Hello all,
A quickly despatched game to illustrate several points.
First is the vulnerability of the Sicilian Defence when the second player makes
a mistake. This example is particularly brutal.
Secondly the game may only be 23 moves long, and up to White's 12th they are
all theory, but there is plenty to analyse here.If you want the most from this
then it will take several hours and you'll get more out of it than playing ten
rapidplay games on the internet!
Finally, Jorge mentioned 'the perfect game' in a recent post. In the note to
Black's 12th I write "Deep Rybka agrees with all my move choices until the end
of the game." In a sense this makes it a perfect game from my perspective, but
it involves a lot of calculation and imagaination. Perfect games don't fall
into one's lap. They have to be worked for and are always worthy of annotation.
Regards,
Tyson
Text begins
WHITE: MORDUE, AT
BLACK: BICKNELL, C
ECO [B98]
FROME OPEN,
10.05.2008
A violent game where Black never gets his pieces properly developed or
co-ordinated, and pays a high price. This was published in British Chess
Magazine later that year without notes.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Bg5 e6
7.f4 Be7
8.Qf3 Qc7
9.0–0–0 Nc6
[A less common line than the much-analysed 9...Nbd7. Black keeps the d7 square
free for the Bishop and could castle Queenside. He can swap Knights on d4 and
pick up a tempo on the loose Rook on d4 with ...Qb6 or...Qc5 or place the
Bishop on c6 via d7. I have met this line very occasionally and found it best
to be prepared to play Rhd1 in the event of the possible swap on d4. In the
game none of the afore-mentioned events happens.]
10.Be2 h6
[Similar to the Browne variation which was introduced by the several times US
champion Walter Browne. However, that features ...Nbd7 rather than ...Nc6 but
that difference sometimes doesn't matter. The point of the Browne variation is
after ...h6. Bh4 g5. fxg5 to utilise the e5 square with ...Ne5. Depending on
the specific position Black may be sacrificing a Pawn permanently, but he
usually gets it back because the g5 Pawn is pinned by the Black Bishop on e7 to
the White one on h4. Black's Knights control a lot of squares too and that
hinders the scope of the White Queen.}
11.Bh4
[White rarely takes on f6 after ...h7-h6. He has the chance to now advance
g2-g4-g5 opening up lines and for that reason Black rarely castles Kingside
after pushing his h-Pawn. However, there are exceptions as well as adherents to
the rules of standard play. With the text White also has the option of
redeploying the Bishop to f2 with the option of recapturing on d4 or eyeing the
weak b6 square with an idea of a later Na4.]
11...g5
[Consistent with the Browne variation. Deep Rybka suggests 11...Bd7 which is
fine, and also 11...0–0 which is dubious for the reason given in the last note.]
12.fxg5
[At first Deep Rybka suggested 12 Nxc6 was stronger. It give lines such as
12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.fxg5 Nh7 14.Rhf1 Nxg5 (Not 14...Bxg5+ 15.Bxg5 hxg5 16.Rxd6 or
here 15...Nxg5 16 Qf6!) 15.Qh5 e5 16 Kb1 Be6 before coming to an evaluation of
roughly +1.3 for White.
As that is similar to the evaluation as in the game line then I must disagree
with its choice. In the Sicilian Defence most White players usually choose not
to swap Knights on c6 while Black can improve his central control, and have an
open b-file as well, with ...bxc6.]
12...Nh7?
[This turns out badly but only due to White's imaginative play. The usual move
in this sort of position is 12...Ne5 which is why Deep Rybka wanted to swap
Knights first and so cut it out completely. After 13.Qe3 Nfg4 14.Qd2 Rg8
15.Bxg4 Nxg4 16.Nf3 White seems to be holding on to the extra Pawn. An
improvement that regains the Pawn is 14...Qd8 15 Bg3 hxg5 16 h3 Nf6 which is
still analogous to Browne variation lines. However, White's Bishops and Queen
are arguably on better squares whilst Black's Queen has retreated to its home
square so the evaluation must be in White's favour. Nevertheless this must be
an improvement on what happens in the game.
