[Event "mn8's Study: mn - ZZY"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/gu6Rq3NW/3tQOQRwS"] [Date "2018.??.??"] [Round "4"] [White "mn"] [Black "ZZY"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2211"] [BlackElo "2462"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/mn8"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gu6Rq3NW/3tQOQRwS"] [Orientation "white"] { This game, I think, is relatively typical. Lower-rated player spots a sacrificial possibility, and spends much of his clock time enthralled by the possibilities. Higher rated player, in return, barely thinks about accepting the sacrifice, and pragmatically declines/returns it. This takes much of the wind out of the former's sails, who now, rather than having any of their calculations materialize, now has to play a relatively simplified, more or less equal position. Somewhat disappointed, and with less clock time, they play sort of badly, and then are ground down in an ending. Yep. Sad but true. Anyway, here's a testament to my naivety. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 { Okay, okay, okay, I know. But I wasn't particularly prepared to go into an Open Sicilian at this point in time, plus I think the c3 Sicilian has somewhat more bite when Black has committed to ...e6. } 3... d5 (3... Nf6 { is the other major option. }) 4. exd5 Qxd5 (4... exd5 { is also viable, often leading to positions more reminiscient of a French Tarrasch, which, luckily, I also play with White. } 5. d4) 5. d4 Nf6 6. a3!? { This looks like a bit of a mysterious move, but it has a very specific point: to stop ...Bb4(+) in a certain line. Now, as I was vaguely aware of at the time of the game, and more acutely aware of now, this whole line with 6 a3!? is a bit of a bluff. I'll explain what I mean below: } (6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bd3 b6 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 Ba6 { is the line White is trying to avoid with the text move. }) 6... Nc6 7. Be3 { Okay, so traditionally in the c3 Sicilian, Be3 tends to force, or at very least compel Black to take on d4, due the (perceived?) threat of dxc5. This, in turn, after White replies cxd4, will free the c3 square for the b1 Knight. However, given the tempo White has "wasted" on a2-a3, Black is actually under no obligation to respond to this threat. } 7... cxd4 { Exceedingly natural, but actually slightly compliant. } (7... Be7!? { The argument is that 8 dxc5 now gives Black compensation, and White's position makes less sense if his Knight is unable to go to c3. } 8. Bd3 (8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Ng4 10. b4 { [1-0 (42) Dovzik,J (2386)-Helbich,J (2233) Slovakia 2000], and now my computer wants to go } 10... a5 $13) (8. Be2!? { was recommended by Sam Collins on his "Killer c3 Sicilian" DVD, with the idea that White is now planning dxc5, at a moment when ...Qxd1+ can be answered with Bxd1. This makes sense, but after } 8... cxd4 9. cxd4 O-O { , Black can argue that he has a slightly superior version of the main line, given that White's Bishop would probably rather be on d3. }) 8... O-O 9. O-O Rd8 10. Qe2 b6 11. Rd1 Bb7) 8. cxd4 { Now, White's Knight is able to go to c3, kicking the Queen back, and standing actively. The problem is, this is more or less what White was hoping would happen, and Black played slightly compliantly to allow it to happen, and yet still White shouldn't really have any advantage. } 8... Be7 9. Nc3 Qd6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O b6 { While 6 a3!? is a relatively uncommon move order, we have now transposed to a position that has been played 700+ times in ChessBase's online database. The move a2-a3 is not purely prophylactic (although preventing ...Nb4-d5 can be helpful), as we'll see later. } 12. Rc1 Bb7 { Both sides have developed rather normally over the last few moves, and we've reached a standard IQP position. } 13. Bb1 { A fairly standard resource in this particular position, IQP positions in general, and chess in general. White is intending Qd3, putting pressure along the b1-h7 diagonal, and probably ultimately prompt a slight weakening of the Kingside (via ...g7-g6). } 13... Rfd8 14. Qc2 (14. Qd3 { looks way more natural, even to me now, and it has been the usual choice of White players reaching this position. I can't say I 100% remember what my rationale was for sticking the Queen on c2 rather than d3. I suppose my idea was that in the game, after Rfd1, my Rook would be staring more directly down the d-file. And, well, this did sort of become relevant in the game, so fair enough I guess. The downside is, of course, that on c2 the Queen can be annoyed by a Rook coming to c8. } 14... Rac8 15. Rfd1 g6 16. Ba2 Bf8!? { 1-0 (41) Slapikas,V (2357)-Likavsky,T (2498) Beijing 2008 }) 14... Rac8 15. Rfd1 g6 { Good timing, as otherwise d4-d5 might start becoming annoying (with the Knight on f6 tied down to the defense of h7). } 16. Ba2 { Another standard idea in these positions - once the b1-h7 diagonal is blunted, the Bishop can switch over to a2-g8, where it helps fight for, once again, the key d5 square. This demonstrates the potential use of a2-a3 outside of prophylaxis, as mentioned earlier. } 16... Na5 { Here's where I start to feel a bit uncomfortable about my choice on move fourteen. The Rook on c8 is unveiled along the open