Kevin Haigh - Chris Stratford
Dragons v Holme Valley Examiner Handicap (Lindley Liberal Club), 10/08/2008
[B36]
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3
Nc6 3.Nc3
[3.d4 immediately is more forcing, and has
scored 60% White.]
3...Nf6
[3...e5 ! should be played, setting up the
Botvinnik blockade. This is 51% Black !]
4.d4 The English Symmetrical Four Knights
variation, which is 63% White,so it is surprising that so many players play this as Black.
4...cxd4
5.Nxd4 Nxd4 Seldom
played.
[5...e6 is most common
6.g3 is
58% White]
[5...g6 6.e4 60%
White]
6.Qxd4 g6 7.e4
! We have now transposed into the Maroczy bind in the Sicilian defence Accelerated Dragon variation,
59% White. Now White is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Fischer, Kasparov and Karpov ! - See below
- Good company !
7...Bg7 ?
This is just too risky. Black should play d6.
[7...d6 ! is necessary to cover e5 threat,
for example...
8.Be2
(8.Bg5 Bg7 9.Qd2
8...Bg7 9.Be3
8.e5 ! Driving the Knight back. Black
now has development problems. 80% White
8...Ng8
9.Bf4 ! vacating d1 for the Rook, defending
e5 and pressure on d6.
9...d6 10.Rd1
Queen side castling is also good.
10...Bf5 ?
Here Bg4 attacking the Rook and enabling dxe5 was essential.
[10...Bg4 ! 11.f3
dxe5 12.Bxe5
Qxd4 13.Bxd4
Bxd4 14.Rxd4
Bd7 15.Kf2
11.Qe3 unpinning the e5 pawn, and bearing
down on e7.
[11.c5 ! is possibly strongest as the
d6 pawn is paralysed.
11...dxe5 ? 12.Bb5+]
11...Qa5
[11...Qb6 ! is Black's best.
12.exd6
Qxe3+ 13.fxe3
Bxc3+ 14.bxc3
Nf6 15.dxe7 advantage
White]
12.exd6 Bxc3+
[12...Qb6 is again best, but White has..
13.Nd5
Qxe3+ 14.fxe3
13.bxc3 Not recapture with the Queen
as White wants to keep the pressure on e7.
13...Qxa2 ?
Fiddling while Rome burns ! Black must not have seen White's threat.
[13...f6 This ugly move is necessary to
prevent White's next.]
14.Be5 ! wins a Rook. The point is
Black cannot play f6, as White simply takes it !
14...Be6 Attempting
to block the Queen's pressure down the e file on e7. But Black doesn't have anything now.
[14...f6 15.Bxf6
Nxf6 ? 16.Qxe7#]
15.Bxh8 Rc8
16.c5 ! This allows the King Bishop to
join the fun on b5, as well as blocking the Rook's pressure on c4
16...Rd8
17.Bb5+ Kf8
[17...Bd7 18.Bxd7+
Rxd7 19.
18.dxe7+
[18.Qe5 is actually MATE IN 9 ! says the
wonderful computer. The longest line is here for your interest.
18...f6
19.dxe7+ Kxe7
20.Qc7+ Bd7
21.Rxd7+ Ke6
22.Qd6+ Kf5
23.Bd3+ Kg4
24.Qg3+ Kh5
25.Rxh7+ Nh6
26.Bxg6#]
18...Kxe7 19.Rxd8
Kxd8 20.Qd4+
Ke7 ? Here Black is punch drunk and walks
into a one move mate.
21.Qd6#
1-0