MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION
Analysis by Vasik Rajlich
Rajlich,V.-Zaremba,A. (Match IV, Game 6)
Sicilian: Dragon (Yugoslav) [B78/13 (3rd ed.)]
1998.02.28. USA Dearborn [TC:40/120; 20/60]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4
Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3
Ne5 12.h4 h5 13.Bh6
13.Bg5 is by far the most common
move here, and several books go so far as to give it an "!", but in the
past I have had my doubts about this assessment. With the kings on opposite
wings, why bother with subtle positional moves? Why not just throw everything
at Black's king? This game provides some answers to these two question,
though 13.Bh6 itself is a legitimate move which gets a full chapter in
Sapi and Schneider's "9.Bc4 Yugoslav Dragon".
13...Nc4
This appears to lead to equality, though 13...Bxh6
14.Qxh6 Rxc3 is considered to be the most critical line.
14.Bxc4
Forced: 14.Qg5 Nh7 (-+).
14...Rxc4 15.Bxg7
15.g4 loses to 15...Nxe4 (but not to 15...Rxd4
16.Qxd4 Bxh6 17.g5 Bg7 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Qxa7, when White should have at
least some advantage.), while retreats of the QB are inconsistent with
13.Bh6. 15.Nce2 and 15.Nde2 are quiet and reasonable alternatives,
but clearly White's attention should be focused on the critical line 15.Bxg7
Kxg7 16.g4 hxg4 (This isn't forced, but other moves justify White's fifteenth
and sixteenth moves.) 17.h5, leading to the following position:
Black
to Play
Andrei's eventual choice in this position, 17...Rh8,
is natural enough. While the resulting play is extremely complicated, the
move appears to lead to equality, and it is in fact the only move which
I considered prior to playing 15.Bxg7. There does exist, however,
a striking and even stronger alternative: 17...Qa5! After 18.hxg6
fxg6 19.Qh6+ Kf7, White has succeeded in nothing more than giving check,
while with ...Rxc3, ...gxf3, and ...Nxe4 in the air Black's upcoming counterattack
will be very strong.
After 17...Rh8 18.hxg6 fxg6, White needs to assess
the position and find a plan. 19.e5 dxe5 20.Ne6+ Bxe6 21.Qxd8 Rxd8
22.Rxd8 gxf3 is clearly good for Black, 19.Qg5 loses to 19...Rxd4, and
19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 gxf3 rules out ideas of Nf5+ and leaves White no good
way to continue the attack. This leaves 19.f4, intending 20.e5, which is
the only move considered by theory in this position and which is thought
to give White enough play for equality; and my choice, 19.fxg4, which is
a mistake and leads to an advantage for Black. Its consequences are analyzed
below.
15...Kxg7 16. g4 hxg4 17.h5 Rh8 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.fxg4?
Black
to Play
I was really happy with my position here, but
wrongfully so. White's attack really isn't that strong, while Black's extra
pawn is meaningful. If Black doesn't take the g-pawn White will be at least
a little better. Hence:
A) 19...Bxg4.
After this move, there are several problems with
White's position:
1) Black threatens
to liquidate with 20...Rxd4 and 21...Bxd1.
2) Black threatens
to repel the attack with ...e5.
3) Should White move
the QR, his queen will be tied to defending d4.
4) Should White take
on h8, Black replies ...Qxh8 and threatens ...Qh6.
After 19...Bxg4,
A1) 20.Qg5 loses
to 20...Qxd4.
A2) 20.e5 dxe5 21.Ne6+
Bxe6 22.Qxd8 Rxd8 23.Rxd8 is clearly in improvement on 19.e5 dxe5 20.Ne6+
etc., but Black still has a huge advantage.
A3) 20.Rdg1 e5 kicks
White back.
A4) 20.Rdf1 does
give Black something to think about. 20...e5 21.Rxh8 Qxh8 (21...Kxh8
22.Qh6+ Nh7 23.Rf7 Qg8 gives White at least a draw and probably more.)
22.Qg5 and now either 22...Qf8 or 22...Qd8 loses to 23.Nd5 while 22...Qh6
loses to 23.Qxh6+ Kxh6 24.Nxf6 exd4 25.Nxg4+; and 20...Rxh1 21.Rxh1 e5
22.Qh6+ Kf7 23.Rf1 also wins for White. Black's position is quite
solid, however, and he can continue 20...Rxh1 21.Rxh1 Qa5, with a solid
edge, since 22.Qh7+ Kf7 would accomplish nothing for White.
