WWBD (What Would Bobby Do?)

Let’s consider some of the main ideas of the Sicilian Defense to gain an understanding of the importance of the early move order. It’s amazing that so many variations of the Sicilian Defense begin with the same series of moves and that White can handle so many Black defensive plans in basically the same way. If White stays in the opening book, uses his initiative correctly, fights for control of the center, secures the safety of his king, cramps Black and attacks as soon as possible, Black should have his hands full.

Rajlich-Wight, 19 June 1999, Toronto, published on the Michigan Chess Association website July 1999, is illustrative of White in action against the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian. Until the thirteenth move, the game followed Game 14 from Bobby Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games, Keres-Fischer Bled, 1959. Keres sacrifices a queen to Fischer and is defeated for his effort. Not many people have sacrificed this amount of material to Fischer and “lived” to tell about it.

In the present game, obviously, each player was “booked-up” in the Sicilian and trying to put forth his best effort in light of the position before him. Rajlich in his comments says that he prepared this line and his opponent went along. It would be interesting to know if he had the Keres-Fischer game in mind as he prepared.

V. Rajlich - K. Wight
[B99/03] Sicilian: Najdorf
Toronto, 19 June 1999

1.e4

1.e4 or 1.d4 are simply the best opening moves for White (there are others). They stake out White’s claim in the center and open lines for the development of the queen and bishops. If White can establish both pawns in the center, it is difficult for Black to attain equality. Additionally, 1.e4 prevents ...d5, a long range goal for Black in the Sicilian and many other openings.

1...c5

Black’s move prevents White’s d4 as the d-pawn would be exchanged. There are two theaters of action, the kingside and the queenside. Black has signaled from his first moves his desire to act on the queenside. White will dominate the center and the kingside.

2.Nf3 d6

White wants to play d4 and contest Black’s hold on d4. The development of the knight enhances White’s ability to castle. It’s not wise to start an attack before the safety of the king is ensured. Black’s pawn move opens a line for his bishop, his queen, and d7 for his knight.

3.d4 cxd4

White’s move in many Sicilian variations. His d-pawn will be exchanged with the loss of a center pawn, but his knight can not recapture without being driven off by Black’s b-knight with a loss of a tempo as would have occurred had the queen recaptured. Black is willing to open the c-file as it is a likely post for the a-rook. Also the exchange gives White a pawn majority on the queenside that could be a decisive end game advantage.

4.Nxd4

White takes on d4 to maintain material equality and post his knight aggressively in the center. He can’t tolerate the cramping effect of Black’s additional center pawn.

4...Nf6

Black’s move at this time is highly important as it forces White to defend his e-pawn with his b-night which blocks in White’s c-pawn. If White had been able to establish a pawn on c4, he would have achieved a position situation known as a Maróczy Bind, preventing Black from advancing pawns or placing pieces on b5 and d5, the critical square in the center Black would like to control in many Sicilian variations. White could have defended his e-pawn without posting a knight on c3, but any other defense is not as good, taking time costing White tempos, piece development, and possibly the initiative.

5.Nc3 a6

White developes the knight to defend his e-pawn while Black makes a move that characterizes the Najdorf variation 5...a6. This move is not just defensive, covering as it does b5 preventing an intrusion by either White’s knight or his light-square bishop, it also starts his pawns moving against White’s queenside. In many variations of the Sicilian, White’s queenside pawn majority exert a constant pressure on Black’s queenside. Black will need all the room he can get for piece development and centralizing his rooks.

6.Bg5 e6

White undertakes operations on the kingside. If Black advances his e-pawn, his f6-knight will be pinned against the queen releasing the knight on c3 for other duty. Black advances his e-pawn anyway as it opens e7 for the Bishop to post and strikes at d5 where Black would still like to advance a pawn. The play around d4 and d5 is highly characteristic of the Sicilian defense. Often simply exchanging there will either equalize or, at least, take the edge off White’s attack.

