The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B26 seems a rather odd choice, since we
Hjartarson,J
Novikov,I
1: Tilburg 1992 White to play.
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ As a committed Najdorf player,
Novikov opted for 2...d6 here, and
only after 3.g3 then Nc6 4.Bg2 g6
5.d3 Bg7 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e6 7.Qd2 The most consistent
continuation;
[ instead, 7.f4 Nge7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0
transposes to 6 f4 e6 lines in Chapter
Six. ]
7...Nd4 This is generally considered
premature. Black should normally wait
for White to develop the king's knight to
either e2 or f3 before jumping to d4.
Even so, strong players play this way
from time to time in order to unbalance
the game.
[ Of Black's main alternatives, 7...Qa5
is examined Game 3 ]
[ and 7...Nge7 in Games 4-5. ]
[ The move 7...Rb8 is also very
popular, but these lines are
considered via 6...Rb8 with a later ...
e7-e6 in Chapter Three; see the first
note to Game 14 for a more detailed
description of the various
transpositions. ]
8.Nd1 The critical response, clearing the
way for c2-c3, after which the black
knight has to retreat again since there
isn't anything for it to take.
[ If White prefers simply to develop
then 8.f4 Ne7 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0
transposes to Game 33 ]
[ while 8.Nge2 Ne7 9.0-0 is covered
in Game 55 (see the note with 9
Qd2). ]
8...e5!? Moving the e-pawn again
now have the same position as in Game
9 (6...e5 7 Qd2 Nd4 8 Nd1 etc) but with
[ The more flexible 8...Ne7
is examined in the next game. ]
[ Black has also tried:
a) 8...f5 9.c3 Nc6 10.Ne2 Nf6
11.exf5 exf5 12.0-0 0-0 13.h3 Bd7
14.c4 Qb6 15.Ndc3 Rae8 16.Rfe1
Ne5 17.Nf4 Bc6 18.Ncd5 Qd8
, B.Spassky-B.Ivanovic, Niksic 1983,
and now Minic and Sindik suggest
19.Rab1 , followed by b2-b4 with a
slight advantage for White. ]
[ b) 8...Rb8 9.c3 Nc6 10.Ne2 Nge7
( 10...b5 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nge7
13.Rc1 0-0 14.b3 a5 15.h4 h5
16.g4!? hxg4 17.h5 Nb4 18.a3 Na6
19.Bh6 gave White a strong attack in
P.Lerch-I.Karim, Aix les Bains 2003 )
11.Bh6 0-0 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Ne3
e5 14.f4 f6 15.g4 exf4 16.Nxf4 b5
17.0-0 b4 18.h3 Qd7 19.Rf2 bxc3
20.bxc3 Ba6 21.Raf1 Ng8
, F.Kasioura-L.Yudasin, Ano Liosia
2000, and here White should have
played 22.Ned5 with a promising
position, intending Ne5? 23.Nc7! . ]
9.c3 Nc6
[ Retreating the other way with 9...Ne6
is also possible; e.g. 10.Ne2 Ne7
11.Bh6 0-0 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.0-0 f5
14.exf5 ( or 14.f4 at once as in Game
9, but with White having already
castled ) 14...gxf5 15.f4 Rb8 16.Ne3
and thanks to his safer king and
more coordinated pieces, White has
the better chances, L.Ljubojevic-U.
Adianto, Indonesia 1983. ]
10.Ne2 Nge7 The natural move,
[ but if Black is not ready to allow
White the option of Bh6, there are a
couple of alternatives to consider:
a) 10...Be6 can be met by 11.d4
1
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
cxd4 12.cxd4 d5!? ( 12...exd4
13.Nxd4 should be better for White )
13.Ndc3 Nge7 with a tense and
almost symmetrical position in the
centre:
A) 14.f4!? exd4 15.Nxd4 Bxd4
( 15...Nxd4 16.Bxd4 wins a pawn )
16.Bxd4 0-0 17.Bf6 and White
has the initiative.;
B) 14.Rd1!? 0-0 15.0-0 exd4
16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 dxe4
18.Bxe4 Nc6 19.Bxg7 Kxg7
20.Bd5 ( 20.Qc1!? Qb6 21.Nd5
Bxd5 22.Qc3+ f6 23.Rxd5
is probably a better option )
20...Re8 21.Rfe1 Bxd5 22.Nxd5
Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 and although
White has the initiative and
eventually won the game, Black
should be able to defend this
position, D.Neelotpal-R.Aloma
Vidal, Montcada 2013. ]
[ 10...b6 11.0-0 has been tested
several times at grandmaster level:
A) 11...Nge7 12.Bh6 0-0 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.Ne3 f6 15.f4 Rb8 ( or
15...b5 16.d4! cxd4 17.cxd4 Qb6
18.Rad1 a5 19.Kh1 Ra7 20.d5
Nd8 21.fxe5 dxe5 , as in Art.
Minasian-L.Van Wely, European
Championship, Ohrid 2001, when
22.Nc1 Qd6 23.Nd3 seems to
offer White the better chances )
16.Rf2 b5 17.h4 b4 18.h5 bxc3
19.bxc3 gxh5?! an odd decision,
weakening the kingside
considerably; ( 19...Qb6
is undoubtedly better, though after
20.fxe5 Nxe5 21.Nf4 , I would still
give White the preference thanks to
his nicely coordinated pieces )
20.Bf3 Kh8 21.Rh2 Rg8 22.Kf2
Be6 23.Rxh5 Rg7 24.d4 cxd4
25.cxd4 Bf7 26.Rh6 and Black is
under severe pressure, A.
Stripunsky-L.Van Wely,
Minneapolis 2005.;
B) 11...h5 12.h3 ( possibly
12.b4!? is White's best choice,
intending b4-b5 and c3-c4 )
12...Nge7 13.f4 ( 13.b4
is still an option ) 13...Bb7 14.f5
this certainly looks tempting, but it
may be a mistake at some level;
( then again 14.d4 exd4 15.cxd4
Ba6 16.d5 Na5 is a pretty good
Benoni for Black ) 14...gxf5 15.exf5
f6 16.d4 Qd7 17.d5 Na5 18.b3
Nxf5 19.Qd3 Bc8 , and while
White definitely has some measure
of compensation for the pawn, it is
up to him to prove it, which may not
be easy because Black's position is
both solid and flexible, G.Zaichik-
A.Bykhovsky, Rishon LeZion
1997. ]
11.Bh6
[ 11.0-0 has been played as well, but
then 0-0 followed by ...Be6 is
perfectly okay for Black. ]
11...0-0 12.Bxg7 It looks tempting for
White to throw in h2-h4 at this point,
threatening to play h4-h5, exchange on
g6 and g7, with Qh6+ and devastation
to follow, but matters are not nearly so
simple.
[ After 12.h4 , Black has a couple of
options:
A) 12...f6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Ne3
( White might consider 14.h5 g5
15.h6+ Kh8 16.Ne3 Be6 17.d4
with the more pleasant position )
14...Be6 ( 14...h5!? ) 15.Nd5
( or again 15.h5 g5 16.h6+
and so on ) 15...Bg8 ( 15...h5! )
16.f4 ( 16.h5! ) 16...Nxd5 17.exd5
Ne7 18.c4 and White has the
somewhat better chances, H.
Mossong-C.Valiente, Bled
Olympiad 2002.;
2
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B) 12...Bxh6 13.Qxh6
B1) or 13...f6 14.Qd2
( of course not 14.h5?? g5!
followed by ...Kh8 and ...Ng8
and White loses the queen )
14...Be6 15.h5 g5 16.f4 h6
and Black should be fine;
B2) 13...Kh8 14.Qd2
( my computer assesses 14.h5
Ng8 15.Qd2 Nf6 16.hxg6 fxg6
17.Ne3 as equal; I prefer White's
position on account of the break
option d3-d4 in the centre, but
ultimately White's advantage, if
we can talk about that, is tiny )
14...f6 15.Ne3 Be6 16.Nd5 b5
17.0-0 Bg4 was seen in G.
Oppici-N.Bresciani, Bratto 1996,
and now 18.Ne3 again looks
marginally better for White. ]
12...Kxg7 13.Ne3 White prevents ...d6-
d5 (at least for the moment) and in
some cases contemplates Nf5+ if
circumstances are favourable.
[ Nonetheless, 13.h4 seems more
precise here; e.g. h5 ( if 13...f6 then
14.h5 g5 as in the previous note )
14.Ne3 Be6 15.f4 d5?!
too ambitious, ( but 15...f6 16.0-0; or
15...f5 16.d4 gives White the more
promising position ) 16.f5 gxf5?
( 16...d4 is necessary ) 17.exd5 f4
18.dxc6 fxe3 19.Qxe3 Nxc6
20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qxe5+ Qf6
22.Qxf6+ Kxf6 23.Nf4 Bg4 24.0-0
and White has a huge advantage in
the endgame, A.Dgebuadze-Mark.
Hahn, Schw‫ن‬bisch Gmünd 2017. ]
13...Be6 Black intends to go forward
with his ...d6-d5 plan.
[ In another contest several years later,
13...b5 was tested: 14.0-0 b4 15.f4
f6 16.g4 a5 17.g5 fxg5 18.fxg5
Rxf1+ and a draw was agreed in P.
Mora-L.Voloshin, Lodi 2005. A
possible continuation that could justify
the rather premature decision is
19.Rxf1 Rb8 20.c4 Nd4 21.Nxd4
cxd4 22.Qf2 dxe3 23.Qf7+ Kh8
24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Qf7+ with perpetual
check. ]
[ A third option is 13...f5 , and now
14.f4 Qa5 15.0-0 Be6 is more or
less even. ]
14.h4 White is completely unconcerned
about Black pushing forward in the
centre and focuses on the recently
weakened (after the departure of the
dark-squared bishop) kingside.
[ Breaking open the centre is a
reasonable alternative and an
entirely different plan; e.g. 14.d4
cxd4 15.cxd4 exd4 16.Nxd4
and now Qb6 17.Ne2 Ne5 18.0-0
Rac8 19.b3 leads to a position I will
consider slightly favourable for
White thanks to Black's backward d6-
pawn and White's control over the d5-
square. ]
14...d5! In my opinion, the only
consistent move for Black.
