Got to Toronto at 1 35 yesterday afternoon at the hotel by 3 or so. Didn't realize till i got there that I would be staying at one of the nicest hotels in Toronto for the price of a room at a Best Western. I'm Rooming with Chris White from LaCrete, AB. This is like his 10th Open or something so he is a vet at this tournament. After introductions the tournament started at 6 30 or so. Both me and Chris won our first round games. I have annotaed both. If you have any questions about the analysis, feel I made a mistake or have any suggestions, let me know.
Dave Miller
Beal (1728) -Miller (1871)
1)e4 c5
The Sicilian Defense has been for a long time been Black's most popular defense against e4. Rather than sulk about for equality with e5, or accept a cramped position with the Caro Kann or French, Black is immediatly challenging White for the initiative.
2)Nf3 d6
3)d4
By exchanging his center pawn for a less valuable non center pawn, White is playing for the fact that he will have a strong knight in the center, and also gain a development lead.
3)...cxd4
4)Nxd4 Nf6
5) Nc3 a6
This variation of the Sicilian bears the name of the great Polish- Argentinean Master Miguel Najdorf, who began using it as his main defence against 1)e4 way back in the 1930's. Later it was taken up by such greats as Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
6)Bg5
The so-called 'old main line' used to be played over 80 percent of the time until the late 70's, when other options became more developed. Alternatives include Be2, Be3, Bc4, f4 and a4.
6)...e6
More or less forced. Nbd7 was tried back in the 50's, but Bc4! is very strong.
7)f4
White immediately begins his plan of kingside expansion.
7)...Be7
White breaks the pin and develops a piece. This is the main line, alternatives include Qb6 (the poisoned pawn variation) Qc7, Nbd7 and b5.
8)Qf3 Qc7
9) 0-o-o Nbd7
10)g4
This idea was popularized in the late 50's by the Serbian Grandmaster Svetsozar Gligoric. White begins his pawn storm, not worrying about the small problem of finishing his development.
10)...b5
11) Bxf6
White gets his bishop out of the way of the pawn mass without losing time, and also gets rid of one of blacks knights, useful for defence.
11)... Nxf6
The only good recapture. gxf6 was an old experiment of Bobby Fischer, played against Gligoric in the Candidates Tournament of 1959. Fischer got a dubious position but managed to hold on for the draw. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008390 Bxf6 is bad because of Bxb5 check, followed by 12... axb5 13) Nxb5 Qb8 14) Nxd6 check, with 3 pawns for the piece and a strong attack.
12) g5 Nd7
13) f5
White continues the pawn storm.
13)...Nc5!
Strangely enough, taking on g5 with check is no longer considered a very good move in the position. White is able to come out with at least the initiative. I had a game recently in this line as white against Tim Pradzinski in the 2010 Grande Prairie Club Championship and managed to pull off the win. http://www.gpchessclub.com/2010gpclubchampionship 13)... Ne5 was also tried back in the 70's but it has now been discarded. The knight is better placed on c5, as it helps defend e6 and also puts pressure on whites center, neither of which it does on e5.
14) h4?
This move looks attractive, securing space on the kingside but it is too slow. 14)f6! is the main line and after gxf6 15) gxf6 Bf8 leads to a very complicated position.
14)... b4
Immediately undermining the center.
15) Nce2
Unfortunately this passive post is the only square for the knight. In the above mentioned lines after 14) f6!, the knight often jumps to d5, sacrificing itself for the open e file and white can gain an attack. Here, though Nd5? would just lose a piece, as after exd5 exd5 0-0! Black would have little compensation. The k-side pawns look scary, but with the extra piece and better development Black can hold off the storm.
15)... Bb7
Continuing to apply pressure to the weak e4 pawn. The flashy tactic Nxe4?!, hoping for Qxe4? Bb7 with a skewer, is refuted by 16) fxe6! and if fxe6 Nxe6! with advantage to White due to the wide open position of blacks king and the weak d6 pawn.
16) Ng3 O-O-O
16)... I was a little worried about the King side situation and wanted to evacuate my king to the safety of the queen side while activating my rook. d5 deserves consideration as well.
17) Kb1?
Often times in this sort of position this move is played to help the king moved to safety. In this position it is very bad for 3 reasons:
1) The king was perfectly safe already
2) White has created new problems for himself with the coming back rank threats
3) In such a sharp position white needs to develop and support his center, not make a useless king move.
17) Bd3 would be a much better move, and im sure he has other excellent tries as well.
17)... d5!
Now all blacks pieces are coordinated in the center for this break, which wins material.