7.f4 Be7

White has out developed Black and is ready to begin a general pawn advance on the kingside. It appears likely that he will castle on the queenside since he hasn’t moved any pawns there and had begun to advance his kingside pawns. White has used his initiative wisely to begin an attack as soon as possible. Black should castle as soon as possible to secure the safety of his king. Perhaps he fears the general pawn advance and decides to work on development before castling. This is a mistake. Black is still in the book, but each player has to judge the merits of a “book” line for himself. (Who wants to tell Bobby Fischer when he should castle and when he shouldn’t?)

8.Qf3 Qc7

The queens come into action on this move. White’s move facilitated castling and brought the queen to the kingside where it lends its weight to the attack and bears down once more on d5, keeping a strong hold on that important center square. Black’s queen moves into action on the c-file. Black should have given more thought to 8...Qb6 with a double attack on the b-pawn and the knight at d4; he will actually post the queen to b6 later in the game. There the queen would sweep a fine diagonal and increase its mobility. White would have probably answered with 9.Nb3.

9.0-0-0 Nbd7

Black needs defenders on the kingside, or he may want to post the knight on b6 to hit at d5 if an opportunity in the center comes about. Black needs to castle to defend his kingside; he could have brought defenders up later.

10.Be2 b5

The development of White’s last minor piece is completed. Moving to c4 would have met with 10...b5 and a loss of a tempo. On d3 the bishop would have blocked the rook’s scope on the d-file. Black begins a demonstration on the queenside, much too late. He needed to castle on the kingside or even advance the d-pawn to simplify in the center and then castle.

11.Bxf6 Nxf6

General exchanging still following the Fischer game. White has to break through, but can’t exchange so much material that his attack loses its edge. White initiates the exchange, giving up the Bishop pair. Throughout this game White plays aggressively and even sacrifices material to force the game. This course is risky, but it has the advantage of keeping Black on the defensive. Probably a general kingside pawn advance would also have won the day; however, Black would have had counter chances to equalize.

12.e5 Bb7

Black developes with an attack on the queen, but it can just move and Black’s knight is still under the gun. This is the course Rajlich will follow; Keres, however, chose to sacrifice his queen.

13.Qg3

The queen move protects g2 and strikes at g7 and appears to be superior to the complicated continuation where Keres, playing White, sacrifices his queen with 13.exf6 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bxf6 15.Bxa8 Bxd4 16.Rxd4 d5 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.Nxd5 Qc5 19.Re1+ Kf8. Rajlich wisely didn’t attempt the queen sacrifice that Keres “tried” against Fischer.

Here’s what Fischer had to say about a possible queen move and continuation: “After 13.Qg3 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nd7 15.Qxg7 Qxe5 Black stands better.”

13...dxe5

Black addresses the threat to his knight by simplification and exchange.

14.fxe5 Nd7

White retakes to renew the threat against the knight. Black has to retreat while his pawn on g7 remains under attack. White could have taken the g7-pawn, following Fischer’s analysis, but Rajlich decides to shift operations to the queenside with a Bishop sacrifice.

15.Bxb5 axb5

One has to wonder why White just didn’t continue operations against the kingside? The sacrifice would have been there later in case it was needed. Of course, If White had not ripped into Black’s queenside, Black would have had a more secure position when he eventually castled. With his sacrifice, White also risked opening lines against his own king if Black decided to castle kingside and renewed (or rather started) an assault on the queenside.

Fischer’s analysis answers the question about taking the g7-pawn on this move. Black’s queen would have captured on e5, centralizing his queen and attacking White’s queen on g7. Rajlich’s continuation looks fine and correct and is an improvement on Fischer’s suggested continuation.

16.Ndxb5 Qb6

Black’s queen moves to a square that it could have occupied much earlier in the game. From b6, the black queen can reach e3 with a check on White’s king. Could Black have won a pawn and offered to exchange queens here with 16...Qxe5?

