1. e4 c5 2. Nc3

A surprise - The Closed Sicilian from Roger !

2... a6 3. g3 b5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. d3 Nc6?

the Knight is rarely played here in this line - only played once in 162 games. (d7).

5... e6!

is the correct move and has scored 61% for Black in 133 games.

6. f4 Nf6 7. Nf3 d5 8. e5 d4! has only scored 20% for White.

6. f4 d6

6... e6 with the idea of d5 without loss of tempo is more logical, scoring 54% for Black in 13 games.

7. Nf3 e6

7... g6!? 8. O-O Bg7 has only scored 25% for White

8. Be3 Be7

8... Qc7 9. O-O Nf6 10. Qd2 Be7 11. h3 d5 12. exd5 exd5 13. d4 b4 14. Ne2 Ne4 15. Qd1 cxd4 16. Nfxd4 O-O 17. Kh2 Rfe8 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 19. Re1 Rac8 20. Nd4 Qc7 21. Qg4 Bf6 22. a3 Qc4 23. Bf1 Qc5 24. Nf5 d4 25. Bg1 g6 26. Nh4 Bxh4 27. gxh4 Qxc2+ 28. Re2 Nf6 0-1, Kukla Piotr (POL) 2101 - Kempinski Robert (POL) 2587, Lubniewice (Poland) 2002

8... Nf6 9. h3 Be7 10. O-O b4 see Voloshin game below.

9. O-O Nf6

9... Qc7 10. f5 Ne5 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. fxe6 fxe6 13. Qg4 Nf6 14. Qxg7 Rg8 15. Qh6 Rg6 16. Qh3 O-O-O 17. Bf3 Kb8 18. Rf2 Rdg8 19. Kh1 h5 20. Rg1 h4 21. Rfg2 hxg3 22. Rxg3 Rxg3 23. Rxg3 Rxg3 24. hxg3 Bc8 25. g4 b4 26. Na4 Bd7 27. Qh8+ Kb7 28. b3 Bxa4 29. bxa4 c4 30. g5 Nd7 31. Be2 cxd3 32. Bxd3 Qc3 33. Bxa6+ Kc7 34. Qc8+ Kd6 35. Qxc3 bxc3 36. Bb5 Nf8 37. a5 1-0, Meinke Dietlind - Zimmermann Manfred, Germany 1994

10. h3 O-O

Okay, typical Kev prudence. Other moves given are more aggressive.

10... d5 11. e5 Nd7 12. Bf2 O-O 13. Nh2 f6 14. exf6 Bxf6 15. Re1 b4 16. Na4 Qa5 17. c4 Nd4 18. Nf3 Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 Rae8 20. Bg4 Bc6 21. b3 Bxa1 22. Bxe6+ Rxe6 23. Rxe6 Bxa4 24. Qxa1 Bxb3 25. Re7 Nf6 26. Qe5 Bxa2 27. g4 Qb6 28. g5 Nh5 29. Qxd5+ Kh8 30. Qf7 Qd8 31. Rd7 Qe8 32. Qxe8 Rxe8 33. Bxc5 b3 34. Bd4 Nxf4 35. Bxg7+ Kg8 36. h4 Nxd3 37. Rxd3 Kxg7 38. Rd7+ Kg6 39. Rb7 Rc8 40. Rb4 a5 41. Rb6+ Kf5 42. Rb5+ Kg4 43. c5 Rxc5 0-1, Baldauf Markus (GER) 2265 - Papp Tamas (HUN) 2002, Chalkidiki (Greece) 2001

10... b4 11. Na4 Nd7 12. c4 bxc3 13. bxc3 O-O 14. Qc2 Qc7 15. d4 Na5 16. dxc5 Nc4 17. Bf2 d5 18. e5 Bc6 19. Nd4 Bxa4 20. Qxa4 Nxc5 21. Qc6 Qd8 22. Nf5 Nd3 23. Nxe7+ Qxe7 24. Bd4 Qa3 25. Rfb1 Rfc8 26. Qb7 Nc5 27. Qb4 Qxb4 28. Rxb4 Na3 29. Rb2 Na4 30. Rb3 Nb5 31. Bf1 Naxc3 32. Bf2 Ne4 33. Bxb5 axb5 34. Rxb5 Ra3 35. Rb3 Ra4 36. a3 g5 37. fxg5 Nxg5 38. h4 Ne4 39. Be1 Kg7 40. Bb4 Rc2 41. Rf1 Ra7 42. Re3 Rac7 43. Rfe1 Kg6 44. Rf3 Ra2 45. Ree3 Rc1+ 46. Rf1 Rxf1+ 47. Kxf1 Kf5 48. Rf3+ Kxe5 49. Rxf7 Nxg3+ 50. Kg1 h6 51. Rf2 Ra1+ 52. Kg2 Ne4 53. Re2 Kf4 54. Bf8 h5 55. Rb2 e5 56. Rb7 Ra2+ 57. Kg1 Ng3 58. Bh6+ Kg4 59. Rb5 Kh3 0-1, Dosedel Jiri (CZE) - Voloshin Leonid (CZE) 2400, Litomysl (Czech Republic) 1996