18) Bd3
This loses a piece, but at this point white has little else. Perhaps the best try would be e5, sacrificing a pawn but keeping the very weak h1-a8 diagonal closed.
18)...dxe4
19) Bxe4
forced, as on Nxe4 black can play Rxd4
19)... Nxe4
20)Nxe4 Qe5!
Forking whites knights. White played on a little while but because of the weakness of his back rank (Another problem with Kb1!) he was forced to exchange queens and landed in a hopeless endgame.
21) Rhe1 Rxd4
22) Rxd4 Qxd4
23) fxe6 Bxe4
24)Qxe4
After Rxe4?? Qg1 check with mate to follow. Also is white tries Qxf7 then 24)... Qd2 25) Rc1 followed by Qd6 and black is just 2 pieces ahead. still this may have been a better try than just going into a dead lost ending.
24) ...Qxe4
25) Rxe4 fxe6
26) Rxe6 Rf8
27) b3?
Of Course not Rxe7?? Rf1 with mate. a better last ditch try might have been a3, after 27)... Kd7. (not bxa3?? Rxe7) 28) Rxa6 bxa3 29) bxa3 white is still lost but at least he can still hope for a miracle. after b3 blacks b4 pawn locks down all 3 of whites pawns.
27) ...Kd7
28) Rxa6 Rf4
29) Ra7 check Ke8
30) Ra8 check Kf7
White Resigns
0-1
Some lessons that can be learned from this game:
Know your openings! Especially in such a sharp opening as the Sicilian Najdorf where one move can be the difference between winning and losing, it is crucial to know your openings. Against the Najdorf, if somebody doesn't know a lot about the opening on move 6 he should play a less analyzed move, like Be2 or f4.
Develop pieces, not pawns
During the game, white made a whole lotta lovely pawn moves, which looked nice but didn't help develop his pieces. He made several time wasting moves like h4 and Kb1 while black made every move count in the opening.
Here's Chris' game
White (1754) -Marks (1632
1) d4 Nf6
2) c4 e6
3) Nc3 Bb4
The Nimzo-Indian defence, first played by the great Aron Nimzovitch back in the 1920's. Today it is considered one of the best ways to meet d4.
4) Qc2
The classical or Capablanca variation.
4)...d5
More usual is c5, taking advantage of the fact that by playing Qc2 white removed his defender of the d pawn.
5) e3
A good developing move
5)... Ne4?!
A strange looking move, the idea of which is to perhaps double the c pawns. While the knight has a good square on e4, it can be easily kicked with f3
6) Nf3?!
This natural developing move is not best, in my view. Better I think would be a3, forcing black to give up the bishop pair, or f3, kicking the knight.
6)... 0-0
7) Bd3 f5
Black entrenches his knight on e4.
8) 0-0 Bxc3
Black gives up the bishop pair in an effort to hold on to his control of e4.
9) bxc3 b6
Black already wants to develop his bad bishop but this is perhaps a little slow. Already Black has a somewhat undeseriable position to to his self inflicted weakness on e5 and the problems he is going to have with developing the queens bishop.
10) cxd5 exd5
11) c4 c6
Black wants to support his center, but now his b6 move turns out to have just weakened his position. However to me it doesnt look like he really has anything better. After dxc4 12) Qxc4 check Kh8 Ne5! Blacks position is looking pretty bad.
12) cxd5
Rather than elimenating the weakness on c6, I think Chris missed the excellent Ne5!, tying the knight to c6 and causing problems for black. Qc7 loses a pawn to cxd5, while Qd6 is bad because of a4 followed by Ba3.
12)...cxd5
13) Ba3 Rf6
14) Rac1 Bb7
Rc6 is probably a better chance for black. His move lands him in a hopeless position.
15) Qc7! Qxc7
16) Rxc7 Ba6
17) Ne5! h5
Defending the mate threat. Of course not Bxd3?? Rc8 with mate.
18)Rfc1 Bxd3
19) Rc8 check!
Accuracy. Not Nxd3? Na6! when black is close to equality.
19)... Kh7
20) Nxd3 Nxd2
21) Nf4 Nc4
22) Nxd5! Nxa3
23) Nxf6 check gxf6
24) R1c7 check Kh6
25) Rh1 check Kg6
26) R7c8 a5
27) Rxb8 Ra6
28) Ra8 Rxa8
29)Rxa8 Nc4
30) Rc8 b5
31) Rxc4
Black Resigns
Sorry If I wasn't really very thorough a fire alarm went off so had to go downstairs got back half hour later too tired to annotate the rest. All in all a good win for Chris.
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