Sicilian Scheveningen: 6 g3 and 6 Be3, including English Attack
1.e4
c5
2.Nc3
d6
3.g3
Nf6
4.Bg2
Nc6
5.Nge2
e6
6.0-0
Be7
7.d4
cxd4
8.Nxd4
a6?+/-
This is the first move that is out of book, and it presents all sorts of issues. By not defending with 8... Bd7, I have to respond to 8.Nxc6 with bxc6, which leaves a hanging pawn on c6 which White will then attack. with e5 which threatens the f6 knight with the pawn and at the same time attacks the c6 knight with the g2 bishop. I also looked at 8...Nxd4, but I did not like the response of 9.Qxd4, and I stopped analyzing, even though Rybka sees the position as even after 8...Nxd4.. [8...Nxd4
9.Qxd4
0-0=
]
9.Nxc6
bxc6
10.e5
Notice how he continously maintains the initative by making threatening moves.
10...Nd5
Defending the c6 pawn by getting in front of the Bishop. Rybka likes 10.. dxe5 better. [Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit : 10...dxe5
11.Bxc6+
Bd7
12.Bxa8
Qxa8
13.Re1
0-0
14.Rxe5
Bc6
15.Bg5
Rd8
16.Qe1
h6
[%eval 68,12]]
11.exd6+/=
Bxd6+/-
I could take with either the bishop or the Queen. I chose to take with the Bishop because 12.Ne4 would force me to move the Queen. I must admit that once I saw that response I did not continue analyzing that candidate, which might be a weakness I have, especially when playing a long time control game such as this one. I suppose that is a habit I have picked up from my blitz games, and something I need to work on. [Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit : 11...Qxd6
12.Ne4
Qc7
13.c4
Nf6
14.Qd4
e5
15.Nxf6+
gxf6
16.Qe4
Bd7
[%eval 53,12]]
12.Ne4N
[12.Nxd5
cxd5
13.c4
Rb8
(13...0-0
14.cxd5
exd5
15.Qxd5
Rb8
16.Bg5
Be6
17.Qxe6
fxe6
18.Bxd8
Rfxd8
19.b3
Kf7
20.Rfe1
Bb4
21.Re2
Rd2
22.Rxd2
Bxd2
23.Rd1
Rd8
24.Bf1
a5
25.Bc4
Rd6
26.Kf1
Bb4
27.Bd3
h6
28.Ke2
Stephan,A (2215)-Gruettner,R (2050)/Bad Zwesten 1997/EXT 2002/1-0 (62)) 14.cxd5
0-0
15.b3
Be5
16.Rb1
exd5
17.Ba3
Re8
18.Qxd5
Qf6
19.Qf3
Qg6
20.Rfe1
Bg4
21.Qe3
Bd7
22.Qa7
Rbd8
23.Rbd1
Bb5
24.Rxd8
Rxd8
25.Bc5
Bf6
26.a4
Bd3
Santos,J (2176)-Pereira,J (1991)/Lisbon 2005/CBM 106 ext/1-0 (36)]
12...Be7
13.c4
This move caught me by surprise. White's game revolved around getting to my weak c6 pawn.
13...Nf6
14.Nxf6+
Bxf6
15.Bxc6++-
Bd7
I made the right choice here. This move defends the check, and allows my Queen to recapture on a8, but the bottom line is that I am know down 3 pawns.
16.Bxa8
Qxa8
17.Be3
Qc6
Defending the bishop, and freeing the King from guard duty, and allowing him to eventually castle.
18.Bd4
e5+/-
Making my own threatening moves, even though Re1 will now pin my pawn, but it will become a threat again after I castle. This move also opens the c8-h3 diagonal for my bishop allowing it to go to h3 to make a mate threat.
19.Re1
Bh3
20.f3
Defending the mate on g2.
20...0-0
21.Bf2
Qxc4+/-
22.Qe2
White offers to trade Queens.
22...Qc6
I don't accept, and I retreat to a square that defends the a6 pawn.
23.Rac1
Qe6+-
24.b3
Preventing 24...Qxa2.
24...g5
I thought long and hard on this move, and I considered 24...h5 as a candidate, which Rybka likes. I think I chose the text move because I still had hopes that the mate threat on g2 would rematerialize if I could get the f3 pawn out of the way, which was a mistake.
25.Qe4
Bf5
Making another threatening move..White is now in getting into time trouble.
26.Qc6
Offering to trade Queens. I knew better than to accept, but because White had close to 5 minutes on the clock to my 17, I decided to go into an endgame two pawns down (and a6 would soon fall)... was a mistake.
26...Qxc6
[Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit : 26...Kg7
Giving me the necessary tempo to defend f6, and eventually a6 with ...Bc8. 27.g4
Qxc6
28.Rxc6
Bc8
29.Bc5
Re8
30.Kf2
Bb7
31.Rc7
Bd5
32.Ra7
]
27.Rxc6
Kg7
28.g4
Bg6
28...Bc8 would have defended a6. [Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit : 28...Bc8
29.Bc5
Rd8
30.Kf2
e4
31.Rxe4
Bb7
32.Rxf6
Bxe4
33.Rxa6
Ra8
]
29.Bg3
h5
I needed to get the rook out of the dark squares due to the coming tactic... which I completely missed during the game.
30.Rxf6
Ouch.
30...Re8??
It's over.
31.Bxe5
Rxe5
32.Rxg6+
Kxg6
33.Rxe5
hxg4
34.fxg4
Black resigns. Lessons Learned 1. Make threatening moves, and expect them from my opponent 2. Analyze candidates that might initially appear to be better for the opponent. 3. Don't become attached to a plan that has been refuted...find a new plan. 1-0