White’s knight threatens 17.d7+ with continued advantageous exchanges. If the knight on d5 were brought under attack by a bishop on a6 or c6 and taken, the knight on c3 could not retake because the pawn on a2 would fall, leaving the white king exposed. The white king will have to defend the a2 pawn himself something that happens all the time in queenside castling. These defensive tasks were incurred as a result of the bishop sacrifice that opened lines on the queenside.

17.Qxg7 0-0-0

At long last, White’s queen strikes on the kingside. Black’s queen no longer had the pawn under attack. Black’s castled position is terribly exposed compared to White’s. Black could have tried 17...Rf8 and sacrificed the pawn on h7. Black would then have had counter attacking chances against White’s kingside. Black has three protectors on f8 and might have put up more of a fight there. Black’s rook would defend the f-pawn and be posted in the center. Since a pawn was going to go anyway, it might as well have been the h-pawn.

After 17.Qxg7 18.Qxf7 Bg5+

Black had to give up the f-pawn anyway. Black moved the bishop out of attack with a check and increased its mobility.

19.Kb1 Nxe5

A forced move for White that does guard the a-pawn. The knight moves in turn with a threat to the queen.

20.Qg7 Ng6

The queen forks the bishop and the knight which moves picking up a protector and screening the bishop.

21.Rxd8+ Bxd8

Exchanging down for simplification, the material balance is even, but the quality of the material has to be considered as well as the quantity of the material. We have already observed the difference in the castled positions. Note the number of pawns. With the exchange of pieces and both queens are still on the board, the pawns (especially passed pawns) become more powerful.

22.Rd1 Bd5

Black’s bishop picks up a defender, blocks the scope of the rook on the d-file, and strikes at a2 in the white king’s castled position.

23.a4 Qc5

White mobilizes his passed pawns and opens an escape square in case of a queen raid on the back rank. Now White’s knight can exchange for the bishop without leaving the other knight hanging. White has opened his own castled position. Black’s queen continues its defensive role, posting on the open c-file and protecting the bishop.

24.Nxd5 exd5

Exchanging down as discussed above.

25.c4

White could have forced the exchange of queens with 25.Qc3 since the black queen would have been pinned, but that could have left him a difficult end game, protecting his pawns from Black’s extra minor piece.

After 25.c4 25...Rf8

Black needed another plan here, perhaps, 25...dxc4 taking White’s sacrificed pawn and screening his queen from a rook pin on c1. This move would have probably led to further simplifying exchanges including the queens. And Black’s exposed position would have mattered less since White’s king is also becoming more exposed.

26.cxd5 Bg5

White gains a pawn and advances to a square under the protection of the rook. Black vacates d8 for his rook and attacks c1 preventing White’s rook from reaching c1 and pinning his queen against the king.

27.d6 Qf5+

The passed pawn continues to advance; mate threats abound, but White’s king is also exposed. Black checks and doubles his queen and rook.

28.Ka1 Qc2

The king’s move is forced. With the queen move, Black threatens 29...Qxa4+ or 29...Qxd1+. White finds the ONE right answer.

29.Nc3!

Defending both a4 and c1 and blocking the black queen’s defense of c7 and the mate threat there.

29...Bd8 30.Qa7

There is no answer to the threat of 31.c7+. One continuation might be: 30...Rf7 31.c7+ Rxc7 32.Qxc7+ Kb8 33.Qxc8+ Kb7 34.Rd7+ Kc6 35.Kc8+ Kb7 36.Rb7+ Ka6 37.Qa8#.

1-0.

Lessons from the game: 1) We’re not Bobby Fischers, Black should have been thinking king safety and castled sooner. 2) Castling queenside was a real mistake as it exposed the king even more. 3) Black allowed White to attain a passed pawn when 25...dxc4 would have nipped that plan in the bud and prevented the rook pinning the queen from c1. 4) White opened up his own castled position while the Queens were still on the board allowing Black rather dramatic counter play.

I think the game was closer than Rajlich would like to admit. The passed pawn and his excellent move 29.Nc3! may have saved the day for him.

If Keres had found Rajlich’s nifty bishop sacrifice line in his game with Fischer the results might well have been different.