11. g4

White has started K-side operations. Black must react in the centre

11. Kh2 b4 12. Ne2 a5 13. Neg1 Re8 14. e5 Nd7 15. exd6 Bxd6 16. Nd2 Nf6 17. Nc4 Be7 18. Nf3 Nd5 19. Bf2 Qc7 20. Re1 Rad8 21. Qe2 Ba6 22. Nce5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Bf6 24. Rab1 Nb6 25. Qe3 Rc8 26. a3 Bb7 27. Bxb7 Qxb7 28. axb4 axb4 29. Ra1 Nd7 30. Nc4 Qd5 31. Ra6 Rc6 32. Rea1 Rec8 33. Qe2 g6 34. Ra7 R6c7 35. R7a5 Bd4 36. Be1 Rb8 37. R1a4 Qc6 38. Ra6 Nb6 39. Ra1 Re7 40. c3 bxc3 41. bxc3 Bf6 42. Rb1 Reb7 43. Na5 Qa4 44. Nxb7 Qxa6 45. Nxc5 Qc8 46. Ne4 Be7 47. c4 Nd7 48. Rxb8 Qxb8 49. d4 Qb6 50. c5 Qc6 51. Bf2 f5 52. Nd2 Bd8 53. Nf3 Bc7 54. Ng5 Nf8 55. Nf3 Nd7 56. Ne1 h6 57. Qc2 Nf6 58. Ng2 Kh7 59. Qd3 Kg7 60. Ne3 Kg8 1-0, Antal Agnes (HUN) 2043 - Hegyvari Brigitta, Balatonlelle (Hungary) 2001

11... Qc7?

Again more delay

11... d5! surely had to be played. It is more effective with White's Knight still on c3, and Bishop on e3. 12. g5 (12. e5 Nxg4 13. hxg4 d4) (12. exd5 exd5 13. d4 b4 14. Ne2 Qb6 looks even chances.) 12... d4 13. gxf6 Bxf6

12. Ne2

Regrouping to the -Kside. Also White is now able to play c3 and d4 .

12. g5 Nd7 13. h4 (13. f5 Rfe8 14. h4 Bf8 15. h5 b4 16. fxe6 fxe6 17. Ne2 Nde5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Nf4 Rad8 20. Bh3 Bc8 21. Bg2 Be7 22. g6 h6 23. Nh3 Rf8 24. Qe2 Rf6 25. Rxf6 Bxf6 26. Rf1 Rf8 27. c3 bxc3 28. bxc3 Nc6 29. Qd2 e5 30. Nf2 Bh4 31. Qe2 Qe7 32. Ng4 Bg5 33. Rxf8+ Kxf8 34. Qf3+ Ke8 35. Bxg5 hxg5 36. Ne3 Be6 37. Nd5 g4 38. Qf2 Bxd5 39. exd5 Nb8 40. Qf5 Qd7 41. Qe6+ Kf8 42. Be4 a5 43. Bf5 Qxe6 44. Bxe6 Na6 45. Bxg4 Ke7 46. Kf2 Nc7 47. c4 Kf6 48. Bd7 Kg5 49. Be6 Ne8 50. Bf7 Nf6 51. Ke3 Nxh5 52. Kd2 Kf4 53. Kc3 Ke3 54. Be6 Nf4 55. Bf5 Ne2+ 56. Kc2 Nd4+ 0-1, Breslavskaya Galina (UKR) - Son Irina (UKR) 2217, Sevastopol (Ukraine) 2000) 13... b4 14. Ne2 d5 15. e5 c4 16. d4 Qb6 17. Ng3 g6 18. h5 Na5 19. Nh2 b3 20. Ng4 Kg7 21. Nf6 Bc6 22. c3 bxa2 23. Rxa2 Nb3 24. Qg4 a5 25. Rf3 a4 26. hxg6 hxg6 27. Ngh5+ gxh5 28. Nxh5+ Kg8 29. Rh3 Rfd8 30. Nf6+ Kf8 31. Rh8+ Kg7 32. Rh7+ Kf8 33. Qh5 1-0, Relic-Radakovic Rajna (CRO) 2107 - Popovic Jelena (YUG) 2119, Belgrade (Yugoslavia) 1999

12... d5

We waited too long for the break, but the break comes at last.

