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Volunteer members of the Ladder review games played
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The following game, played by a 1766 national ELO player
and annotated by a 2200 national ELO player, shows the
kind of insight provided by the Ladder reviewers. Player
comments are shown in blue, annotator comments in black.
wiemer - skapski
15 septmber 2002
Sicilian, B85
notes by Wiemer and Killerman .
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 d6
I think this move order allows white to play 5.c4 after
5.Nc3 Black has nothing better than to transpose to the
normal lines.
Yes, I like c4 here which sets up the Maroczy Bind in
the centre stopping Black from a future d5. I find it a
slightly more interesting way of playing this position
when given the opportunity and it avoids a lot of
theory. Nc3 is of course fine and the game continues to
follow standard lines.
5. Nc3
These are two common lines after 5. c4 you could look at.
5. c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7. Be2 Bg7
(7... Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qd2 10... Be6 =)
8. Be3 O-O 9. O-O=
5... a6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Be7
Is it possible to play an immediate 8...d5 or is this
premature? How would White react? Generally are there
rules or typical reasons when a d5 of Black would be premature?
A few questions there. In answer to the first an
immediate d5 has to be unsound in principal as with the
Black King in the centre opening the e-file is not
going to be the greatest idea. In addition Black will
end up with an isolated pawn on d5 which will be a
target. Standard play around an isolated pawn is to
place a piece in front of it and then shoot at it and I
think White can do this comfortably as the following
variations illustrate. Even in the best line for Black he is
in for a very long struggle at best. There are sounder moves
here so a possible d5 should wait until development is
complete:
-
8... d5 9. exd5 exd5
-
9... Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5
(10... Qxd5!? 11. Bf3! Qd7 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qe1+=
avoiding queens coming off and intending Rd1)
11. c4! attempting to blast the position open and
to catch Black's King in the centre 11... Ne5
(11... Nxd4? 12. Bxd4 dxc4 13. Bxc4
and the king is wide open)
(11... dxc4? 12. Nxc6 Qxd1 13. Raxd1 bxc6 14. Bf3
leaves Black in positional ruin)
12. cxd5 Qxd5 13. Re1 Be7 14. Bf4 O-O 15. Nf5! 15... Nf3+
16. Bxf3 Qxf5 17. Rxe7 Qxf4 18. Qe1+=
and Black is still under pressure
10. Re1 Be7 11. Bf3 O-O 12. Bg5 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Be6 14. Rad1+=
rooks can be doubled up the d-file and the pawn may soon drop
-
Another idea that did not work is:
8... Bd7 9. f4 b5 10. a3 Be7 11.g4 O-O 12. g5 Ne8 13. h4
f6 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. Bg4 Nc7 16. Bb6 f5 17. exf5 exf5
18. Bf3 Qd7 19. Re1 Wang Zili/Portisch Yerevan 1996 1-0
9. Nb3N
The main idea was to play f4 and I was afraid of 9.f4 Qb6
when I was not sure how the struggle would end. Is it possible or
better for White to play f4 without Nb3 and how will White
react on Qb6 then?
You are worried about pressure on the b pawn and a
possible capture. But this attack would not be a good idea
for Black. White has a perfectly good response to Qb6 as the
following shows so an immediate f4 is correct here. Black
does best not to put the queen on b6 as the b pawn cannot
be safely attacked and it is also wrong to be putting the
queen opposite White's bishop. Qc7 is the normal response to
f4. Your Nb3 move is just too passive to be good and is
not really in keeping with the position, this loss of time
with the knight makes your next few moves and resulting
middlegame more difficult than it ought to be.
-
9. f4 Qb6?
-
-
9... O-O 10. Qe1 Qc7 11. Kh1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. a3+=
-
9... Qc7 10. a4
(10. Kh1 O-O 11. a4)
10... O-O 11. Kh1 Re8 12. Bf3+=
-
10. Qd2 Qxb2 11. Rfb1 Qa3 12. Rb3 Qa5 13. Nxc6 bxc6
14. Bb6 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Qxd2 16. Nxd2 +/-
9. ... b5
Can black play 9...d5 instead?
Probably but I still think this will be the wrong plan,
completing development is the most important still. b5 is good, the
bishop will have a natural square on b7 and after castling
Black can think about developing the rooks and moves like d5.
10. a3 Bb7
Again may d5 be an alternative?
My comments before are still valid completing development is best.
11. f4
After this move d5 can be met by e5.
d5 can always be met with e5 but if Black were to play d5 now
I think that exd5 is much better.
11. ... 0-0
11... d5 12. exd5 exd5 13. Re1 O-O 14. Bf3 +/-
12. Bf3
My plan was to build up with Qd1- e1-g3 and f4-f5 with a
kingside attack. During the game I was not sure where to move
the light squares bishop. I was afraid of moves like b4
when after ab4 Nb4 the e-pawn lacks protection. Now I
believe that Bd3 would have been better: the bishop eyes
on the kingside too and if a knight will capture it the c2
pawn can recapture comfortably.
Yes, it is time for a plan and you have thought out some of
the key points very well. Where I think your plan fails is
attempting to play f5. I just don't think that this will
work without you putting more pressure into the centre
first. Developing your rooks after Qg3 by Rad1 then Rf2-d2
will do this. You will certainly have to watch out for b4 as
Black will attack on the queenside. I also think he may
consider moving his k-side knight d7-b6-c4 where he can
pressure you still further.