[ 14...f5 , which has been suggested
elsewhere, leaves White somewhat
better after 15.f4 fxe4 16.dxe4
, although we are hardly talking about
a decisive advantage. ]
15.exd5
[ The immediate 15.h5 does not
accomplish anything for White: dxe4
( or 15...d4 16.Nc2 Ng8 17.f4 Bg4
and Black is fine ) 16.Bxe4 ( 16.dxe4
Qxd2+ 17.Kxd2 Rad8+ 18.Kc2 f5
looks decidedly pleasant for Black. )
16...f5 17.Bg2 f4!
( Blatny mentioned 17...c4!?
, but I don't see why White isn't just a
pawn up after 18.Nxc4 Bxc4
19.dxc4 ) 18.gxf4 exf4 and only Black
can be better. ]
15...Nxd5 16.h5 The simple threat is 17
3
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Nxd5 Bxd5 18 hxg6 hxg6 19 Qh6+, but
this is quite easily parried. 16...Nde7
[ In Blatny's notes to the game,
16...Nxe3 is dismissed as being an
almost losing error, but it turns out
that it is in fact fully playable: 17.Qxe3
Bd5 ( on 17...Qd6 White can
consider the strategically interesting
plan of 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Bxc6 bxc6
20.Qh6+ Kf6 21.0-0-0 Rh8 22.Qe3
Kg7 , and now 23.c4!? Bg4 24.f3
Bf5 25.Kc2 Rad8 26.Rxh8 Rxh8
27.g4 Bc8 28.Nc3 with an advantage
thanks to the knight vs. bad bishop
scenario ) 18.hxg6 was evaluated as
winning for White by Blatny, but Black
is perfectly fine after hxg6 19.Qh6+
Kf6 . ]
[ Two other options are 16...Nf6 17.f4
Qd6 ]
[ and 16...Qd6 17.Nxd5 Bxd5
18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Qh6+ Kf6 20.Qh4+
Ke6 with a pleasant position for
Black. ]
17.f4 f6? Rather than reinforcing
Black's position, this move creates
weaknesses in his defences which
White is now able to exploit.
[ Once again 17...Qd6 is a plausible
continuation for Black; e.g. 18.hxg6
fxg6! ( 18...hxg6 19.fxe5 Qxe5
20.0-0-0 Rad8 21.Nf4 is given a
preference for White by my computer,
which is not entirely unwarranted as
White's pieces are all rather well
placed ) 19.0-0-0 h5 20.Kb1 Nf5
21.Be4 with a sharp position where
both sides have a share of the
chances. ]
18.hxg6 hxg6 19.fxe5 Nxe5 20.Nf4!?
A logical move which, in conjunction
with what follows, demonstrates that
White has taken the initiative in the
game.
[ There is a complex alternative in the
immediate 20.d4 ; e.g. cxd4 21.Nxd4
(aside from the rook on a1, all of
White's pieces are actively and
aggressively placed) Qb6 22.Bxb7
A) 22...Qxb7? 23.Nxe6+ Kf7
24.0-0-0! wins for White: Kxe6
25.Qd6+ Kf7 26.Rh7+ Kg8 ( or
26...Ke8 27.Nd5 Qxb2+ 28.Kxb2
Nc4+ 29.Kc2 Nxd6 30.Rxe7+
Kd8 31.Re6 Kd7 32.Nf4
, winning a piece ) 27.Rdh1;
B) 22...Rab8 23.Bg2 Qa6 24.Bf1
Qb6 , and now after 25.b3 Qxd4
26.Qxd4 Nf3+ 27.Kf2 Nxd4
28.cxd4 , White has an extra pawn.
Even if will not be all that easy to
convert, a pawn is still a pawn. ]
20...Bf7 21.d4 cxd4 22.cxd4 N5c6
23.d5 Ne5 24.d6 So far, so good. This
was actually a a rapid game in a play-off
to get through to the next round of a
knockout tournament. I suppose both
players were getting short of time
because the rest of the game contains
an unusual amount of errors. Black's
next move is the first inaccuracy, but
the mistakes get a lot bigger, and both
players join in the mêlée, which makes
it very entertaining.
24...Ng8?! Black is concerned about the
king's safety and guards the h6-square
which potentially could be used by
White's queen with devastating effect.
[ Nevertheless, it is not clear that
24...N7c6 is a major improvement,
since White's attack looks quite scary
after 25.0-0-0 ( not 25.Bxc6? bxc6
26.Qh2?? which loses to Nf3+;
while the forcing 25.Nf5+? fails to
gxf5 26.Ne6+ Bxe6 27.Qh6+ Kf7
28.Qh5+ Ng6 29.Qh7+ Ke8
30.Qxg6+ Bf7 and Black has
successfully repelled the attack )
25...Rc8 26.Nfd5! (not only placing
this knight actively, White also
4
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
threatens Nf5+ etc) Bg8 ( 26...Rh8
27.Rxh8 Qxh8 28.Rh1 wins quickly )
27.Nf5+! gxf5 28.Qh6+ Kf7 29.Qh5+
Kg7 ( if 29...Ng6 then 30.Nf4; or
29...Ke6 30.Kb1!! Qa5 31.Nf4+ Kd7
32.Qxf5+ Kd8 33.Bd5 and wins )
30.Kb1!! (once again this "quiet" move
decides) Qxd6 31.Ne3 and Black will
have to give up the queen to prevent
mate. ]
25.Bxb7?! This is certainly one way of
clearing the second rank, but it's not the
best.
[ White should prefer 25.Bd5!
(threatening Qh2) Re8 ( or 25...Bxd5
26.Qxd5 Re8 27.Rc1 Rc8 28.Qxb7+
Qd7 29.Qxd7+ Nxd7 30.Kf2
with a large, if not decisive advantage
for White ) 26.0-0-0 ( even better
than 26.Qh2 Nf3+ 27.Bxf3 Rxe3+
28.Kf2 , which also wins ) 26...Bxd5
27.Nexd5 Qxd6 28.Qh2 Kf8 29.Qh8
Rad8 30.Rh7 Rd7 31.Rxd7 Qxd7
32.Qxg8+! and White emerges a
piece up. ]
25...Rb8
[ On 25...Nh6? , White wins with
26.Rxh6! Kxh6 27.Ne6! and it is
curtains for Black. ]
26.Qh2?! Right idea, wrong move order!
[ It was still better to play 26.Bd5
and after Re8 then 27.0-0-0 Qxd6
28.Qh2 , when White is doing well but
is by no means winning. ]
26...Re8?? Black goes seriously wrong.
[ After the correct 26...Qa5+ 27.Kf1
Rfd8 , White has to play accurately to
maintain an advantage: 28.Qh8+
( not now 28.Bd5? Bxd5 29.Qh8+
Kf8 30.Nexd5 Qa6+ 31.Kg1 Rxd6
32.Rh7 Rb7 and Black is able to
defend ) 28...Kf8 29.Bg2! Rxd6
( 29...Qb5+ 30.Kg1 Qxb2 31.Rf1; or
29...Qa6+ 30.Kg1 Qxd6 31.Rh7
Rd7 32.Kh1! leaves White with a very
strong attack ) 30.Rh7 Rd7 31.Qg7+
Ke8 32.Rh8 Qc5 33.Rxg8+ Bxg8
34.Qxg8+ Qf8 35.Qe6+ Qe7
36.Qh3 and White emerges with two
pieces for a rook, but at least Black
has found some way back into the
game. ]
27.Bd5?? White returns the favour by
making an equally large mistake.
[ The win was not difficult to find:
27.Qh8+ Kf8 28.Rh7 Qa5+ 29.Kf1
Qb5+ 30.Kg1 , when Black is out of
checks and has no satisfactory way
of meeting both 31 Qg7 mate and 31
Nxg6+ etc. ]
27...Nf3+! This was called a mistake by
Blatny in 'ChessBase Magazine', but it
is probably Black's best move.
[ The offered alternative is 27...Bxd5
28.Qh8+ ( instead, my computer
favours 28.Qh7+! and offers the
following crazy line: Kf8 29.Nexd5
g5 30.Nh5 Qa5+ 31.Nc3 Nc4+
32.Kf1 Qf5+ 33.Qxf5 Ne3+ 34.Kg1
Nxf5 35.Rf1 and White has the better
chances ) 28...Kf8
A) 29.Nfxd5 , assessed as
"unclear". In fact Nf7 30.Qh2
Qa5+ 31.Kf1 Nxd6 then gives
Black the upper hand; ( 31...-- );
B) so White should prefer 29.Rh7!
Rb7 30.Nfxd5 Rxh7 31.Qxh7
, when either Nc4 ( or 31...Qa5+
32.b4 Qa3 certainly is unclear. )]
28.Bxf3 Rxe3+ 29.Be2
[ Note that 29.Kf2?? now loses to
Rxb2+ etc. ]
29...Qxd6
[ Equally good is 29...Rxb2
, and possibly with less risk of going
wrong: 30.Qh8+ Kf8 31.Rh7
Rexe2+ 32.Nxe2 Qa5+ 33.Kf2 Qc5+
34.Kf1 Qf5+ 35.Kg1 Qc5+
with a draw. ]
30.Qh8+ Kf8 31.Rh7 White's attack
5
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
looks decisive, but Black can still
defend. 31...Ke7?? This, however, is
not the move.
[ Black can piece a defence together
with the clever 31...Ke8! , leaving the
way clear for both ...Qf8 and ...Rb7;
A) e.g. 32.Qg7 Rb7 33.Rh8 Qf8
; ( 33...-- );
B) while 32.Rxf7 can be met by
Rxe2+;
C) or if 32.Rd1 then 32...Qb4+
33.Kf2 Qc5 34.b3 ( or again
34.Rxf7 Rxe2+! 35.Kxe2 Rxb2+
36.Rd2 Rxd2+ 37.Kxd2 Qd4+
38.Kc2 Qc4+ 39.Kb2 Qxf7
and Black gains the upper hand )
34...Rb4 35.Qg7 Re7+ 36.Kf1
Qe3 37.Re1 Rxf4+ 38.gxf4 Qxf4+
39.Kg1 Qg3+ with a draw by
perpetual check. ]
32.Rd1 Good enough;
[ though White has even better moves
available: 32.Qg7! Rxe2+ 33.Nxe2
Rf8 34.Qxg6 ]
[ or 32.Rxf7+ Kxf7 33.Qh7+ Ke8
34.Qxg8+ Qf8 35.Qxg6+ Qf7
36.Qc2 , threatening Kf2 and Bh5,
and White is winning. ]
32...Qb4+? The last mistake.
