Miniatures 17

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151 BCF) - G Faulkner (131 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1989

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 g6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 g6 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.f3

This standard position -  a Maróczy Bind, but with the light-square bishops exchanged - occurs 1,964 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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10...a6!?

The main line in Mega25 runs 10...0-0 11.0-0 Rac8 12.b3, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
11.0-0 0-0 12.Rc1 Rac8 13.Qe2? Nxd4?

Missing the win of a pawn by 13...Nxe4! After the text the engines give White a slight edge.

14.Bxd4 Qc6 15.Rc2?

Correct is 15.b3.

15...Qxc4 16.Qe3?

White is still in the game after 16.Rd1 or 16.Qd1.

Black to play and win

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16...Ng4! 0-1

Black was much better anyway, but the text puts the seal on the win (16...Nd5 is also very strong).

LESSON: the d4 square can be vulnerable to combinations in those Maróczy Bind positions where Black has fianchettoed on the kingside.