12... Qc7 13. Qe1 Rfe8
The idea maybe was to oppose the queen, but I can hardly
believe that this move was quite effective.
If you examine Garry Kasparov's games in the Sicilian he plays
moves like Re8 and they don't seem effective, until much
later. I think it is quite in keeping with the position
that each side decides on a position for the rooks before
attacking. When Black followed up with Rac8 then I think he has a
sound position. I also think that if you play through some
of my variations later you may agree that the move Re8 is
quite a good defensive/aggressive move against your f5 threat.
14. Qg3 Rac8
I think Nd7 is also good aiming at b6 then c4 as in my
previous comment.
15. f5?
Starts the planned attack.
Did you consider what would happen if Black captured on
f5? I did and it may turn out better for Black, certainly he would
not be worse. See below. Black does not have a bad position, all of
his pieces including rooks are developed you would be
better to develop your rooks too. This is how I would play
the position, but it is fair to say there are many possibilites.
15. Rad1 b4 16. axb4 Nxb4 17. Rf2 d5 18. e5 Nd7 =
I prefer White's position here. Either rook can double on
d or f files as necessary pawn pushes with f5 or prepared
with a g4 first will come later.
15... Ne5!?
I think Whites position is quite comfortable here, but I'm
not sure what was the best way to continue. I decided to
capture on e6 as long as the f-pawn has to capture back.
Yes, after this your position is just about OK and
you do the right thing fxe6 is correct. As you play through
these variations consider how much better the positions
would be if you had developed the rooks before f5 you have
certainly been better.
-
15... exf5! 16. Bh6
-
16. exf5 Ne5 17. Bh6 Nxf3+ 18. gxf3 Bf8-/+
-
16... Bf8 17. exf5 d5
After this the queens have to come off or White is worse.
18. Qxc7
-
-
18. Bf4 Qb6+ 19. Kh1 19. Ne7=+
-
18. Qh4 Qb6+ (18... gxh6 19. Qxf6 Bg7 20.Qh4=+)
19. Kh1 Ne7
-
18... Rxc7 19. Bg5 Ne5 20. Bxf6 Nxf3+ 21. Rxf3 gxf6
22. Rg3+ 22... Bg7=
The two bishops may be better in this endgame
but White's pawn structure is better.
16. fxe6 fxe6 17. Nd4 Bf8
Now the bishop on f3 is quite misplaced.
17... Nxf3+ is optimistic e.g. 18. Rxf3 Qd7 19. Raf1
(the pawn cannot be taken) 19... Nxe4 20.Qg4 Nf6
(20... Nxc3? 21. Rf7 g6 22. Rxh7!! is winning)
21. Rxf6 Bxf6 22. Rxf6+/-
18. Bg5 Nxf3+
Probably the only defence since Qe7 or Qf7 run into Bh5.
19. Qxf3
Maybe gf3 would have been better?
I think Qxf3 is correct, gxf3 runs into d5 which may be
difficult to counter if you want to avoid the exchange of queens.
-
19. gxf3 d5 20. e5
-
-
20. Qxc7 Rxc7 21. Rad1 e5-/+
-
20... Nd7 21. f4 Bc5 22. Rad1 Nb6 23. f5 exf5 24. Rxf5 Nc4-/+
19... Qf7
Black seems to have a good game now. I think you have to develop
your a rook to either d1 or e1.
20. Qg3?
Tries to exploit the pinned knight, but misses the
following move. Td1 may be a better idea
20... Qg6!
You cannot avoid the exchange of queens now
21. Bxf6 Qxg3 22. hxg3 gxf6 23. Rad1
I think black is surely better, but it is not so easy to
exploit this, because when the black central pawns advance
there easily become weak.
You are correct, Black has a number of small advantages which
add up to a good plus.
-
The bishop pair
-
Better pawn structure
-
Better semi-open files
He must not rush to advance the centre pawns as he must keep
you knights out of the game for the time being. I think a
plan to advance the b-pawn by Black is probably the right
idea and also to centralise the King
23... Bg7 24. Nde2 Red8 25. Nf4 Kf7 26. Rd3 Bf8?
Probably not so good, because now Black loses a pawn.
Black fears Rfd1 I think but Ke7 would easily deal with
this as the following shows in addition I don't know that
he needs to lose a pawn.
26... Ke7! 27. Re1 probably best
27. Kf2 trying to use the h-file 27... a5 28. Rh1
b4 29. Rxh7
(29. axb4 axb4 30. Rxh7 Rg8
leads to the same thing after 31. Nh5)
29... Rg8 30. Nh5 bxc3 31. Rxc3 Rxc3 32. bxc3 Kf7-/+
-
27. Rfd1 Rc4 28. Re3 Bh6 29. Kf2 Bg5-/+
27... Rc5 28. Kf2 a5 29. Rde3
necessary to try to hold the weak e-pawn
29... Rdc8 30. R3e2
trying to cover c2 also
30... h5 31. Nd3 Rg5 32. Rd1 32... Rc4-/+
and it is going to be difficult to stop b4.