c-file, which my Queen happens to also be standing on. ...Nd5 is an idea, as well as perhaps ..Nc4 in some positions. But for me, the main worry was ...Nd5, ...Nxc3 and on bxc3, ...Qxa3, followed possibly soon by picking up the c3 pawn. Whether this worry is actually justified, I'm not so sure about, because my opponent avoided it, and the computer says I'm doing well if he doesn't. Oh, and ...Bxf3 is also in the air, but a lot of the moves White is likely to consider anyways do deal with this threat. } 17. Qe2 { Stepping off the c-file, covering c4, and supporting f3. There are also some possibilities of a sac on e6/f7 with the Queen on this square. } (17. Ne5 Nd5) 17... Nd5 18. Ne5 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Nc6 { [#] Here, I came up with an idea. } (19... Qxa3? { I don't think I really had a clear idea what I was doing if Black grabbed this pawn, just the vague notion that it was risky. And indeed, the computer confirms that it's risky, but it is also much better at prosecuting the resulting initiative than I am. } 20. Bh6 { ...and okay, it all looks a bit vague to me, but White has four-ish pieces in the attack, Black's Queen is offside and Nxf7, Kxf7, Qxe6+ is probably threatened. Meanwhile, the computer running in the background tells me White's got a big plus. I guess I believe it. }) (19... Bf6 { is also possible. }) 20. Nxf7!? { Boop! Once I noticed this possibility, I couldn't really convince myself to pass it up, even if it doesn't really lead to much (if anything) for White. } (20. Ng4!? { This was pointed out to me after the game by my opponent as a much simpler way to an advantage. The dark squares on the Kingside look slightly questionable, so this move aims to hop into some of them. That being said, the computer points out a response that I believe I'd considered at the board (though I'm never really so sure about these things). } 20... h5!? { I recall not entirely understanding what I was meant to be doing here. } (20... Na5) 21. Nh6+ (21. d5? hxg4 22. dxe6 Qxa3 23. exf7+ Kg7 $17) 21... Kg7 { Okay - the Knight's kinda stuck right? } 22. d5 exd5 23. Bxd5 Qxd5 24. Rxd5 Rxd5 { And again, Black's down material, but the Knight's stuck. }) 20... Kxf7 21. d5! { This is the point - everything is lined up in such a way that Black either has to return the piece, or severely compromise his King safety. } 21... Qe5 { A very pragmatic move from my opponent, made very quickly. Correctly seeing that 21...exd5 isn't good, or at very least, not worth the risk, Black makes a move that returns the piece, and takes a lot of the wind out of White's sails. } (21... exd5? 22. Rxd5 Qxd5 23. Qf3+! { Fried-Liver esque. } 23... Ke6 24. Qh3+ Kf6 25. Bxd5 Rxd5 26. Qxh7 { I think I'd seen this far during the game (when considering 20 Nxf7), and I'd decided the position was "unclear". Well, as it turns out, I'd actually given my move too little credit, as White is winning here. }) (21... Kg7!? { is also possible, as a way of returning the piece. }) 22. dxc6 Bxc6 23. f4 Qf6?! { This is probably a bit dubious, as White's next forces a slight concession in structure. } (23... Qe4) (23... Qf5) 24. Bd4 Bc5! { Completely forced; e.g. } (24... Qf5?? 25. Re1! Rd6 26. g4 $18) 25. Bxc5 bxc5 26. Qa6 { Ambitious, but not entirely unjustified. } (26. g3) (26. Rb1 { are solid moves. }) 26... Rc7 27. Rxd8 (27. Qa5! { was pointed out by my opponent after the game. Black's bits are hit, and it's a bit awkward to defend them. Basically, Black seems to be doing more or less okay still, but it looks like White should at least be picking up one of the isolated pawns on the board. } 27... Rdc8 (27... Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Qe7 29. Re1) (27... Rdd7 28. Rxd7+ Rxd7 29. Re1) 28. Rd6) 27... Qxd8 28. Re1 Bd5 { ...and here's where things start to go south, and boy do they ever go south. I blame this, in part, on the fact that I didn't have much clock time left by this point, as I'd burned a lot of it contemplating 20 Nxf7!?, and the ramifications of a sacrifice it turned out that Black had barely thought about accepting. While I'm all for looking at things that are interesting, at some point there needs to be an element of practicality in what is, after all, a very practical game. Anyways, it's possible that I would've played my next few moves even with an hour on my clock. } 29. Rd1? { Simply missing Black's next. } (29. Bxd5 Qxd5 30. Qe2 Rb7 31. h3 { , and White shouldn't be worse, but neither should Black, and indeed either player could feasibly win this. }) (29. Qe2 { is legal as well, but, in retrospect, I'm leery of allowing this ...c4 move. } 29... c4 30. Bb1 Qd6) 29... c4! { Yeah. Taking on c4 just loses a piece after Black recaptures with the Bishop, as it turns out. } 30. Qb5 Qd6 31. Qb8? { Counterplay? No, just, once again, missing Black's next, and reaching a lost ending. } 31... Qb6+! 32. Qxb6 axb6 { Black is winning, if not close to it, because of the weakness of White's Queenside pawns, and the basically unattackable nature of any of the second player's. My attempt to defend this position in time pressure was nothing short of pitiful, but it was probably lost anyway. } 33. Ra1 Rc5 34. Rb1 Ra5 35. Rb4 b5 36. a4 Rxa4 37. Rxa4 bxa4 38. Kf2 Kf6 39. g3 e5 40. fxe5+ Kxe5 41. Ke3 g5 42. Bb1 a3 43. Ba2 g4 44. Bb1 Be4 45. Ba2 Bd3 { 0-1 White resigns. } 0-1