Division Four: Poole Patzers v Wessex Some Stars A
Board Six (of six)
Sicilian Maróczy Bind
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.f3
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
9...Qb6?!
This has been played by grandmasters, and it is true there are positions in the Accelerated Dragon where Black can exploit the looseness of white's dark-square bishop by playing ...Qb6, but this is almost certainly not one of those positions. After the text, White scores 70% in Mega23.
10.Qd2
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...Nxe4??
Thirty games in Mega23 reach the diagrammed position, and 14 of them saw Black blunder a piece in this way.
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| The ...Nxe4 trick works in some Accelerated Dragon positions, but here it is refuted by ...? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.Nxc6
This wins a piece.
11...Nxd2 12.Nxe7+ Kh8 13.Bxb6 Nxc4 14.Bf2
Even stronger is 14.Bxc4.
14...Nxb2 15.Rc1 Be6 16.Ncd5 Bxd5 17.Nxd5 Rfe8!?
Of roughly equal value is 17...Rae8, but the text has the bonus of setting a trap.
 |
| How should White continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
18.Nc7??
This turns a win into a loss. White has several winning moves, including 18.Kd1, 18.Kd2, 18.Kf1 and 18.Be3, according to the engines.
18...Nd3+ 19.Kd2
Other king moves are even worse.
19...Nxf2 20.Nxe8 Bh6+ 21.Kc3?!
Almost certainly better is the engines' 21.Ke1!?, but 21...Nxh1 22.Nc7 Bxc1 23.Nxa8 Bf4 24.g3 Nxg3 25.hxg3 Bxg3+ with ...d5 to come leaves Black well on top.
21...Rxe8 22.Bc4 Rc8 0-1
Premature resignation? Not really. The engines reckon best play runs something like 23.Rcf1 Nxh1 24.Kb3 d5! 25.Bxd5 Rc1 etc.
Wessex won the match 3.5-2.5.
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