[ Black could carry on a bit longer with
32...Rxe2+ 33.Nxe2 Qe6 , although
White has a big advantage after 34.b3
.]
33.Kf1 Qxb2 34.Rxf7+ Game over.
[ Black resigned because mate is just
around the corner: 34.Rxf7+ Kxf7
35.Qh7+ Kf8 ( or 35...Ke8 36.Qxg8+
Ke7 37.Nxg6# ) 36.Nxg6+ Ke8
37.Qd7# . ]
1-0
B24
Arencibia Rodriguez,W
Ubilava,E
2: Manresa 1996
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6
[ This game arrived below via 5...e6
6.Be3 Nd4 7.Qd2 ( which is
regarded as somewhat suspect for
Black in view of 7.Nce2! , as we'll see
in Chapter Eleven ) 7...Ne7 8.Nd1 d6
.]
6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Nd4 8.Nd1 Ne7 9.c3
h6!? An interesting idea; Black uses
tactics to forestall the possibility of Bh6
before retreating the knight.
[ The usual continuation is 9...Ndc6
10.Bh6 ( not 10.Ne2 b6 11.d4?!
Ba6! and White has problems in the
centre, D.Genocchio-L.Lenic, Brescia
2009; while 10.f4 gives Black the
same position as in the main game
without having had to play ...h7-h6 )
A) after 10...Bxh6 11.Qxh6 Ne5
12.Qd2 c4?! ( but 12...0-0 13.f4
N5c6 doesn't seem too bad,
despite the time Black has wasted
with the knight ) 13.dxc4 Nxc4
14.Qd4 Ne5 15.f4 N7c6 16.Qd2
Nc4 17.Qd3 Nb6 18.Ne3
, White is clearly better, I.Kosov-
E.Davydiants, Tula 2007;
B) 10...0-0 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.h4
f6 ( 12...h5 , followed by ...d6-d5,
looks fine for Black ) 13.f4 ( 13.h5
g5 14.h6+ Kh8 15.Ne2
is another option; while 13.Ne2 e5
was seen in the notes to Game 1,
though Black is not obliged to push
the e-pawn ) 13...f5?!
an odd choice, seeing as Black
only played ...f7-f6 last move;
( again 13...h5 is better ) 14.Ne3
6
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
d5?! (this definitely seems over-
ambitious) 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nf3
( or just 16.h5 ) 16...Nf6 17.Nc4
Ng4?! 18.h5 Bd7 19.hxg6 h6
20.0-0-0 and White has a big
advantage, G.Andruet-B.Kouatly,
French Championship, Ales 1984. ]
10.f4
[ Taking the knight does not do
anything for White: 10.cxd4 cxd4
11.Bf4 e5 wins the piece back, and
after 12.Ne2 exf4 13.Nxf4 0-0
14.0-0 Bd7 , Black has a comfortable
position without any problems.
QUESTION: Hang on a second,
doesn't the doubled d4-pawn count
for anything?
ANSWER: If anything, it helps Black
control more space. It is not a
weakness unless White can attack it,
which is hardly the case in this
situation. ]
10...Ndc6 Now the knight has to retreat
because White's bishop has the f2-
square available. 11.Nf3
[ 11.Ne2 is met in a similar fashion:
b6 12.0-0 Bb7 13.Nf2 d5 14.d4
dxe4 15.Nxe4 c4 16.g4 f5 17.Nf2
Na5 18.Bxb7 Nxb7 19.Ng3 Nd5
with a favourable position for Black
due to his control of the light squares,
P.Lamford-I.Csom, Wales-Hungary
match, Cardiff 1982. ]
11...b6 12.0-0 d5 13.e5 a5 14.d4
Ba6 15.Re1 c4?! QUESTION: Why
does Black close the centre? It looks
like White is further ahead with his
plans than Black is with his.
ANSWER: Ubilava must have thought
that White's kingside play with g3-g4
and f4-f5 would be less dangerous than
his own ...b6-b5-b4 break on the
queenside, especially now that the
white rook has left the f-file. However,
the game doesn't turn out that way, and
the black b-pawn doesn't reach its
destination for another thirty moves.
QUESTION: What about Black's king?
ANSWER: With the centre blocked, the
king is safe enough where it is and could,
in any case, theoretically castle either
way at any moment.
[ Instead, Black should probably
consider 15...Rc8 , defending the c5-
pawn tactically, when 16.dxc5 bxc5
17.Qf2 ( not 17.Bxc5?! Nxe5 18.Bd4
Nxf3+ 19.Bxf3 0-0 and Black has a
promising position ) 17...Qc7 18.Rc1
would lead to a quite different kind of
game with chances for both sides. ]
16.Bf2 b5 17.g4 h5 Utilizing the fact
that he hasn't castled kingside. 18.h3
[ Naturally, 18.g5 is out of the
question because it puts an end to
White's play on the kingside.
Interestingly, my computer evaluates
this position as equal even though
Black clearly has the better chances
after, say, Nf5 19.b3 b4 . ]
18...Qb6 19.Bh4! Kd7 QUESTION:
What is this madness?
ANSWER: It is not so mad. In fact this a
typical idea in the French Defence,
which the game now resembles; the
king is usually quite safe on d7 and
meanwhile the black rooks are
connected. All the same, the position is
more difficult for Black than he perhaps
anticipated.
20.Ne3
[ White might also consider 20.Bf6!? .
A) Taking the bishop is not an
option: 20...Bxf6? 21.exf6 Nc8
( while after 21...Ng8 22.g5
, the g8-knight and h8-rook are
shut out of the game ) 22.f5!
breaks in quickly.;
B) But if Black defends the bishop
with a rook, White ties him down
further with Ng5 and can then
7
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
consider play on both sides of the
board; e.g. 20...Rag8 21.Ng5 Ke8
( or 21...Nd8 22.b3 ) 22.Ne3 Bc8
23.b3 and so forth. ]
20...hxg4 21.hxg4 Bh6 Trying to
disrupt White's kingside initiative by
attacking the f4-pawn.
22.Ng5 With a similar idea to that
mentioned above: White puts pressure
on the pawns on the kingside pawns to
force Black to adopt a purely defensive
and passive posture.
[ Inserting an exchange of bishops
with 22.Bg5 Bxg5 23.Nxg5 Raf8
looks to ease Black's defence; ]
[ but 22.Bf6!? Rh7 23.Rab1
is another option, with various ideas
of Ng5, b2-b3, or Kf2-g3 and Rh1.
Note that Bxf4? runs into 24.Nxc4!
dxc4 25.Qxf4 Nd5 26.Qg3
and White is clearly better. ]
22...Raf8 23.Rf1 Nd8 24.Rf3
White has plenty of time to improve his
position, whereas it is difficult for Black
to make useful moves. The thrust ...b5-
b4 doesn't help Black at all, given that
most of his pieces are tied up elsewhere.
[ Indeed, White might do well to open
the queenside himself with 24.b3
and so on. ]
24...Bg7 25.Qf2 f5!? QUESTION: I
don't understand this move. Wasn't
Black supposed to play on the
queenside?
ANSWER: He was, but apparently he
felt that White is making so much
progress on the kingside that Black
needs to take active countermeasures
there.
QUESTION: To whose advantage is
such a change in the position?
ANSWER: In general, it has to be White
who benefits the most, since his pieces
are better placed, while the e5-square
and black pawn on e6 become
permanent weaknesses. On the other
hand, if Black does nothing, White will
just continue to build up until his
initiative becomes overwhelming. In that
sense, Black's move is a risk worth
taking, and it pays off to the extent that
White fails to find the strongest
continuation.
26.exf6 Bxf6 27.Rh3?!
[ White continues to take his time,
shuffling the pieces around, thus
overlooking a much more aggressive
option that addresses the issue of
Black's king being present in the
centre: 27.f5! gxf5 ( 27...exf5
28.gxf5 Rfg8 29.fxg6 Rxg6 30.Nh7!
is very strong too ) 28.gxf5 exf5
29.Re1! and White has a near
decisive initiative thanks to his
perfectly coordinated pieces; e.g. Kc8
30.Nxf5 Ng6 31.Bg3! Bxg5 32.Nd6+
Kd7 33.Qe2 Kc6 34.Qe4
with such threats as 34 Rxf8 Rxf8 35
Qg4+ Kc6 36 Bxd5+! Kxd5 37 Qe4
mate. ]
27...Qd6 28.Rf1 Bc8 29.Nf3
Exchanging dark-squared bishops
enhances White's control over the e5-
square. 29...Bxh4 30.Rxh4 Kc7
[ The pawn on f4 is taboo: 30...Qxf4??
31.Rxh8 Rxh8 32.Ne5+ wins the
queen. ]
31.Ne5?! It was better to exchange
rooks on h8 first. The text move gives
Black a chance to stir the pot.
31...Bd7?! This is just too passive.
[ Black should have tried 31...Rxf4!?
32.Rxh8 Rxf2 33.Rxf2 Ndc6
, even if the rooks are a bit better
than the queen in this position. ]
32.Qg3
[ Another idea is 32.g5!? , followed by
N3g4-f6, with good chances. ]
32...Be8 33.Qh2 Rxh4 34.Qxh4
Now Black is condemned to a passive
8
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
defence again. 34...Nec6 35.Rf2 Qe7
36.Qh6?! Exchanging queens would
only ease Black's defensive burden, who
can finally look to generate
counterchances with ...b5-b4. When you
have the initiative it is natural to go
forwards, but the text seems to be a
mistake.
[ Instead, my computer suggests the
backwards move 36.Qg3! , when the
opposition of white queen and black
king on the h2-b8 diagonal is soon to
be revealed by f4-f5. For example,
Nxe5 (moving the king doesn't help,
as White just plays 37 f5 anyway)
37.f5! gxf5 38.gxf5 Bc6 39.fxe6
Nxe6 40.Qxe5+ Qd6 41.Nxd5+
Bxd5 42.Rxf8 Nxf8 43.Qxd5 Qxd5
44.Bxd5 and Black faces a difficult
defence a pawn down in the
endgame. ]
36...Nxe5 37.dxe5
[ Or if 37.fxe5 , then Rxf2 38.Kxf2
Kc8 is perfectly playable for Black,
having avoided the trick 39.Bxd5! . ]
37...Qc5 38.Nc2 Nc6 39.Nd4! Nxd4
40.cxd4 Qe7 On the last move before
the time control, realizing he can't take
the d-pawn, Black cautiously retreats.
