Hello everyone.
This is a terrific game featuring a literally fantastic move, i.e. 7...Ba3. It
reminds me of the game Browne-Bisguier, USA Champ 1974 where Browne spent 45
minutes over his 14th incredible move and Bisguier took 50 minutes on his reply.
The game is featured below and I hope it's readable by VH recipients. If not
please let me know.
My computers find 7...Ba3 very quickly while White's 7 Qf3 is not to be found in
my opening databases. Subsequent play on both sides seems to be accurate
although the inclusion of 13 h4 h5 seems to be in Black's favour so the
immediate 13 Bc5 may be better. However, the reply 13...b6 as in the game is
also favoured by the machines. My initial reaction is that White should take
this to get some compensation for his woes regardless of the open b-file.
Plonking the Bishop on d6 doesn't slow up Black's Queenside development and the
Bishop becomes a target as Chris demonstrated.
Browne-Bisguier follows below :
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Ne5 d6 4. Nf3 Ne4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8.
c4 Nb4 9. cd5 Nd3 10. Qd3 Qd5 11. Re1 Bf5 12. Nc3 Nc3 13. Qc3 c6 14. Bh6 Rg8
15. Re5 Qd7 16. Rae1Be6 17. Ng5 O-O-O 18. Nf7 Bf7 19. Re7 Qd4 20. Rf7 Qc3 21.
bc3 gh6 22. Rb1 Rg5 23. h4 Rb5 24. Rb5 cb5 25. Rh7 Rd1 26. Kh2 Rd2 27. Rh6 Ra2
28. h5 Rf2 29. Rh8 Kc7 30. h6 Kb6 31. Kh3 a5 32. g4 b4 33. cb4 ab4 34. Re8 Rf1
35. Kg2 Rf7 36. g5 Rf5 37. h7 Rg5 38. Kf3 Rh5 39. h8Q Rh8 40. Rh8 1-0
17 at 22:53 Chris Ross <c.ross@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
All,
Here’s an intriguing encounter. Can you find the startling move for black
on move 7?
Also of interest, is how black is not able to castle, but yet, this does
not hinder his dominance. Fitting then, that the restrictive white
dark-squared bishop is eventually snaffled!
Enjoy!
[Event "Northamptonshire League Matches 2016-201"]
[Site "Kettering, ENG"]
[Date "2017.05.08"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Meadows, Michael"]
[Black "Ross, Chris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Chris Ross"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2017.05.08"]
[WhiteTeam "Kettering A"]
[BlackTeam "Chess Mates A"]
{B48: Sicilian: Taimanov}
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 e6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nc6
5. Nc3 Qc7
6. Be3 a6
7. Qf3
{A rather unusual way to take on the Taimanov. There has to be practical
experience to justify this sub-line being relegated to an inferior variation.
Finding the reason for this though, is the challenge.
With all openings, the principals and fundamentals of the strategic
objectives have to be always, always kept in mind.
1... c5 has a particular notion and all of the 2... e6 lines has
positional targets.
The Sicilian though, is about obtaining a half-open C-file and often, to
pressurise the white king were it to castle long.
The point of white’s 7th move is to facilitate a quick castling for white
and in many lines, brings the lady to a rapid king-side attack. If needed, an
exchange with Qg3 is enabled.
Black has a multitude of ways how to carry on harmoniously here, develop
and get a solid, typical Taimanov structure.
However, there is a rather remarkable blow that black can deliver
immediate to wrestle the initiative from white. Take some time to find it!
Answer coming up...}
7... Ba3!
{Psychologically, this must be a huge shock to any unsuspecting opponent.
An unexpected move can cause a player a jolt, which they may never recover
from. Certainly, a lot of time on the clock will be consumed to solve all of
the complications.}
8. O-O-O
{White’s only move. All other moves are pretty devastating for white. The
sole key to unlock the black potential is the tempo-gaining move, Ne5.
A: 8. Bxa3 Ne5 followed by 9... Qxc3+ and the rook in the corner or the
knight on d4 may drop off.
B: 8. Rb1 Bxb2 9. Rxb2 Ne5 10. Qg3 Qxc3+ and the rook on b2 falls.
So, white has defended the b2-pawn and secured his king and rook.
Or has he...}
8... Ne5
{Gaining that vital tempo, and opening up a neat tactic.}
9. Qg3
{White must seek counterplay. G7 and the knight on e5 are forked.
Black needs a saving idea here. The solution is a neat exploitation of a
pin. Pins work in all directions, don’t forget...}
9... Qxc3
{Neatly exploiting the pin on the b2 pawn against the white king.
By doing this too, the knight on e5 is no longer pinned against the black
queen. All is resolved. Structural damage to the white pawn chain cannot be
avoided now.}
10. bxa3 Ng6
{Defending the g7-square. It is important to note that black need not rush
to snatch the doubled A-pawn. The black queen must not get shut in by a Nb3
move. Since black has given up his dark-squared bishop, he must keep control
of these squares with his queen. Having a queen on a3 would allow a future Bc5
by white after a protective Nb3 has been played.
