxe4 fxe4 47. Bf4 Kf7 48. h4 Bc4 49. Kg1 Kg6 50. Kf2 Kh5 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2