This is the first time (August 2019) that I've ever written notes to this game
and I'm delighted to see that Deep Rybka agrees with all my move choices until
the end of the game. However, if I played this game today I would probably be
scrutinised because of such perfect play. It should be borne in mind that I
have 30–40 years of experience on both sides of the Sicilian Najdorf and am
very familiar with the tactical themes that arise. In this case there is a
slightly new ingredient involved - the g7-Pawn's control of the f8 square.
Simply put, despite having had Browne variation scenarios from both sides many
times, I've never had anyone play ...Nf6-h7 after f4xg5 so I was on the alert.
My next move was played after a long think.]
13.g6!
[Deep Rybka evaluates this as +1.62 in White's favour so that's the computer's
endorsement.]
13...Bxh4
[Black has plenty to think about.
Throwing in 13...Nxd4 is equivalent to throwing in the towel after 14 Qxf7+. If
13...Ne5 14 gxf7+ Nxf7 15 Bxe7+ Qxe7 16 Rdf1 and White is having all the fun
with an extra Pawn to boot.
If 13...fxg6 14 Bxe7 Nxd4 (or 14...Qxe7 15 Nxc6 bxc6 16 Qg3 forks g6 and d6
anyway, whilst 14...Nxe7 fails to 15 Ndb5! with themes similar to the game.) 15
Rxd4 Qxe7 16 Qg3 with the same fork. Instead 13...fxg6 14 Bxe7 Nxd4 15 Rxd4
Kxe7 avoids the loss of a Pawn but cedes castling rights. Deep Rybka rates this
as plus 2.2 to White and recommends 16 e5! as 16...d5 is met by 17 Rxd5!
A recurrent theme is the weakness of d6 once the Black Bishop is exchanged.
After the text said Bishop has moved from e7 voluntarily. Yes, it has taken a
Bishop and Carl probably expected 14 gxh7 Rxh7. If then 15 Qg4 hitting the h4
Bishop and threatening to win the Rook 16 Qg8+ Carl has 15...Bg5+ and time to
regroup. A surprise awaits him.]
14.Ndb5!
[After this move my conception got my opponent’s endorsement when he muttered
"Jesus Christ!" White invests one Knight to force the penetration of the other
one to d6. The move g6-g7 is deferred so as to keep the Black Queen tied to the
defence of f7.
I had foreseen that I would be able to win Black's Queen with a continuing
initiative and that Black's pieces would be unable to form a cohesive defensive
unit. The g7 Pawn, when it gets there, will be a menace that ties Black down.
Most of the action takes place on dark squares, control of which has been
abandoned by the Black Bishop on h4. It is worth noting that the other Bishop
does nothing except disconnect the Black Rooks.]
14...axb5
15.g7!
[The timing is important. If 15 Nxb5 Qe7 16 g7? is refuted by 16...Qg5+ and
17...Qxg7. The point is that White wants control of f8 to stop the Black King
going there after Nxd6+.
There is a line that goes 15 Nxb5 Qe7 16 Nxd6+ Kf8 17 Nxf7!? White has acquired
four Pawns for two pieces and has several threats. Deep Rybka suggests
17...Ng5!? 18 Nxg5+ Kg7 19 Nf7 Rf8 20 Qh5 Bg5+ 21 Kb1 Qf6 22 h4 Be3 23 Rhf1
Qxg6 24 Qf3 Rxf7 25 Qxe3 with a roughly level game where White now has three
Pawns for a piece. This is not by any means forced and both 17...Rxa2 and
17...Qf6 are worth looking at as well. ]
15...Rg8
[Forced. If 15...Bf6, to defend h8 and hope to emerge with two pieces for a
Rook, then White sacrifices again with 16.Qxf6! Nxf6 17.gxh8Q+ and emerges with
a material advantage and an attack.]
