Walter Gonzales (2087) - Ariel Levi (2153)
[B24] Sicilian: Closed
World Open, Round 7, Philadelphia, PA
July 3, 2000
(Annotated by Ariel Levi)
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1.Nc3 c5 2.e4 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Be3 Nd4 9.Nf4
| The knight seems misplaced here, as it blocks the
advance of White’s f-pawn, which is needed to start a kingside attack.
White’s attacking plan of h4-5 is too slow and doesn’t open enough lines
to do much damage. On 9. f4, I would have continued with the standard
closed Sicilian plan of attacking on the queenside with Rb8 and b5-4 and
playing f5 to block the kingside advance as soon as White threatens f5
himself. |
| This move aims to inhibit White’s central advance
c3 and d4, and targets the d3 pawn, which can be weakened with ...b3.
Another good possibility is 15...e5, aiming to gain the initiative in the
center as well as on the queenside. For example: 15...e5
16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 b3 18.c3 Nc2 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.Qd2 Ra8, with good chances. |
| I thought that White might play 16.Ra1, after which
I had planned 16...Qb6 with the idea of meeting White’s central advance
by provoking a weakness along the central dark squares. For example:
17.hxg6 hxg6 18.c3 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nxe2+ 20.Nxe2 Qb5 21.c4 Qb6 22.Ra3 Nc6
23.f4 Bg7 24.f5 exf5 25.exf5 Rfe8 26.Be4 (the sacrifice 26.fxg6 Rxe3 is
insufficient: 27.gxf7+ Kf8 28.Nf4 Rxg3 29.Qh5 Rxg2+ 30.Nxg2 Qb2 winning)
26...gxf5 27.Rxf5 Ne5 28.Bxb7 Qxb7 with good piece coordination and the
advantage. |
| This attack on the d3 pawn forces White to make
an unpleasant choice between 20.Nf4 and 20.c4. After 20.Nf4,
I would have played 20...Ng4, gaining the two bishops and retaining the
initiative on the queenside while leaving White with little counterplay
on the kingside or in the center. White chooses 20.c4, which has
the disadvantage of weakening d4 and opening the a1-h8 diagonal. |
| My plan was to clamp down on the d4 square to prevent
White from playing d4, keep the long diagonal open, and attack White’s
b-pawn with the dark-squared bishop and a rook on a2. |
| Hoping to play d4 to get rid of the weak d3 pawn
and neutralize Black’s control of the central dark squares... |
| This move gives the c-pawn additional protection
to enable a later d5, and mobilizes the rook so the queen doesn’t block
it if it goes to d8 en route to f6 to control the long diagonal. |
| If now 25.Bg5, Qd8 would retain control of the long
diagonal. |
| White played his king out (23.Kf2) because he wanted
to attack along the h-file, but now White’s king is vulnerable along the
second rank and the central files. Black can take advantage of this
by invading the second rank on a2 and smashing open the central files. |
29...d5
| If White now takes twice on d5, Black gets a strong
attack. For example: 30.cxd5 exd5 31.exd5 c4 (31...Qd6 followed
by ...Bxd5 also leads to a big advantage for Black) 32.dxc4 Ba6 33.Kf3
Bxc4 and White can’t survive for long. |
| This recapture allows the queen to protect the bishop
on g2 and the pawn on b2, but it exposes the king even more. However,
after the better 32.Qxd3, I would still have played 32...f6 with a big
advantage, e.g., 33.Bf3 Rca8 34.Qd2 (if 34.Qc2 b3 35.Qd2 Bxb2 36.Rxb2 Rxb2
37.Qxb2 Ra2 38.Bc1 Qb4+ winning) 34...Rd8 35.Qc1 Qc7 36.Bf4 e5 37.Be3 e4
38.Bh1 Qh2+ 39.Rf2 Qg3 or Qe5 with a strong attack. |
| Here, 33...Rd8, threatening ...Bc3+ winning White’s
queen, also yields a decisive attack. If 34.Qg2, Bxb2+ and Black’s
pieces all converge on White’s vulnerable king. If 34.Bd5 to block
the diagonal, simply 34...exd5 and White can’t stop all the threats. |
| White has a lost game, as he can’t get his king
out of the line of fire. After 34.Qe2, ...Qa6 with the idea of ...Rxb2
followed by ...Qa3+ will win. |
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