Rapid Album: Attack with black in Sicilian (e6)

 

New Year, new ideas. Rapid Album goes on! In this article I am going to show one interesting game played recently on FICS.  It was usual Sicilian with e6. At some time white launched dangerous pawn attack against black king side , but as often happens in such positions, I found proper sequence of moves for black (exchange of d4 followed by e6-e5-exe5) and created active counter play in center...everything was done in just 23 moves! Read this post with pleasure.

[Event "Rapid Online 15 min"] [White "White"] [Black "kristijanZD"] [Result "0-1"] [FICSGamesDBGameNo "700008728"] [CO "B49"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a3 {Not usual move here, but playable. It prevents some lines with Bf8-b4 and it makes possible for white to retreat bishop to a2 in case of Bf1-c4 development.} Nf6 7. Be2 Qc7 8. Be3 d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. Rc1 {This is kind of loss of tempo. Rook does not belong here. However white's position is still ok.} Be7 11. g4 {Important moment to discuss. Pawn move g2-g4 is very common part of Sicilian def. White directly threats to push away Nf6, important defender of kingside (h7) and center (d5). Black must be prepared for this move in a two ways; prevent g4-g5 with h7-h6 or to be able to retreat knight. Second option mostly considers retreat to d7 but then bishop on c8 should be developed in some other way, and in such positions black becomes sensitive on e6 and f5 squares. And option is also to play Nc6xd4 followed by Bd7-c6.} h6 (11... Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Bc6 13. f3 $12) 12. f4 {Now white g4-g5 again and this time can not be stopped} Nxd4 {Long time ago, in one of his books, Gary Kasparov stated that black should always keep Nd4 under control i.e. to be ready to remove it when time comes. This is the moment.} 13. Bxd4 e5 {This is proper approach in such positions. Further exchange of pawn pair will ruin white's dangerous pawn formation, set the e5 square free for further Nf6-d7-e5 plans and open e file for counter play. Weakening of d5 has small impact on black position taking into considerations all the benefits mentioned, but black has to control d5 with minor piece in order to be ready for white's Nd5. In this case, defender of d5 is Bc6.} (13... Bc6) 14. Be3 exf4 15. Rxf4 Bc6 16. Qf1 O-O 17. Bc4 {White has gained strong pressure to the f7. What black can do here?} Rae8 $1 {As previously said, after exf4 e file is open and this is chance for black to make counter attack. I spotted weak Be3...} 18. h4 $2 {Big mistake. White was dreaming about attack not being aware of weakness of his position. After next move, black is finally transforming from defence to attack.} (18. Qf2) (18. Rd1) 18... d5 $1 {As it has been said before, white is seriously weak at e3.} 19. exd5 (19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Bd6 {I'll stop here and leave furhter analysis to readers. Whatever white plays here, black stands much better.}) 19... Bd6 $1 {I didn't care Bc6 at time because e3 square and compromised white's king position is of more importance.} 20. Rf3 (20. dxc6 Rxe3 21. Rxf6 $5 {The only move which could give white some chances.} Bc5 $1 (21... gxf6 22. Qf5 {with Bd3 idea} Bh2+ 23. Kh1 Qf4 24. Qxf4 Bxf4 25. Rf1 $13 {remaining endgame would be unclear, black is hanging on f4, b7 and a6 (after cxb7)}) 22. Rf2 Rg3+ {Simplest line} 23. Kh1 Bxf2 24. Qxf2 Rxc3 25. bxc3 Qxc6+ 26. Kg1 Qxc4 {Black is clearly better in endgame.}) 20... Nxg4 {Not only xe3 threat, but let us notice potential checkmate threat (Qh2) in case black moves Bd6 from b8-h2 diagonal.} 21. Re1 {I belive it was better to try Bf4 for white, although after simple Bc6-d7 black stands clearly better.} Rxe3 22. Rexe3 Bc5 23. dxc6 $4 {Final blunder. Some resistance could be made with Qe2 defending direct checkmate on h2.} (23. Qe2 Re8 $1 24. dxc6 Rxe3 25. Rxe3 Nxe3) (23. Qg2 Nxe3 24. Rxe3 Bxe3+ 25. Kh1 Bd7) 23... Qh2# 0-1