A5) 20.Nce2 gives
White the worse half of a draw: 20...e5! (20...Nxe4 21.Qd3 [21.Qf4 Nf6(
-+)] 21...d5 [21...Rxh1 22.Rxh1 Nf2 23.Qxc4 Nxh1 24.Qe6 (+-)] 22.Nef4 and
White has a raging attack.) 21.Qg5 (The only try: 21.Rxh8 Qxh8 22.Qg5 exd4
23.Rf1 [23.Nf4 Qh6(-+)] 23...Qh6 24.Qxh6+ Kxh6 25.Rxf6 Bxe2(-+); 21.Nb5
Nxe4 22.Qd5 Rc5 23.Qxe4 Bf5(-+); 21.Nb3 Nxe4 22.Qd5 Rc6 23.Qxe4 Bf5(-+);
21.Rdf1 exd4 22.Qg5 [22.Rxh8 transposes to 21.Rxh8] 22...Rxh1+ etc. (-+))
21...Rxh1 (21...Rxd4 also leaves Black in the better half of a draw but
is less testing: 22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Rxh8 Qxh8 [23...Kxh8 24.Qxg6 and White
certainly won't lose] 24.Rf1 Qd8 25.Rxf6 Qxf6 26.Qxg4 etc.; 21...exd4 loses
to 22.Nf4) 22.Rxh1 Rxd4 (Again, 22...exd4 loses to 23.Nf4) 23.Nxd4 exd4
24.Qh6+ Kf7 25.Rf1 Bh5 (25...Qa5 26.Qg7+ Ke6 27.Qxg6 (+-)) 26.Qg7+ Ke6
27.Qxb7 Qa5 and given Black's exposed king it is almost certain that White
can draw, though he will have to be precise.
A6) 20.Nd5! gives
Black only a minimal edge: 20...Rxd4 (White threatens 21.Qg5 and 21.Ndf4,
and Black cannot play more ambitiously with 20...e5: 21.Rxh8 Qxh8 22.Nxf6
Kxf6 23.Rf1 (+-)) 21.Qxd4 Bxd1 22.Rxd1 Rh4 (22...e5 23.Qxa7 and 22...Rh2
23.Nxf6 exf6 24.Qxd6 accomplish nothing.) and now both 23.Qxa7 and 23.Nxf6
exf6 24.Qxd6 (24.Qxa7 Qe7 would give Black more.) should be easy to draw.
B) 19...Nxg4
This is more provocative but appears to be more
accurate. Black threatens to repel the attack with 20...e5, so if
White wants to avoid a clearly inferior position he must try 20.Nf5+ gxf5
21.Qg5+ Kf7 22.Nd5 (22.exf5 is easier to meet: 22...Rg8, when 23.Rh7+ Kf8
24.Qh5 Be8 and 23.Qh5+ Kf7 lead nowhere.) 22...Nf6 (22...Rg8 seems to lose
to 23.Rh7+ Kf8 24.Qxg8+ Kxg8 25.Rxh1: 25...Be8 26.exf5 and 25...Nf6 26.Nxf6
exf6 27.exf5 weave the mating net while 25...Qa5 26.Rh8+ Kf7 27.R1h7+ Ke6
28.Rxe7# is immediate mate. 22...e6 runs into 23.Rh7+.) and I don't
see a good way for White to keep Black from consolidating with 23...Qg8.
White does have good threats in this line, and it wouldn't shock me if
an improvement were found, but his basic problem is that he has been forced
to sacrifice before he fully built up the pressure.
19...Bxg4
As stated above, 19...Nxg4 seems more accurate,
but the position is too complicated to allow a definite conclusion.
20.Nce2?!
As analysed above, the endgame which 20.Nd5 leads
to is slightly easier to hold than the endgame arising after 20. Nce2.
20...e5! 21.Qg5
As analysed above, this simplification to a slightly
inferior endgame is White's only move.
21...Rxd4
As stated above, I think that 21...Rxh1 22.Rxh1
Rxd4 23.Nxd4 exd4 offered White more chances to go wrong, but Andrei felt
that both positions were pretty easy to draw.
22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Rxh8 Qxh8 24.Rf1 Qd8 25.Rxf6 Qxf6
26.Qxg4 Qf1+ 27.Kd2 Kf6 28.Qh4+ Ke6 29.Qg4+ Ke5 30.Qxg6 Qf2+ 31.Kd1 Qf3+
32.Kd2 Qe3+ 33.Kd1 Qxe4 34.Qh5+ Ke6 35.Qe8+ Kf5 36.Qf8+ Ke6 37.Qe8+ Kd5
38.Qb5+ ½-½