[ It is probably too much to expect him
to see the active idea of 40...Qb4
and 41...Rf7!, which seems to draw
more easily; e.g. 41.f5 ( or similarly
41.Rf1 Rf7! 42.Qxg6 Qd2 43.Qxe6
Qe3+ 44.Rf2 Rxf4 and White has to
take perpetual check ) 41...Rf7!
42.fxe6 ( or 42.Re2 c3! ) 42...Qe1+
43.Rf1 Rxf1+ 44.Bxf1 Qg3+
and so on. ]
41.a3
[ After 41.f5 gxf5 42.gxf5 Rxf5
43.Rxf5 exf5 44.Bxd5 Qd7! 45.Qe6
Qd8 46.Kf1 b4! 47.Bf3 ( or 47.Bxc4
Qxd4 ) 47...Bb5 , White's king is too
exposed for him to have serious
winning chances. ]
41...Rf7?! With the idea of ...Rh7, but
this is easily answered.
[ Instead, Black should at last play
41...b4!? with counterplay. ]
42.f5! gxf5 43.gxf5 Bd7?!
Another passive move.
[ Black should have played as before
43...Rxf5 44.Rxf5 exf5 45.Bxd5 Qd7
, though White's little extra move a2-
a3 complicates things somewhat; e.g.
46.Qe6 Qd8 47.Kf1 b4 48.Bf3 Bb5
49.a4! Qd7 50.Qg8 and Black has to
be very careful. ]
44.f6 Qf8 45.Qg6 Qe8 46.Bh3 b4
Better late than never, I suppose.
47.axb4 axb4 48.Bg4! Kb6 49.Bh5?!
After this Black can set up a blockade
of sorts.
[ 49.Rh2! is a stronger plan, intending
a timely Rh7; for example, Rf8
50.Qxe8 Rxe8 51.Rh7 c3 52.bxc3
b3 ( or 52...bxc3 53.Bd1 ) 53.Bh5 b2
54.Bg6 Rg8 55.Rg7 and so forth. ]
49...Rf8 50.f7 Qc8?? The final mistake.
[ 50...Qe7 51.Rf6 looks hideous for
Black, but White has yet to win the
game; whereas after the text Black
is heading inevitably for defeat. ]
51.Qf6 c3 52.Qe7! Perhaps the move
Black had overlooked. 52...Rxf7
53.Qxb4+ Bb5 54.Bxf7
[ Black resigned, as 54.Bxf7 c2
is effectively met by 55.Qc5+ . ]
1-0
B26
Romanishin,O
Andersson,U
3: Biel 1996
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Qa5
9
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
This somewhat strange queen
development is an effective way of
avoiding a ton of theory while offering
good chances of equalizing without too
many headaches. The one problem is
that, if you are playing for a win as Black,
White has some options that simply kill
all excitement.
8.Nf3 Out of White's possibilities here,
this move scores reasonably well.
[ Several others have been tried:
a) 8.Nd1 Qxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Nge7 10.f4
b6 11.Nf3 Bb7 12.c3 e5 13.Nf2 0-0
14.Rhf1 Rad8 15.Nh4 d5 16.Kc2
d4 and despite the queens being off
the board, it is clear that Black has
taken over the initiative, V.Podinic-
G.Cabrilo, Serbian League 2006. ]
[ b) 8.Nh3 Nd4 ( or 8...Bd7 9.0-0
Nd4 10.Kh1 Rc8 11.f4 Ne7
12.Rae1 Qb4 13.f5 gxf5 14.Bh6
Be5 15.Qc1 c4 16.dxc4 Qxc4
17.Bf4 f6 and White has some, but
not full compensation for the pawn, D.
King-C.Landenbergue, Swiss League
1999; 8...h5!? also comes into
consideration ) 9.0-0 Rb8 10.Kh1 b5
11.a3 Qc7 12.Nd1 a5 13.Ra2 Bd7
14.f4 Ne7 15.Bg1 0-0 16.Ne3 a4
17.g4 f5 and Black is clearly doing
well, F.Zeller-A.Maksimenko,
Schmiden 1995. ]
[ c) 8.f4 Nge7 ( 8...Nd4 transposes
to Game 26 ) 9.Nf3 d5 ( 9...Nd4
is also Game 26 )
A) 10.exd5 exd5 11.d4?!
probably premature; ( 11.Bf2 0-0
12.0-0 d4 13.Ne4 Qxd2 14.Nfxd2
b6 15.a3 Be6 16.Rfe1 Bd5
is equal, V.Satta-J.P.Karr, Porto
San Giorgio 2002 ) 11...0-0 12.0-0
Nf5 13.Nxd5 Nxe3 14.Qxe3?
( 14.Qxa5 Nxa5 15.Nxe3 cxd4
16.Nd5 is still more or less okay for
White ) 14...cxd4 15.Ne7+ Nxe7
16.Qxe7 Qb6 17.Kh1 Qxb2
and Black is just a pawn up, E.
Mukhametzianova-O.Zimina,
Kolontaevo 1997.;
B) 10.Bf2 0-0 ( or 10...d4 11.Ne2
Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 e5 , H.Jurkovic-D.
Radocaj, Rabac 2003 ) 11.0-0
( after 11.e5 f6 12.exf6 Bxf6
13.0-0 Nf5 14.g4?! Nfd4 15.Bg3
Bd7 16.Kh1 Rae8 , Black already
has a nice position, R.Seppeur-R.
Hübner,German League 1983 )
11...dxe4 ( or 11...d4 12.Nb1 )
12.Nxe4 Qxd2 13.Nfxd2 Bxb2
( or 13...b6 ) 14.Rab1 Bd4
15.Nxc5 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 b6
17.Nce4 Rd8 with a level endgame,
M.Aigner-V.Batangan, Sunnyvale
2002. ]
8...Nd4
[ After 8...Nf6 9.Bh6 0-0 10.Bxg7
Kxg7 11.0-0 Nd4 12.Kh1 Nxf3
13.Bxf3 Bd7 14.Bg2 Bc6 15.f4
Rae8 16.a3 d5 17.e5 Ng8 18.b4
Qb6 , it seems that White is making
real progress, yet White quickly went
for a draw: 19.f5 ( 19.b5 Bd7 20.a4
looks like a more interesting choice )
19...gxf5 20.g4 fxg4 21.b5 Bd7
22.Rf6 Kh8 23.Qg5 Nxf6
Black agrees to the draw; ( 23...Qd8
24.Ne4 Nxf6 25.Nxf6 Rg8 26.Qh6
Rg7 could be considered, but Black
has to be quite careful here ) 24.Qxf6+
Kg8 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.Qf6+ Kg8
27.Qg5+ Kh8 28.Qf6+ Kg8
½-½ A.Kislinsky-D.Fridman, Meissen
2013. ]
9.0-0 Bd7
[ Instead, 9...Ne7 10.h3 Nxf3+
11.Bxf3 Nc6 12.Bg2 0-0 13.Bf4 e5
14.Bh6 Nd4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.f4 f6
17.Rf2 Be6 18.Raf1 exf4 19.Rxf4
was played in B.Ivanovic-M.Cebalo,
Vrsac 1983, and now b5 would be
10
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
about even. ]
10.a3
[ Grandmaster Ljubojevic has tested
10.Bf4 on a couple of occasions: Qb6
11.Rab1 Rc8 12.Rfe1 Ne7 13.e5
Bc6 14.Ne4 Bxe4 15.Rxe4 d5 ( or
15...Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 dxe5 17.Bxe5
Bxe5 18.Rxe5 0-0 19.h4 Nf5 20.c3
h5 21.Rbe1 Rfd8 and Black has
completely equalized, L.Ljubojevic-
Am.Rodriguez Cespedes, Biel
Interzonal 1985 ) 16.Ree1 Nxf3+
17.Bxf3 Nc6 18.c3 0-0 19.h4 Qc7
20.Qe2 and a draw was agreed upon
in L.Ljubojevic-L.Polugaevsky, Tilburg
1985, even though there's plenty of
play left. ]
10...Ne7 11.Bh6 0-0 12.Nd5 Nec6
13.Ne7+ Kh8 14.Bxg7+?!
[ After 14.Nxc6 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Qxd2
16.Bxd2 Bxc6 , the chances are
completely even. ]
14...Kxg7 15.b4??
[ White should have played 15.Qxa5
Nxa5 16.b4 Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 Rae8
18.bxa5 Rxe7 19.Rab1 Bc6
, when he would only be a tiny bit
worse since his doubled a-pawns
are difficult to get to. ]
EXERCISE: The move order in the game
turns out to be a major blunder; can you
spot why?
ANSWER: 15...Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Nd4!
This is the star move that White without
doubt overlooked when he played 15 b4.
[ His idea was 16...cxb4 17.Nxc6
Bxc6 18.axb4 , when White has a
small advantage to work with.
Unfortunately, Black is able to remove
his own knight from capture first
(the immediate threat is of course to
the bishop, forking the king and
queen), leaving the white knight
trapped on e7. ]
17.Bd1 Qd8 Ouch! Romanishin could
just as well have resigned at this point.
18.c3 Nb5 19.bxc5 Qxe7 . White ends
up with only one pawn for the knight,
and therefore:
0-1
B26
Popovic,Du
Draskovic,L
4: Croatian League 2016
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Having recently taken up the
Scheveningen, Draskovic played
2...e6 here, transposing below after
3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.Be3
d6 . ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e6 7.Qd2 Nge7 8.Bh6 This is the main
line and in some way the key idea
behind White's set-up.
