Czech Seniors Open Championship Round Eight

Soviet war memorial

Jiří Fišer (1768) - Spanton (1852)

Sicilian Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Nc2!?

This is a long way behind 6.Be3 in popularity but, since apparently first appearing in master play in 1934, has been tried by many leading player including Magnus Carlsen. The idea is White wants to avoid exchanges as White has more space.

6...d6 7.Nc3 Bxc3+!?

This radical departure from 'normal' play is liked by Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, and was first played in the aforementioned 1934 game, but has since been superseded in popularity by 7...Nf6.

8.bxc3 Qa5 9.Bd2 Nf6 10.f3

If 10.Bd3?! then 10...Ne5.

10...Ne5 11.Ne3

How should Black proceed?

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11...Bd7

Sebastian Siebrecht (2417) - Benedict Krause (2425), German Blitz Championship (Magdeburg) 2020, saw 11...Be6 12.Nd5 Rc8!?, the point being 13.Nxf6+?! exf6 leaves the c4 pawn very vulnerable. Instead the game went 13.Qb3 b6 14.Be2 Nfd7!? with a slight edge to Black, according to the engines (0-1, 46 moves).

12.Qb3 0-0 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.cxd5 Qc7

Stockfish15 slightly prefers 14....Qa5!? or 14...Rac8!?, but Komodo13.02 is equally happy with the text. After 14....Rac8!?, capturing the b pawn with 15.Qxb7?! can be met by 15...Rab8 16.Qa6 Qc5, when the engines reckon Black has more than enough compensation for a pawn.

15.f4 Ng4 16.h3 Nf6 17.Bd3

White has gained space and is starting to activate the bishop-pair - how should Black respond?

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17...Nh5?

This looks vaguely threatening but achieves nothing. The engines prefer attacking the white centre with 17...e6, when 18.0-0!? allows 18...Qc5+ 19.Kh2 exd5 20.exd5 Nxd5, after which Black is a pawn up, but the black pieces are not well-coordinated, and meanwhile the board is opening for White's bishops. Alternatively 18.dxe6 Bxe6 slightly favours Black, according to Komodo13.02, although Stockfish15 calls the position dead-equal.

18.0-0 f5 19.e5

Less convincing is 19.exf5?! Bxf5 20.Bxf5 gxf5, when White has an edge, according to the engines, but the e4 square beckons the knight.

19...Ng3!?

Consistent but unimpressive. The engines suggest 19...b5, but much prefer White.

20.Rf2 a6 21.e6 Bb5?

Allowing White to improve his position with 22.c4 without loss of tempo.

22.c4 Be8 23.a4 Re8 24.Be3 h6

Freeing a square for the black king at h7 in case White tries to come in on the long dark diagonal.

25.Kh2 Nh5 26.g4 fxg4 27.hxg4 Nf6 28.Kg3 h5 29.gxh5 Nxh5 30.Kh2 Kg7 31.a5 Rh8 32.Kg2 Nf6 33.Rf3 Qd8 34.Bb6 Qc8 35.Bd4 Qc7 36.Rg3

The g pawn is doomed.

36...Rh5 37.Qc2 Rh6 38.f5 Rc8 39.Bb6 Qb8 40.Bb2 g5!?

Desperation - the Black position is hopeless.

41.Rxg5+ Kh7 42.Rh1 Ba4 43.Rxh6+ Kxh6 44.Rg6+ Kh7 45.Qc1 Ng4!? 46.Qh1+ 1-0