But now White is able to play e5, and follow up with c3 and d4 with more space in the centre.

13. e5 Nd7 14. c3

14. Qd2 d4 15. Bf2 Rad8 16. Rae1 Nb6 17. Bg3 Qc8 18. Nh2 c4 19. f5 Bb4 20. Qg5 Kh8 21. Rd1 Nd5 22. Bxd5 Rxd5 23. f6 Rg8 24. Nf3 Qd8 25. Qh4 gxf6 26. Nf4 Nxe5 27. Nxd5 Qxd5 28. Qxf6+ 1-0, Suljovic Sulejman (YUG) 2232 - Losic Faruk, Neum (Bosnia & Herzegovina) 2002

14... Rac8

Black is still drifting, and not actually doing anything.

14... f6 belatedly starts centre undermining operations. 15. d4 fxe5 16. fxe5 Nb6 17. b3 cxd4 with a complex struggle.

15. Rc1 Rfd8?

The Rook does nothing here. It's better on f8, as the f file may become open after an f6 move.

15... f6 was still on. 16. d4 Nb6 17. dxc5? Nc4

16. d4 c4?

? Black blocks his own play on the Q-side, giving White a licence to attack with f5.

16... cxd4! 17. cxd4 Nb6 18. b3 (18. Bf2 Qd7 with an interesting middlegame.) 18... Ba3

17. f5 Bf8??

Several weak moves in a row have given Black a lost position

17... exf5 18. gxf5 Qb6 19. Qd2 b4 Black has counterplay.

18. Nf4?!

Here fxe6 first avoiding the complex 18...exf5 lines is possibly stronger.

18. fxe6! fxe6 19. Ng5 Re8 20. Nf4 transposes into the game.

18... Re8?

18... exf5!? 19. Ng5 (19. gxf5 Nb6 20. e6) (19. e6 Nf6) 19... Ncxe5 20. dxe5 Qxe5

19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Ng5

White has a winning position

20... Ndxe5?

A desperate shot that should not work.

20... Ncxe5! is better. 21. dxe5! (21. Ngxe6 Qb6 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 23. Nxd5 white has a moderate advantage ) (21. Nfxe6? Qb6 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 23. Qe2 Nd3 black is slightly better ) 21... Qxe5 22. Ne4 Rcd8 (22... dxe4 23. Qxd7 Bc5 24. Rce1 Bxe3+ 25. Rxe3 Qc5 26. Qd4 should win.)

20... Nd8 21. Qc2 g6 22. Nxh7 wins.

21. Nfxe6

21. dxe5 ! is simplest. 21... Qxe5 22. Nxd5 ! crashes through as 22... exd5? 23. Bxd5+ wins easily.

21... Qe7 22. Rxf8+

This is still winning.

22. dxe5 is again simplest. 22... Nxe5 23. Qd4 ! 23... Nc6 24. Qxd5 ! 24... Na5 25. Nd8+ !! 25... Bxd5 26. Bxd5+ Kh8 27. Ndf7+ Kg8 28. Nh6+ Kh8 29. Ngf7+ wins.

22... Rxf8 23. Nxf8??

This is a blunder.

23. dxe5 ! 23... Nxe5 24. Nxf8 Rxf8 25. Bxd5+ wins easily.

Black misses a chance

23... Rxf8??

23... Nf7! was hard to find for Black, but now it's not easy for White. 24. Qd2 Rxf8 25. Bxd5 Ncd8 26. Bxb7 Qxb7 White is a pawn up, but it is certainly not clear cut.

24. Bxd5+?

24. dxe5 was again best. 24... Nxe5 25. Bxd5+ Kh8 26. Qd4 wins.

24... Nf7

Suddenly Black has a chance.

25. Qf3?

At this point David Woodhead said "It's all over", but I said "No, Roger's just walked into Nxd4 ! move"

25. Bd2!? Ncd8 26. Qc2 g6 27. Qe4

25... Ncd8

Time trouble. Black had Nxd4 as a very interesting alternative.

25... Nxd4!? 26. Bxf7+ Kh8! 27. Qf2 Nf3+ 28. Nxf3 Rxf7 29. Bc5 Qc7 30. Re1 h6 31. Re8+ Kh7 32. Qc2+ g6 33. Qf2 Rxf3 34. Bd4 g5 35. Qc2+ Rd3 36. Rh8+ Kg6 37. Rg8+ Kh7 38. Rg7+ Qxg7 39. Bxg7 Kxg7 is an incredible variation.