Bad Herrenalb Round Nine

Erwin Illner (2045) - Spanton (1928)

Sicilian Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4!?

Ensuring White can get in a Maróczy Bind.

3...Nc6 4.d4 cxd4

Actually Black can avoid the Bind, for example by playing 4...d6?!, but that would surely be a case of the cure being worse than the ailment.

5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position, which occurs 18,859 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database?

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Allowing the Maróczy Bind used to be regarded as tantamount to a positional blunder. Theory is no longer so condemnatory, but White's space advantage is worth a slight edge, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1.

9...Bd7 10.Rc1!?

This is a common move in the Bind, although here it is not liked by the engines. The mainline in Mega24 runs 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 with what the engines reckon is at least a slight edge.

10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 Nd7!?

Anyone unfamiliar with the Maróczy Bind might find this surprising, as Black is offering to exchange the fianchettoed bishop. But the text is second in popularity to 12...a5 in Mega24, and White usually responds 13.Be3!? The point is that after ...

13.Bxg7 Kxg7

... White has swopped off his good bishop, and it will not be easy for White to get at the newly weakened h6 square. Nevertheless the engines still prefer White.

14.b3

The mainline in Mega24 runs 14.Qd4+ Kg8 15.Rfd1 Qb6 16.Qxb6 Nxb6 with a slight edge for White (Dragon1) or at least the better side of equality (Stockfish16.1).

14...Qb6+ 15.Kh1 Nf6!?

The black king's knight usually goes to c5 in these lines, often preceded by the move ...a5.

16.Qd2 a5

How should White meet Black's threat to play ...a4, putting pressure on b3 and readying an opening of the a file?

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17.Bd1!?

The engines are fine with this, but undeveloping the bishop while unconnecting the white rooks seems strange. The engines marginally prefer 17.Rb1 or 17.Qb2!?
17...Qb4 18.Qd4 b5 19.Qb6!?

The engines suggest 19.Be2 or 19.Rb1, in both cases claiming equality.

19...Rfc8 20.Nb1?

Another undeveloping move, and this time it is definitely a mistake. The engines give 20.Qd4, eg 20...bxc4 21.bxc4 Bd7!? 22.Be2 Qc5 23.Qxc5 Rxc5 with a slight edge for Black.

20...bxc4 21.Qxb4?!

Better. according to the engines, are 21.Qe3 and 21.Qd4, but in both cases Black ensures the gain of a pawn by answering 21...cxb3.

21...axb4 22.Rxc4 Bb5 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Rg1

White loses a piece after 24.Re1 Rc1 25.Nd2 Be2, but the engines reckon the effectively-forced text is not much better.

24...Rc1

Even stronger is 24...Ra8, but the text is good enough.

25.Nd2?!

Probably better is 25.a4, although after 25...Bd3 26.Nd2 Ra1 27.g4!? Nd7 White is horribly tied down and lost, according to the engines.

25...Ra1 26.g3 Rxa2 27.Nf1 Rf2!?

This forces simplification that frees White's game a little but also makes Black's task easier.

28.Ne3 Be2 29.Bxe2 Rxe2 30.Nd1 Nd7 31.Rg2 Re1+!?

An important nuance. Getting the rooks off is good for Black, but it is much better, as will be seen, if f3 is left unprotected.

32.Rg1 Rxg1+ 33.Kxg1 Nc5 34.Ne3 Nxb3 35.Nc2 Nd2 36.Nxb4 Nxf3+ 37.Kg2 Nd2 0-1