Furthermore, the queen is needed on the C-file to harass the white king –
after all, that is one of the principals of the Sicilian.}
11. Nb3 Nf6
{Ensuring that Bd4 is not winning material for white. The knight develops
with tempo on the e4-pawn, yet again, one of the principals of the Sicilian is
to target the e4-pawn from afar.}
12. Bd3
{An important structural move is now needed to capitalise black’s opening
play. A moment such as this is very important in a Sicilian player’s
understanding. For the Sicilian has many sub-variations and it is essential to
appreciate when transposing from one structure into another is fundamental to
success.}
12... e5
{An essential structural move for black. 2... e6 has achieved everything
that it has aimed to do – rapid development of the dark-squared bishop and a
restriction of the white queen’s knight.
Now, black prevents Bd4 for white and the advance of the e4-pawn, which
becomes a fixed target. Further advantages is that the knight on g6 is given
the f4-square and breaks for white with f2-f4 are held up.
If permitted, black will now play d7-d6, Be6 and the white king will soon
find it unbearable on the queen-side.}
13. h4
{White strives to dislodge the knight on g6, an attempt to find activity,
which only achieves to weaken the white queen. Exchanges of queens should be
made with hxg3 and not fxg3, as then the e4-pawn is never going to get any
pawn support.
Naturally, black cannot permit the dislodging of the knight on g6, as the
king-side would collapse.}
13... h5
14. Bc5
{White makes every attempt to hinder black from developing all of his
pieces. The king cannot flee to the king-side for safety and the rook on h8 is
struggling for play. The further advantage of this concept is that the a3-pawn
is given some backwards protection and the black queen can be chased away from
her dominating post. Indeed, if black is not careful, she may get entombed on
c3.}
14... b6
{An important tempo-gaining idea. The pawn structure on the queen-side has
to be carefully positioned. B7-b5 is not possible for black, for once Bb4 has
been played, a5 is under white’s control. Black needs to take a leaf out of
white’s book and push a rook’s pawn to dislodge a defensive shielding knight.}
15. Bd6
{Taking on b6 gains a pawn, but at the huge cost of permitting black to
castle, opening up the B-file down towards the white king and allowing tempo
to be further gained on the loose bishop on b6 with either Rb8 or Qc6,
especially so, if white has played a3-a4.}
15... Bb7
{Principals. The e4-pawn is targeted and the C-file opened up for a rook.}
16. Rhe1 Rc8
17. Rd2
{White becomes nervous of the pressure on the c2-square. Snap mates may be
possible and the bishop on d3 could be overloaded.}
17... a5
{Black can simply get on with pressurising the white king’s protection.
All of the black queen-side pieces are well placed. The queen can’t be shifted
from c3 easily. With the dark-squared bishop occupied by restraining the black
king, it cannot be used to tackle the queen. Air-lifting a rook onto the third
rank is problematic as this would mean the moving of the light-squared bishop,
which is needed to defend e4 and c2. Indeed, the black queen has an opt-out
card by exchanging along the third-rank. It is only the black rook on h8 which
is not contributing to the black setup, but how quickly that can turn
around...}
18. Kb1?
{White’s losing move. After which, there is only heartache for white
onwards. The white king seeks safety and secures the a1-square, preventing the
black queen penetration. The c1-square is also vacated for a retreating
knight.}
18... Rc6
{The annoying white dark-squared bishop suddenly finds itself short of
squares. B6 and a5 has cut off all of the natural flight squares. Moving away
from the a3-f8 diagonal would only allow black to castle. White has to then
defend the bishop rather than move it.
Note that it is the rook that needs to challenge the bishop, as the queen
is needed to defend the e5-pawn.}
19. Bb5 Qxg3
{Although this removes all attacking potential for black, the structural
damage to white’s pawn chain ensures a lasting advantage.}
20. fxg3 Rc8
{A simple retreat. The rook is secured and the e4-pawn is targeted.}
21. Rde2 Rc3
{Winning material.
This rook’s manoeuvring is very instructive, not only along the C-file,
but also its horizontal endeavours,, specifically along the 3rd and 6th
ranks.}
22. Bd3
{Losing significant material. White could have limited this to a couple of
pawns, although positionally, he is busted in any case.
22. Re3 Rxe3 23. Rxe3 Nxe4 24. Bc7
is how white should continue.}
22... Rc6
{Ensnaring that restrictive dark-square bishop! How ironic that it is this
annoying piece that is eventually exploited.}
23. Bb8 O-O
{Black is not only allowed to castle, but the dark-squared bishop is
hunted down. The passive rook on h8 appears to reap the rewards!}
24. Ba7
{Black can win the two bishops for a rook with
24. Bb5 Rxb8 25. Bxc6 dxc6
which is an easy enough mop-up.})
24... Ra8
25. Bb5 Rd6
{Simplest. The rook steps along the third rank each time it is attacked.
The dark-squared bishop is going nowhere.
25... Rxa7 26. Bxc6 Bxc6 27. Nd2
is not as clean as the game continuation.}
26. Nd2 Rxa7
27. Nc4 Re6
28. Rd1 Nxe4
{The Sicilian target of the e4-pawn collapses. Another fitting
resolution.}
29. Rxe4
{There is no logical reason for this. White rushes to conclude the game. A
few tricks left towards the time control on move 35, but the game is now
over.}
29... Bxe4
30. Nd6 Bc6
31. Bc4 Rf6
32. Ne8 Rf2
33. Rd6
{With the cheap threat of 34. Rxg6 with the f7 pawn pinned. The text-move
takes away the only flight square for the white knight though. So, an
unpinning of the f7-pawn and a further snaffling of a loose white minor
piece.}
33... Kf8
34. 0-1
Chris Ross
May 2017