[ Nevertheless, White has several
other moves available at this point:
a) 8.Nge2 Nd4 9.0-0 is the main
alternative; we'll consider these
positions via 6 Nge2 in the notes to
Game 55. ]
[ b) 8.Nh3 0-0 9.0-0 Nd4 ( or 9...b6
10.Bh6 Bxh6 11.Qxh6 f6 12.Qd2
Bb7 13.f4 d5 14.Nf2 Qd7 15.Rae1
f5 16.Qc1 d4 17.Ne2 Kh8 18.Kh1
Rae8 and White has not
accomplished anything out of the
opening, Cu.Hansen-L.Van Wely,
European Rapid Championship, Cap
d'Agde 1996 ) 10.Bh6 Bxh6 11.Qxh6
f6 ( not 11...Nxc2?? 12.Ng5
and mates ) 12.Qd2 e5 13.f4 Qb6
14.Rab1 c4 15.Kh1 cxd3 16.cxd3
Be6 17.Rf2 Kg7 18.Rbf1 Rac8
19.Ng1 with chances for both sides, Y.
Balashov-J.Timman, Rio de Janeiro
Interzonal 1979. ]
11
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ c) 8.h4 h5 9.Nh3 Rb8 10.0-0 b5
11.Rae1 ( 11.a3 seems like a
reasonable alternative, if White
prefers to avoid the following pawn
sacrifice ) 11...b4 12.Nd1 Qa5 13.f4
Qxa2 14.f5 Be5 15.fxg6 Nxg6
16.Qf2 Rb7 17.Nf4 Nd4 18.Kh1
and White has some compensation
for the pawn, J.Hjartarson-A.Shirov,
Munich 1993. ]
8...Bxh6
[ We'll look at 8...0-0 in the next
game. ]
9.Qxh6 QUESTION: Isn't the possibility
of Qg7 now a problem for Black? It looks
as if this will win at least a pawn.
ANSWER: If Black didn't have any
counterplay or activity to
counterbalance that threat then, yes, it
would have been a problem, but after
Black's next move it becomes evident
that White's queen may not want to
stick around on h6 or g7 in the hope of
picking up a pawn.
9...Nd4
[ 9...Ng8 , with the idea of equalizing
after 10 Qg7 Qf6, is completely
unnecessary. White simply plays
10.Qd2 h5 11.h3 Nge7 12.f4 e5
13.Nf3 f6 14.Nh4 with the better
chances, M.Lazic-V.Vulevic, Bar
2010. ]
10.Qd2 The threat to c2 needs to be
addressed, and White can do that in an
additional couple of ways:
[ a) 10.0-0-0 is largely unproblematic
for Black:
A) 10...Nec6 11.Nge2 ( after
11.Qg7 Ke7 12.f4 Qf8 13.Qxf8+
Rxf8 14.Nf3 f6 15.Rhe1 Bd7
16.Ne2 e5 17.c3 Nxf3 18.Bxf3
Be6 19.Kb1 b5 , if anything Black
has the initiative in the queenless
middlegame, R.Dudek-E.Gerigk,
German League 2002 ) 11...Bd7
12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Ne2 Qa5
( or just 13...e5 14.Bh3 Rc8
15.Kb1 Bxh3 16.Qxh3 Qd7
17.Qxd7+ Kxd7 18.f4 f5 19.c3
dxc3 20.bxc3 Rhe8 and position is
completely equal, O.Chaika-Z.
Efimenko, Ukrainian League 2000 )
14.Kb1 Qa4 15.c3 dxc3 16.Nxc3
Qb4 17.d4 Rc8 18.Qg7
, and now Black should opt for
something like Na5!? ( 18...Rf8
19.Rhe1 was tricky for Black, V.
Hort-Ju.Hodgson, Wijk aan Zee
1986 ) 19.Qxh8+ Ke7 20.Qxc8
( 20.Qg7?? Nc4 ends the fun
rather promptly ) 20...Bxc8 21.Bf1
Nc6 22.d5 Nd4 and chances are
about even.;
B) 10...b5 11.Nce2 e5 12.Nxd4
cxd4 13.Ne2 Be6 14.Kb1 Nc6
15.Nc1 Rc8 16.f4 Nb4 17.f5 gxf5
18.exf5 Bxf5 19.Rd2 Be6
with a sharp position where Black
should not be worse, Jo.Horvath-
Ad.Horvath, Austrian League
2011.;
C) 10...Qa5 11.Kb1 Bd7 12.Nge2
Nec6 13.h4 0-0-0 14.h5 b5
15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.e5 d5 17.Qd2
Qc7 18.f4 b4 19.Ne2 Nb5 20.c3
bxc3 21.Nxc3 Nd4 was played in
N.Short-S.Movsesian, Sarajevo
2000, and now 22.Ne2
( whereas after 22.Rc1 Kb8
23.Ne2 Qb6 , the game soon
ended in a draw ) 22...Nxe2
23.Qxe2 Bb5 24.Rc1 Kb8 25.Qd2
would have left White with a
somewhat preferable position. ]
[ b) 10.Rc1 Qb6 11.Nd1 e5 12.c3
Ndc6 13.Qg7 Rg8 14.Qf6
( or similarly 14.Qxh7 g5 ) 14...g5
15.Nf3 Rg6 16.Qh8+ Rg8 17.Qf6
Rg6 18.Qh8+ Rg8 19.Qxh7
left White a pawn up, but with
12
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
decent compensation for Black in
view of White's interesting queen
position, T.Migot-B.Kohlweyer, Metz
2014. ]
10...e5
[ Again 10...Qa5 is a valid option:
11.Nf3 ( 11.Nge2 Nec6 12.a3 Nxe2
13.Nxe2 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 is dull and
equal, D.Vargic-Zo.Jovanovic,
Bizovac 2007 ) 11...Nec6 12.0-0
Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Nd4 14.Bg2 Bd7
15.f4 f5 16.Qf2 0-0-0 17.Nd1 fxe4
18.Bxe4 was played in E.
Kovalevskaya-E.Korbut, St
Petersburg 2001, and here Nc6 ( or
18...d5 would have offered Black
about level chances. )]
11.h4
[ 11.Nd1 0-0 12.c3 Ndc6 13.Ne2 d5
14.exd5 Nxd5 is pleasant for Black
despite the absence of the dark-
squared bishop, T.Kulhanek-M.
Simantsev, Prague 2015. ]
11...f6 12.Nd5 This is not going to rock
Black's boat too much,
[ but neither does 12.f4 Bg4 13.Nd1
Qd7 14.Ne3 Be6 15.c3 Ndc6
16.Nd5 Rf8 17.Ne2 0-0-0 18.0-0-0
Bg4 19.Ne3 Be6 , intending ...d6-d5,
and Black clearly has solved his
opening problems, O.Maiorov-A.
Bragin, Russian Team Championship
1996. ]
12...Nxd5 13.exd5 0-0 Black is not
afraid of ghosts; there is nothing for
White to pursue on the kingside. 14.c3
[ 14.h5 g5 15.h6 does not threaten
the safety of Black's king. ]
14...Nf5 15.Ne2 b6 16.0-0-0 Bb7?!
[ My computer is so bold as to suggest
that the provocative 16...h5!?
is the best move; e.g. 17.f3 Ng7
18.Rdg1 b5 19.Bh3 f5 and I would
honestly prefer to play Black. ]
17.f4 Ne7
[ Here 17...h5 is ugly but necessary. ]
18.h5 This is now a problem for Black,
since White can open up the kingside
without any issues. Black could find
nothing better than to give up a pawn for
no compensation at all.
18...g5 19.fxg5 fxg5 20.Qxg5+ Kh8
21.h6 Ng6 22.Qe3 Bc8 23.Bf3 Bd7
24.Kb1 Qe7 25.Rdf1 Rf6 26.g4?
White seems to have been lacking a
plan over the last few moves, but the
text just throws the majority of his
advantage away, leaving the f4-square
in Black's hands.
[ 26.c4!? Raf8 27.Nc3 , followed by
Ne4, looks like the way to go. ]
26...Raf8 27.Ng3 R6f7 . Now that
Black has decent compensation for the
pawn, the players settled on a draw.
1/2
B26
Adams,Mi
Ward,C
5: Southend 2001
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Nge7
8.Bh6 0-0 Rather than take the bishop
straight away, Black takes the
opportunity to castle first. 9.h4
[ Exchanging on g7 is an important
alternative: 9.Bxg7 Kxg7 10.Nge2
( 10.f4 Nd4 11.Nce2 Nec6 12.c3
Nxe2 13.Nxe2 d5 14.e5 b6 15.0-0
Bb7 16.Rf2 f6 17.d4 was played in
E.Lobron-M.Dlugy, New York 1983,
when f5 18.Qe3 Na5!? promises
Black a comfortable position ) 10...e5
11.f4 ( or 11.0-0 Be6 12.f4 exf4
13.Nxf4 Nd4 14.Rf2 Nec6 15.Ncd5
Ne5 16.c3 Ndc6 17.h3 Bxd5
18.Nxd5 Ne7 19.Ne3 and with the
13
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
option of d3-d4 in hand, White has
a pleasant position, A.Kharitonov-V.
Tilicheev, Moscow 2010 ) 11...f6
12.0-0 Be6 13.Rf2 Qd7 14.Raf1
Nd4 15.Nd1 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Bg4
17.Qd2 Bxd1 18.Rxd1 Nc6 19.Rdf1
b5 20.h4 exf4 21.Rxf4 left White
with a small but clear advantage, D.
De Vreugt-Z.Medvegy, Zug 2001. ]
9...Bxh6 QUESTION: Isn't this
dangerous? White is about to open the
h-file towards Black's king and now the
queen is invited to h6?
ANSWER: It is actually a perfectly
acceptable idea. As we will see below,
the problem for White is that he cannot
keep the queen on h6 and still play h4-
h5.
[ In any case, the alternatives are
worse for Black:
a) 9...f5? 10.h5 Rf7 11.hxg6 hxg6
12.Bxg7 Rxg7 13.Nf3 d5 14.exd5
exd5 15.d4 c4? 16.Qh6 (Black is
completely busted) Kf8 17.0-0-0 Be6
18.Qe3 Qd7 19.Ng5 Bg8 20.Rh8
b5 21.Re1 b4 22.Ne6+ Kf7 23.Qh6
1-0 V.Slovineanu-V.Jianu, Bucharest
1998. ]
[ b) 9...f6 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.h5
( after 11.Nge2 e5 12.Nd1 Nd4
13.Ne3 f5 14.exf5 Nexf5 15.0-0
Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Nd4 17.Qd1 Be6
18.c3 Nc6 19.Qa4 Qd7
, Black equalized in L.Ljubojevic-An.
