Lausanne 1999 Round 5
Sicilian Maroczy Bind/English Symmetrical
1.e4 c5 2.c4!?
The idea is to proceed, depending on Black's response, with a Maroczy Bind or a Botvinnik formation in the English.
2...Nc6 3.Ne2 Nf6 4.Nbc3 e6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4?!
Black does not usually bring White's queen to d4 in the Sicilian if its position cannot be challenged with tempo. Normal is 6...Bb4.
7.Qxd4 d6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0-0-0!?
Emphasising development, but it is very unusual for White to castle long in a Maroczy.
9...Bd7 10.f4 Qb6 11.Bxf6 gxf6?!
Probably better is 11...Bxf6, and if 12.Qxd6, then 12...Bc6 with very promising compensation for a pawn.
12.Qxb6 axb6 13.Kb1 Rg8 14.Rd2 Bc6 15.Bd3 0-0-0 16.Rhd1 Rg7
MS said in the postmortem he should have dispensed with this, at least in the short-term, and played 14...h5. The analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 agree.
17.Bc2!?
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 15.g3.
17...h5 18.b4 f5 19.b5 Bxe4 20.Bxe4
Possibly better was 20.Nxe4.
20...fxe4 21.Nxe4 Kc7 22.Kc2
I spent a long time trying to make 22.f5 work but, after 22...Rg4 could not see 23.Re2. Having said that, there is nothing special about 22.f5 anyway.
22...f5 23.Nc3 Bf6 24.Re1 Re7 25.Rde2 Bxc3 26.Kxc3 Kd7 27.Kd4
I offered a draw.
27...Rg8
 |
| White to make his 28th move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
28.a4?!
I was oblivious to the danger posed to the white position by the undefended f pawn being on the same rank as the king.
28...Ree8
Black can start to pressurise with 28...Rg4 29.Ke3 e5, when then position is, if nothing else, easier for Black to play.
29.Ra1?!
Prophylaxis on the a file, but prophylaxis over f4 was more important, calling for a move such as 29.g3.
29...Ra8?!
This accomplishes nothing; again, ...Rg4 was better.
30.Ra3?!
Correct was 30.Rae1, and if 30...Rge8, then 31.Ra1.
30...Rg4 31.g3?!
Almost certainly a better defence was provided by 31.Ke3.
31...e5+ 32.Ke3?
Other king retreats were better as now Black's next comes with check.
32...exf4+ 33.Kf3?
A fingerslip - I meant to play 33.gxf4.
33...fxg3 34.hxg3?
Yet another mistake. Better is first 34.Rae3, threatening mate-in-three.
34...Rxc4?
Stronger is 34...Rag8, but by now Black's advantage is so large that the text is probably good enough.
35.Rae3 Re4 36.Rxe4 fxe4+ 37.Rxe4 Rf8 38.Kg2?!
Centralisation with 38.Ke3 is almost certainly better.
38...Rf5 39.Kh3?
Further decentralisation!
39...d5 40.Rd4 Kd6 41.g4 hxg4+ 42.Kxg4 Rf7 43.Rd1 Kc5 44.Rc1+ Kb4 45.Rd1 Rd7 46.Rd4+
46.Kf5 Kxa4 47.Ke6 Rd8 48.Ke7 Rc8 49.Rxd5 Rc5 50.Rd7 Kxb5 also wins for Black, as the Nalimov endgame tablebase confirms.
46...Kc3 47.Rd1 d4 48.Kf3 d3 49.Ke3 d2 0-1
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