16.Nxb5 Bg5+
[A necessary zwischenzug to ensure the defence of the Bishop - see note to
Black‘s 21st - but White gets to defend a2 so that ...Rxa2 is not on the
agenda.]
17.Kb1 Qe7
[Black can threaten mate himself with 17...Qa5 but he will lose his Queen
anyway after 18.Nxd6+.
If 18...Ke7?? then mate follows immediately after 19 Qxf7+ Kd8 20 Nxb7++. So
instead 18...Kd8 or d7 19.Nxb7+ (19 Nc4 also wins the Queen but it is useful to
eliminate the b7 Pawn) 19...Ke8 (If 19...Kc7 20.Nxa5 Rxa5 21.Qxf7+ Ne7 22.Rhf1
with Queen and five Pawns for three uncoordinated pieces. Deep Rybka is scoring
this in the +10s.) 20.Nxa5 Rxa5 21.Qc3 - forking the a5 Rook and the
now-undefended knight on c6 - 21...Bd7 or b7 22 Rhf1 and by preventing 22...Bf6
White maintains his pull.
If 17...Qb8 18 Nd6+ Kd8 19 Qxf7 threatens 20 Nxb7 mate and 20 Qxg8+.]
18.Nxd6+ Kd8
[It was simpler to play 18...Qxd6 19.Rxd6 Be7 20.Rd2 Rxg7 although White is
still doing well after 21.Bb5 Bd7 22.Rhd1. With the sequence in the game Black
gets a Rook and two pieces for his Queen instead of a scattered three pieces,
but he leaves the dangerous Knight and soon regrets it. ]
19.Nf5+ Qd7
[Note that without the interpolation of 16...Bg5+ 17 Kb1 Black's Bishop would
now have been en prise to the White Knight. An alternative here is 19...Ke8 20
Nxe7 Bxe7 but White has 21 Bb5 amongst other moves keeping the initiative.]
20.Rxd7+ Kxd7?
[It's true that after 20...Bxd7 21 Nd6 White forks b7 and f7 but this must be a
better try. Currently Black has only one piece - the c6 Knight - on a sensible
square.]
21.Rd1+
[So the Rook that Black took as part of the material for his Queen is
immediately replaced in the attack with tempo, while the Knight that Black
could have taken lives to torment him further.]
21...Kc7
[If 21...Ke8 22 Nd6+ and 23 Qxf7 wins immediately. Once again note that without
the interpolation of 16...Bg5+ 17 Kb1 the text would have lost the Bishop to
the fork Qf4+, a point that both sides had to pick up on at least five moves
ago.]
22.Nd6
[The Knight continues to haunt Black. Now 22...Rxg7 is met by 23 Ne8+, a
scenario that would not have been possible after 20...Bxd7, while 22...Ne5
fails to another fork 23 Qc3+. ]
22...Nf6?
[Black collapses completely. I was expecting 22...Bf6 when after 23 Qf4 e5 24
Qxh6 I thought White was winning more material. Deep Rybka goes a bit further
with 24...Be6 - ruling out Ne8+ after ...Rxg7 - 25 Nb5+ Kb6 26 Qxh7 Bxa2+ 27
Kc1 Bg5+ 28 Rd2 Rad8 29 Bd3 and White is now only +2.
Instead 23 e5! Nxe5 24 Qc3+ Kb8 25 Nxc8 Rxc8?? 26 Qxc8+! Kxc8 27 g8=Q+ wins the
house. Of course 25...Rxg7 is an improvement but White has won a piece. Instead
22...Bf6 23 e5 Nxe5 (if 23...Bxe5 24 Qxf7+ wins) 24 Qc3+ Nc6 25 Qd3! Ng5 26
Nb5+ and Deep Rybka claims mate in 7.]
23.Nxf7
[White threatens 24 Nxg5 hxg5 25 Qxf6. If Black moves the f6 Knight 24 Nxg5
hxg5 25 Qf7 with or without check wins.]
1–0
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