Sokolov, Madrid 1988 ) 11...g5
12.h6+! Kh8 13.f4 gxf4 14.gxf4 Rb8
15.Nf3 Ng6 16.Ne2 b5 17.d4 cxd4
18.Nfxd4 Nxd4 19.Nxd4
and the veteran Danish grandmaster
as White was in charge of the game,
Jen.Kristiansen-A.Tari, Stockholm
2013. ]
10.Qxh6 f6 QUESTION: So what
happens after h4-h5 - ?
ANSWER: Black plays ...g6-g5 and, all
of a sudden, White's queen is trapped
on h6. Black follows up with ...Kh8 and
...Ng8.
[ Instead, 10...Kh8 is a little panicky
and unnecessary: 11.h5 Ng8 12.Qd2
g5 13.Nge2 e5 14.f4 h6 15.0-0-0
Nd4 16.Rdf1 f6 17.Nd5 and White is
clearly better, D.Shahinyan-V.
Usmanov, World Youth Olympiad,
Burdur 2010. ]
11.Qd2 White may as well retreat the
queen because he cannot get any
further with her on h6.
[ The alternative is 11.Nge2 Nd4 ( or
11...Rb8 12.Qd2 b5 13.a3 a5
14.0-0 Kg7 15.d4 Qb6 16.dxc5
dxc5 17.b3 Ba6 18.Rfd1 Rbd8
and Black already has a pleasant
position, A.Pihlajasalo-I.Fancsy,
Dos Hermanas blitz 2004 ) 12.0-0-0
e5 13.Bh3 Bxh3 14.Rxh3 b5
15.Kb1 Qd7 16.Rhh1 b4 17.Nxd4
cxd4 18.Ne2 Rac8 19.Qd2 a5
and Black is obviously doing fine, V.
Grokhotov-A.Zatonskih, Kharkov
1999. ]
11...e5 12.h5
[ Understanding that Black is
essentially okay after 12 h5, White
has also tried 12.f4 h5 ( or 12...Bg4
13.Bh3 Qd7 14.h5 gxh5 15.f5 Rf7
16.Bxg4 hxg4 17.Rh4 Rg7 18.Nd1
d5 19.Nf2 Kh8 20.Nxg4 Ng8
21.0-0-0 Rd8 with chances for both
sides, A.Ledger-I.Novikov, Port Erin
1996 ) 13.Nf3 Kg7 14.0-0 Nd4
15.Rf2 Be6 16.Raf1 Qd7 17.Nh2
Rad8 18.Nd1 exf4 19.Rxf4 d5
and in my opinion Black has a
pleasant position, H.Hamdouchi-M.
Bezold, French League 1999. ]
12...g5 13.h6 Be6
[ After 13...Ng6 14.Nd5 Nce7 15.Ne3
Be6 16.Ne2 d5 17.exd5 Nxd5
18.Nc3 Nge7 19.0-0-0 Nxe3
14
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Qxe3 Qd4 21.Ne4 , White has a
positional plus, as the light squares
in Black's position can easily give him
some long-term headaches, B.
Golubovic-S.Boyd, Cannes 1996. ]
14.f4 gxf4 15.gxf4 Kh8 16.Nd5 Bxd5
[ Rather than capturing on d5
immediately, Black should probably
have played 16...Qd7!? 17.0-0-0 ( or
17.Nxe7 Qxe7 18.f5 Bf7 19.a3 Rg8
and Black is by no means worse )
17...Bxd5 18.exd5 Nb4 19.Kb1
Nbxd5 20.Ne2 Rg8 21.Rhg1
, when White has compensation for
the pawn but no more than that. ]
17.exd5 Nb4 18.a3 EXERCISE: Can
Black win a pawn on d5?
18...Nbxd5??
[ ANSWER: No. Black should have
played 18...Na6 , although his
position after 19.0-0-0
is unenviable. ]
19.Bxd5 Nxd5 20.Qg2! No pawn win
for Black – rather a piece loss! Ward
could have resigned at this point, since
his position is completely lost, but he
fought on for a long time.
20...Qe7 21.Qxd5 exf4+ 22.Qe4
Qxe4+ 23.dxe4 Now the queens have
come off as well. 23...Rae8 24.0-0-0
Rxe4 25.Nf3 White might just have
taken on d6, but it doesn't really matter:
Black's three pawns are too weak to be
worth anything like a piece.
25...Re6 26.Rh4 f5 27.Rdh1 Rg6
28.Rxf4 Rff6 29.Rfh4 Kg8 30.Rh5
Rg4 31.R5h2 Kf7 32.Kd2 Rfg6
33.Rf2 Rg2 34.Ke2 Kf6 35.Kf1 Rxf2+
36.Kxf2 d5 37.c3 b6 38.Rd1 Ke6
39.Re1+ Kf6 40.Re5 Rxh6 41.Rxd5
Rh1 42.Kg3 Rb1 43.Rd6+ Ke7
44.Rd2 h6 45.Kf4 Ke6 46.Rh2 Kd5
47.c4+ Kc6 48.Kxf5 Kb7 49.Ke4
1-0
B25
Carlsen,Ma
Wojtaszek,R
6: Tromsّ Olympiad 2014
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Wojtaszek also tried 2...d6
, in case White felt like entering a
Najdorf after all, but Carlsen wasn't
interested, so 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6
5.d3 Bg7 etc led to the position
below. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e5 7.Nh3
[ The consistent 7.Qd2 is the main
continuation here and is examined in
Games 8-12. The text move is little
played but prepares the advance f2-f4,
intending to recapture with the knight
if Black takes on f4. ]
[ 7.Nge2 with the same idea is the
subject of the next game. ]
[ The drawback with playing 7.f4
at this moment is that exf4
( otherwise 7...Nge7 8.Nf3 Nd4
9.0-0 0-0 transposes to the 7 Nf3 line
in Chapter Seven ) 8.Bxf4 has wasted
time with the bishop. After Nge7
9.Qd2 Nd4 10.Nge2 Nxe2 11.Qxe2
Be6 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Nd1 0-0 14.c3
Re8 15.Qd2 d5 , Black already has
the more pleasant position, S.Vibbert-
G.Kamsky, Arlington 2015. ]
[ Other moves:
a) 7.Nf3 is somewhat illogical here;
but for what it's worth, Nge7 8.0-0
transposes to Game 53 in Chapter
Ten. ]
[ b) 7.h4?! is not a terribly convincing
plan even if it makes a little sense –
okay, only a little: h5 8.Bh3
(the idea behind the previous move,
to exchange light-squared bishops in
order to claim the d5-square) Bxh3
15
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9.Nxh3 Qd7 10.Nd5 Nce7 11.c4 b5
( 11...Nxd5 12.cxd5 Nf6
is also perfectly playable for Black )
12.b3 Rb8 13.Ng5 Nxd5 14.cxd5
Nf6 15.0-0 0-0 with more or less
even chances, An.Sokolov-P.Chomet,
French League 2008. ]
[ c) 7.Nd5?! is both premature and
harmless: Nge7 8.Nxe7 Qxe7 9.Ne2
Be6 10.0-0 0-0 11.c3 Rad8 12.f4
f5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Qd2 Kh8
( 14...e4!? 15.d4 Na5
looks promising ) 15.Rae1 Qd7
with a comfortable position for Black,
M.Narciso Dublan-S.Ionov, Vendrell
1996. ]
7...Nge7
[ Another option is 7...h5!?
, an idea we will see more than once
in this chapter: 8.Nd5 Bg4 9.f3 Be6
10.c3 Nge7 11.Nxe7?! ( 11.f4!?
is a definite improvement ) 11...Qxe7
12.Ng5 Bd7 13.h4 Bh6 14.Qd2 f6
15.Nh3 Bxe3 16.Qxe3 0-0-0
is better for Black, C.Renner-Ad.
Horvath, Austrian League 2012. ]
8.f4
[ Castling first makes little difference,
since f2-f4 is the only logical follow-up.
Indeed, 8.0-0 0-0 9.f4 exf4!?
( 9...Nd4 just transposes to our main
game ) 10.Nxf4 Rb8 ( or 10...Ne5
11.h3 Be6 12.Qd2 Qd7 13.a3 Rae8
14.Kh2 b6 15.g4 Qd8 16.Kh1 Bc8
17.Qe1 Bb7 18.Qg3 Qd7 19.Rae1
and chances are more less even at
this point, B.Spassky-R.Franke,
German League 1981, though I would
argue that it is easier to play White,
who eventually won the game against
his much lower-rated opponent ) 11.a3
b5 ( or 11...Ne5 12.Kh1 b6 13.Qe2
Bb7 14.g4 N7c6 15.h3 Qd7
and Black has equalized, B.Spassky-
G.Sax, Reykjavik 1988 ) 12.Qd2 ( or
12.Rb1 a5 13.Ncd5 b4 14.axb4
axb4 15.Rf2 Ne5 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7
and Black should be quite pleased
with his position at this point, L.
Christiansen-N.De Firmian, Palo Alto
1981 ) 12...a5 13.Rab1 b4 14.Ncd5
Bb7 15.c3 bxa3 16.bxa3 Ne5
17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.h3 Bc6
and once again Black has solved his
opening problems satisfactorily, A.
Strikovic-D.Lima, Yerevan Olympiad
1996. ]
8...Nd4
[ Equivalently, 8...0-0 9.0-0 Nd4
transposes below ]
[ while 8...exf4!? 9.Nxf4 0-0 10.0-0
returns to the previous note. ]
9.0-0 0-0
[ Black has several reasonable
alternatives at this point:
a) 9...exf4!? is still possible, but the
d4-knight is usually better posted on
e5 in such positions; e.g. 10.Nxf4 0-0
11.Nfd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Be6 13.Nf4
Bd7 14.Qd2 Ne6 15.Nd5 Nc7
16.Nf4 Bc6 17.c3 Re8 18.Rae1
is assessed as equal by my computer,
but I prefer White's position which
seems simpler to play, L.Pliester-H.
Ree, Amsterdam 1985. ]
[ b) 9...Bd7 10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Nd5
Nxd5 12.exd5 Rc8 13.b4 b6
14.bxc5 bxc5 15.c4 0-0 16.Rb1 h6
17.Kh1 Rb8 with a complex position
and approximately even chances,
although in this case, I would prefer
to play Black as it seems a little
easier for him to find a concrete plan,
A.Guseinov-A.Shirov, Klaipeda 1988.
