Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nf3!?
Unusual, but it has been played by grandmasters.
6...Nf6 7.Bd3
Not 7.e5? Ng4.
7...0-0 8.Bf4?!
White is more-or-less equal after 8.0-0, according to the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1.
8...d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qd2?
Both 10.Bd2 and 10.Nxd5 are better.
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...Nxf4?
Missing the win of at least a pawn after 10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qa5.
11.Qxf4 Bxc3+?!
The engines' 11...Qb6 is probably better.
12.bxc3 e5?!
The engines prefer 12...Qa5.
13.Qh6 f6?!
Probably better, and certainly more practical, is 13...Qf6.
14.Bxg6!?
There had been a somewhat chaotic start to the first round, and I had not been able to find out who my opponent was (but I knew I had to be in the top half of the draw). My opponent and I exchanged names, and I told him my rating, but he said he could not remember his (and ratings were not displayed with the pairings, nor were they otherwise available, except online, which was awkward as phones are not allowed at the venue).
By the time CS played 14.Bxg6!?, the lower-rated player on the board next to me (I was sat at the end of a row, so there was only one board next to me) had already lost a piece and was still rushing his moves (within a few minutes he would be mated, or possibly he resigned when faced with mate-in-one - I did not notice which).
Since these were the circumstances, I felt justified in taking the risk of playing on.
14...Qe7?!
14...hxg6 15.Qxg6+ Kh8 16.Qh6+ etc is dead-drawn.
15.Be4
The problem with my decision is not so much that Black is a pawn down - after all, White has doubled and isolated c pawns - but the fact that the black king is dangerously exposed. I should also have taken into consideration that my opponent, a junior, was not rushing his moves, unlike the much-younger junior sat next to me.
15...Be6 16.0-0 Kh8?
Trying for more than the position offers. Best, according to the engines, is 16...Qg7, although Stockfish13 gives White at least the upper hand after 17.Qe3 (Komodo12.1.1 reckons White only has a slight edge).
17.Nh4
Threatening 18.Ng6+. Black's reply is forced.
17...Kg8 18.f4 Qg7
I felt I had to offer an exchange of queens.
Not 18...f5? 19.Bxc6 (19.Rf3!? is also strong) bxc6 20.Rae1 e4 21.Re3.
I also did not like the look of 18...exf4 19.Rxf4, when Black's king is in huge danger.
19.Qxg7+
If 19.Qh5!? then not 19...Bg4? 20.Bxh7+! Instead Black should probably play 20...Qf7, when White is either obliged to allow an exchange of queens or has to withdraw his queen from the vicinity of the black king.
19...Kxg7 20.Rad1 Rfd8
Likely the wrong rook, but almost certainly better than 20...Bxa2?!, when 21.Nf5+ Kh8 (21...Kg8? 22.Rd7 is horrific for Black, eg 22...Rf7 23.Nh6+) 22.Nd6 is strong for White.
21.Rb1 Rab8
I rejected 21...Rd7 because of 22.Rxb7!? Rxb7 23.Bxc6 Rab8 24.Bxb7 Rxb7 25.fxe5 fxe5, but the engines reckon White is only slightly better. I missed that 26.Re1 can be met by 26...Kf6 (or 26...Rb5 for that matter).
22.fxe5 fxe5
I rejected the engines' choice, 22...Nxe5!?, because of 23.Rxb7+ (better than 23.Bxb7, according to the engines) Rxb7 24.Bxb7, but the black knight gets a decent outpost, and Black's pieces are better coordinated than White's.
23.Nf5+ Kh8
I thought this was forced because of 23...Kg8 24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.Ne7+ Kg7 26.Nxc6, but 26...Rxb1 27.Rxb1 Rd2 28.Nxe5 Rxc2 29.Rb7+ Kf6 30.Nf3 Rxa2 31.Rxh7 is not completely clear-cut, despite White's two-pawn advantage, as Black's outside passed pawn is a fast runner.
However, the engines prefer the text as they reckon 23...Kg8 is well-met by White maintaining the pressure with 24.a4 or 24.Ne3.
24.Nh6 Kg7 25.Nf5+ Kh8 26.Nh6 Kg7 27.Nf5+ ½–½
A severe case of rating-itis; of course White should play on.
(I discovered after the game that CS does not have a Fide rating, but has a Swiss rating of 1320.)
No comments:
Post a Comment