]
[ c) 9...h5!? is part of an ambitious
game plan: 10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Nd5
Black now grabs the initiative;
( instead, 11.Bg5 Qd6 12.Bxe7
Qxe7 13.Nd5 Qd8 14.Nf2
16
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
would be more or less equal, even if I
like the knight on d5 a great deal )
11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Bg4 (this move
and Black's next two were the idea
behind ...h7-h5) 13.Qd2 Ne2+
14.Kh1 h4 15.Bg5 ( on 15.Nf2
, Black has Nxg3+ 16.hxg3 hxg3+
17.Kg1 gxf2+ 18.Qxf2 f5
with a good game, although things
are far from clear ) 15...f6 16.Bxh4
Bxh3? Black throws everything away;
( the best option is 16...g5 17.Nf2
Qd7 18.Nxg4 Qxg4 with a sharp
position and chances for both sides )
17.Bxh3 Nd4 ( 17...g5 18.Qxe2
gxh4 19.Qe4 also very much favours
White ) 18.c3 Nb5 19.d4 cxd4
20.Qd3 Qxd5+ 21.Bg2 Qd7
22.Qxg6+ Qf7 23.Qd3 Nd6 24.cxd4
with a large advantage for White, F.
Leveille-D.Anagnostopoulos, Paris
1996. ]
10.Qd2
[ 10.Rf2 has also been tried,
protecting the c2-pawn and freeing
the queen to run to h5 (for example,
after f4-f5 and ...g6xf5), as well as
making room to double the rooks.
This was tested in a top
correspondence game: Rb8 11.a4 f6
12.g4 f5 ( my computer likes
12...Qb6 13.b3 Be6 a lot, but the
positions after 14.f5 Bf7 15.Qd2
are exactly of the kind White wants
to obtain and Black to avoid ) 13.gxf5
gxf5 14.Qh5 Bd7 15.fxe5 dxe5
16.exf5 Qe8 17.Qxe8 Rbxe8
(although it looks a bit messy at the
moment, the game soon peters out in
a draw) 18.Ng5 Nexf5 19.Bd5+ Kh8
20.Bxd4 exd4 21.Nce4 Ne3 22.Nf7+
( 22.Nxc5 Nxd5 23.Nxd7 Rxf2
24.Kxf2 h6 25.Ne4 Rc8
is more complicated, but White has
no advantage and I don't blame him
for not heading down this path )
22...Kg8 23.Nh6+ and a draw was
agreed before they actually started
repeating moves, M.Olesen-F.Serban,
correspondence 2007. ]
10...Bd7
[ Several strong players have given
preference to 10...Bg4 , with the idea
that after 11 Nf2 Be6, the knight is
misplaced on f2. Instead, White has
tried various different moves:
A) 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Nf2 Be6
13.Ncd1 b6 14.c3 Ndc6 15.Bh6
Qd7 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Ne3 Rad8
is quite satisfactory for Black, A.
Ledger-A.Kosten, British League
1996.;
B) 11.Kh1?! Qd7 12.Ng1 Be6
13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 Ndf5
15.fxe5 Bxe5 16.c3 Nxe3
17.Qxe3 Rae8 18.Rae1 Qa4
and Black has the initiative, E.
Relange-H.Stefansson, World
Junior Championship, Buenos
Aires 1992. ( 18...-- );
C) 11.Ng5 h6 12.Nf3 exf4
13.gxf4 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Nxf3+
15.Rxf3 f5 16.Rg3 Kh7
is complex and with chances for
both sides, J.Koch-I.Nataf, French
League 2001. ]
[ Alternatively, 10...Rb8 is perfectly
playable; e.g. 11.Rf2 b5 12.Raf1 b4
13.Nd1 Bg4 14.f5 ( or 14.fxe5 dxe5
15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 Ne6 ) 14...gxf5
15.c3 bxc3 ( 15...b3 16.a3 Nc2
is met by 17.exf5 f6 18.Ng5! )
16.bxc3 fxe4 17.dxe4 Ne6 18.Bh6
Bxd1 19.Rxd1 Rb6 20.Bxg7 Kxg7
21.Bf1 Qd7 22.Bc4 f6 23.Rdf1 h6
24.Kh1 d5 25.exd5 ½-½ V.Ciocaltea-
F.Gheorghiu, Rumanian
Championship, Bucharest 1966. ]
11.Nd1 Qc8
[ Once again Black can consider
17
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
11...exf4 , even if seems
counterintuitive to let the h3-knight
get into the game in a constructive
fashion: 12.Nxf4 Ne6 13.c3 Nxf4
14.Bxf4 Be6 15.Bh6 d5 ( 15...Nc6
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Ne3 looks more
pleasant for White ) 16.Bxg7 Kxg7
17.Qf4 Rc8 18.Ne3 ( or 18.Qe5+
Kg8 19.exd5 Nxd5 20.Nf2 Qc7
21.Rae1 with a smudge of an edge
for White ) 18...d4 ( here 18...Kg8
19.c4 dxc4 20.dxc4 Qd4 21.b3 Nc6
22.Rad1 Qe5 23.Nd5 Kg7
is about equal ) 19.Qe5+ Kg8 20.Nd5
Bxd5 21.exd5 and White has the
better game, H.Jurkovic-K.Hulak,
Pula 1994. ]
12.Ndf2 QUESTION: This looks very
artificial; the knight on f2 is now tied to
the defence of the knight on h3 which
really does not have anywhere to go.
Surely White cannot be better at this
point?
ANSWER: The position is roughly equal,
though of course this is still early on in
the game. With regards to your
observation about the coordination of
the white pieces, you are absolutely
right, it looks a little odd, but there are
no real threats on either side so this is
perfectly fine for now. That said, Black's
latest move does not accomplish much
either. In fact, in what follows, Black
seems to be playing without any real
plan or purpose, a dangerous situation
against the World Champion.
12...Ndc6 QUESTION: Now why would
Black do this? The knight is not
threatened as far as I can see.
ANSWER: This is prophylaxis; Black
anticipates the forthcoming c2-c3 and
decides that he might as well retreat the
knight at once.
[ The immediate 12...b5 was equally
good, when 13 c3 Ndc6 would
transpose, but perhaps Black wished
to avoid the possibility of 13.fxe5
dxe5 14.c3 , when the knight has to
go back to e6 instead. ]
13.c3 b5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Bh6 N7c6
Despite not having made any obvious
errors, Black already seems to be
slightly on the defensive.
[ My computer likes 15...Qa6
, but after 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nf4
(as in the game), White appears to be
at least slightly better; e.g. Rfc8
18.d4 cxd4 19.cxd4 Nc4 20.Qe2
Qb6 21.Rad1 and it is clear that his
position is preferable. ]
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nf4 Qd8?!
Only now does it become truly evident
that Black has no plan.
[ A more active continuation could be
found in 17...b4 and now, for
instance, 18.d4 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nc4
20.Qe2 Qa6 at least gives Black
some measure of counterplay. ]
18.Rad1 Rc8 19.Qe2 h5 QUESTION:
Isn't it risky to play like this for Black,
exposing the king by moving the
kingside pawns forward?
ANSWER: Good point! Normally you
would not recommend such a strategy.
Here Black wants to lay claim to the g4-
square in order to exchange one or
more minor pieces while restricting
White's activities on that flank.
Nevertheless, it does represent a long-
term weakness that Black may end up
paying for.
20.d4 cxd4 21.cxd4 Ng4 22.h3 Nxf2
23.Qxf2 Undoubtedly, Carlsen was very
happy with his position at this point.
White has two nice central pawns,
excellently coordinated pieces, and
pressure down the f-file; whereas
Black's pieces are far more passively
placed, he struggles both to find activity
and an obvious plan. Despite my
18
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
computer only evaluating this as
marginally better for White, he is clearly
holding a solid advantage.
23...Ne7 To prevent White from playing
Nd5. 24.Rd3 b4 25.Rf3 Qe8
[ Instead, 25...Kg8 seems slow and
odd, but it makes a lot of sense to get
away from potential tactics that
include Rxf7+ with mate around the
corner. ]
EXERCISE: How should White best
make use of his initiative?
ANSWER: 26.g4!? A solid punch in the
face for Black, who might have thought
that his earlier ...h7-h5 would have
helped prevent this expansion from
happening.
[ Alternatively, White could consider
26.d5 Kg8 27.Qd4 a5 and now
28.Qf6 ( or first 28.R3f2 with a clearly
better game in either case. However,
the text move is far more complicated
for Black to deal with. )]
26...hxg4 27.hxg4 Bb5
[ EXERCISE: What happens if Black
takes the pawn?
ANSWER: He lands into a load of
trouble that he cannot get out of:
27...Bxg4? 28.Rg3 Qd7 29.Bh3
Bxh3 30.Nh5+ and White will either
win Black's queen or mate him. ]
28.Re1 Qd8 29.g5 Ruthlessly attacking
the squares around Black's king – the
absence of the dark-squared bishop is
felt more strongly than one might
initially have expected.
[ Another option is 29.d5 Qb6 ( or
29...Bd7 30.Qd4+ Kg8 31.g5 )
30.Qxb6 axb6 31.Rb3 and White
wins a pawn. While this looks
comfortably better for White, Carlsen
must have realized that the game
continuation puts Black under
further pressure. ]
29...Qb6 EXERCISE: It looks as if Black
is getting back into the game; how
should White continue?
ANSWER: 30.Bh3! Rcd8 31.Be6!
The threat is 32 Nh5+ gxh5 33 Rxf7+
with mate in a few moves. 31...Be8
32.Nd5 Not quite the strongest move
according to the computer,
[ which prefers 32.Rh3 ; e.g. Bd7
33.Nh5+ gxh5 34.Qf6+ Kg8
35.Rxh5 and Black can only delay the
mate. Nevertheless, the text wins the
game after just one more move from
each side so it is difficult to argue
efficiency. ]
32...Nxd5 33.Bxd5 QUESTION: What?
I understand that Black is worse, but
resigning seems quite premature.
ANSWER: It may seem premature, but
in view of the threat of Rh3 and Qf6+,
Black is completely toast and clearly
preferred not to see it through to the
end.
[ Let's take a quick look at what could
have happened: 33.Bxd5 Rd7
(overprotecting f7 with the option of
allowing the queen to return to d8 to
put a little plug in the holes on the
dark squares) 34.Rh3 Rg8 ( not
34...Qd8 35.Qh4 and Black will have
to give up the queen to avoid getting
mated on the next move ) 35.Rh7+
( the computer prefers to play 35.e5
first ) 35...Kf8 (the rook cannot be
captured on account of Qh4+ and
Qh6 mate) 36.e5 f5 this move isn't
possible via the computer's move
order; ( all the same, after 36...dxe5
37.Rxe5 Qc7 38.Qh4 Qc1+ 39.Kh2
Qd2+ 40.Kg3 Qd3+ 41.Bf3
, Black is out of checks and done for )
37.exf6 Rxh7 38.Rxe8+ Kxe8 39.f7+
and White wins easily. ]
1-0
19
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B26
Movsesian,S
Tischbierek,R
7: German League 2007
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ This game took a more unusual
course: 2...d6 3.Nge2 e5 4.g3 g6
5.d3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Bg2
, before reaching the position in the
first diagram below. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e5 7.Nge2 While this is a standard
development for Black in the reversed
position from the English, it is too quiet
to offer White realistic chances of an
edge in the Closed Sicilian. But of
course Movsesian had no choice over
his knight placement at this point,
having played Ne2 on move three.
7...Nge7 Black has other options here,
but they generally come to the same
thing since the knight will usually go to
e7 anyway.
[ For instance, 7...Be6 8.Qd2 Nd4
9.0-0 Ne7 ]
[ and 7...Nd4 8.0-0 Ne7 9.f4 0-0
10.Qd2 are just alternate routes to
lines given in the note to White's
ninth move below. ]
[ Otherwise 7...Nf6 8.h3 transposes
to Game 20 in Chapter Four. ]
8.Qd2 The normal move, along with
castling.
[ White has also tried 8.Nd5?!
, but this is mistaken before ...Be6
has been played, since Black obtains
an easy game by taking the knight:
Nxd5 9.exd5 Ne7 10.c3?!
(I'm not entirely sure as to the
purpose of this move, and White's
next moves do not really make any
sense either) 0-0 11.h4 Bg4 12.Qb3
Rb8 13.Qa4 h5 14.Nc1 Qc7 15.0-0
Rbe8 and Black's position definitely
leaves a better impression, M.
Askarov-S.Sjugirov, Russian Team
Championship 2007. ]
8...Nd4 9.h3!? With an interesting idea
in mind.
[ The standard continuation of 9.0-0
A) 9...0-0 10.f4 gives Black few
difficulties:
A1) 10...Be6 11.h3 Qd7
12.Kh2 Rae8 13.Rae1 b6
14.g4 Nxe2 15.Nxe2 exf4
16.Nxf4 d5 ( or 16...Qa4 17.c3
Bc8 ) 17.Nxe6 Qxe6 18.exd5
Nxd5 and Black has obviously
solved all opening problems, Mi.
Adams-B.Lalic, Southend 2000.;
A2) 10...Rb8 11.a3 ( or 11.h3
b5 12.g4 b4 13.Nd1 Nxe2+
14.Qxe2 exf4 15.Bxf4 Nc6
16.Qd2 Be6 and Black is doing
absolutely fine, J.Cubas-A.
Bachmann Schiavo, Luque
2012 ) 11...b6 12.Rf2 Bb7
13.Raf1 f5 14.fxe5 dxe5
15.Bg5 Qd7 16.Nc1 Rf7
and Black has a comfortable
position and more space, L.
Yudasin-M.Krasenkow, Tallinn
(rapid) 1988.;
B) Alternatively, 9...Be6
transposes to Y.Lapshun-H.
Gretarsson, Riga 2015, which
continued 10.Bxd4 ( 10.f4 Qd7
11.Rf2 0-0 is much the same as
above ) 10...cxd4 11.Nd5 0-0
12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.c3 dxc3
14.Nxc3 Rac8 15.Rac1
. This position could easily be
evaluated as equal, but Black finds
an elegant way of demonstrating
why the two bishops are stronger
than White's bishop and knight: h5!
16.Bf3 Kh7 and thanks to his
control of the c1-square via ...Bh6,
20
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Black has a comfortably superior
position. ]
9...0-0
[ Instead, Hou Yifan-Ju Weng,
Hangzhou 2011, saw 9...Be6 10.f4
Qb6 11.Nd1 0-0 12.0-0 d5 13.c3
Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 d4 15.Bf2 Qd6
, with a position that looks like a
reversed King's Indian, but where the
King's Indian player has played some
really weird moves. ]
10.g4 White begins play on the kingside
straight away.
[ He couldn't castle now in any case,
since 10.0-0? runs into Bxh3!
, winning a pawn. ]
10...Be6 11.f4 f5?! This typical
reaction to the kingside pawn storm
looks mistaken with White's king still
able to go to the queenside.
[ Instead, after 11...Nxe2 12.Nxe2
( or 12.Qxe2 exf4 13.Bxf4 Qb6
14.0-0-0 Bxa2 ) 12...exf4 13.Nxf4
Bxb2 14.Rb1 Bf6 15.Nxe6 fxe6
16.Rxb7 Qc8 17.Rb1 Bd4
, Black has no reason to complain
about his position. ]
12.gxf5 gxf5 13.0-0-0 Qa5 14.a3 Ng6
15.fxe5 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 f4 17.Bd2
Bxe5 18.h4 Kh8 White's kingside
initiative is progressing nicely, whereas
Black cannot say the same on the other
flank.
[ For instance, after 18...b5 19.h5 b4
20.hxg6 bxc3 21.Bxc3 Bxc3 22.bxc3
hxg6 23.Kd2 , the white king is
perfectly safe, while the black king
remains very much at risk. ]
19.Rdf1 Qa6 20.h5 By evicting the
knight from g6, the pawn on f4 becomes
an easy target for White's pieces; and
as an added bonus, the h-pawn's
advance clears the h4-square for the
rook.
[ Alternatively, 20.Bh3!? Bxh3
21.Rxh3 looks promising too; e.g. Rf7
22.h5 Ne7 23.Qh2 b5 24.Bxf4
Bxc3? 25.bxc3 Qxa3+ 26.Kd2 b4
27.d4! and White is winning. ]
20...Ne7 21.Rh4
[ Once again White can consider
21.Bh3 and if Black retreats this
bishop with Bg8 , then 22.Bd7
, stopping Black from playing ...b7-b5
and preparing Rh4, leaves White
comfortably better. ]
21...b5 EXERCISE: What is White's
best move?
22.Rhxf4!? An imaginative solution;
White offers the exchange to remove
Black's strong e5-bishop which is the
glue in his position, helping in both
defence and offence.
[ ANSWER: Nevertheless, 22.Bxf4
seems better, even though Black can
now play Bxc3 ( or 22...b4 23.Bxe5+
dxe5 24.Nb1 ) 23.bxc3 Qxa3+
with greater effect: after 24.Kd1 ( not
24.Kd2 b4 , since d3-d4 is no longer
available ) 24...Qxc3 25.Bxd6
, White can still fight for the
advantage with his two bishops and
somewhat safer king. ]
22...Bxf4? For the same reasons listed
above, this is a significant mistake.
Black should not accept the exchange,
rather he should accept the loss of a
pawn, when White may be material up
but is without any clear plan of attack.
[ Therefore Black should simply have
played 22...Rg8! with decent
compensation and 23...b4 as an
immediate threat. ]
23.Bxf4 b4 24.Nb1 Ng8 Realizing that
he seriously needs to watch the dark
squares, Black tries to set up a defence.
Considering the urgency of this matter,
it is surprising that he didn't choose
differently when he accepted the
offered exchange just two moves earlier.
21
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ The alternative is 24...Qb6
(hoping to create some counterplay)
25.Bg5! ( stronger than 25.Bh6 Rxf1+
26.Qxf1 Ng8 27.Bg5 Qc7 28.axb4
Qg7 and Black is still fighting )
25...bxa3 26.Nxa3 Nc6
A) not yet 27.Bf6+ Rxf6 28.Rxf6
Rb8 29.b3 Qa5 30.Nb1 c4!
and we still have a messy,
complicated struggle on our hands;
e.g. 31.Qf2 ( while 31.Rxe6??
cxb3 32.cxb3 Nd4
is an unmitigated disaster for
White ) 31...Qg5+ 32.Nd2 cxb3;
B) 27.e5! Nd4 28.Qe3
and the further Bf6+ will force Black
to return the exchange is far
worse circumstances; White could
well be on the verge of winning. ]
25.axb4 cxb4
[ Trying to rid himself of dark-squared
woes by 25...Rxf4 hardly solves
anything, as after 26.Rxf4 cxb4
27.Qe3 ]
26.Be3 Threatening a nasty, life-ending
check on the long diagonal; so Black
hurries to make luft. 26...h6 27.Bd4+
Kh7 28.Rg1 The black king is still very
short of breathable air; White now
threatens 28 Bh3 Bxh3 29 Rg7+ etc.
28...Rf7 29.Bf3! This measured move
would certainly not be my first inclination.
[ Undoubtedly I would have tried to
work my way through the variation
29.e5!? d5 30.Be4+ Kh8 ( 30...dxe4
31.Qxe4+ Rf5 32.Qxa8 should win
without any headaches ) 31.Bxd5 Re8
( if 31...Bxd5 32.e6+ Rf6 33.Bxf6+
Nxf6 34.Qe3 Qb7 35.Qxh6+ Nh7
, then 36.Qf4 Qe7 37.Qe5+ Nf6
38.Rg6 should secure the win )
32.Rg6 Rg7 33.Rxg7 Kxg7 34.Qg2+
Kh8 35.Qg6 and White should be
winning, since Black is completely
tied up on his hands and feet. ]
29...Ne7 Trying to stop the threat of Rg6,
but White plays it anyway... 30.Rg6!
Nxg6 31.hxg6+ Kxg6 32.Bh5+ Kh7
33.Bxf7 Bxf7 34.Qg4 . Facing
unavoidable mate, Black resigned.
1-0
B26
Jakubowski,K
Dziuba,M
8: Czech League 2013
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Perhaps fed up of facing 2...Nc6
3.Bb5!? (which we won't be examining
in this book) ]
[ Dziuba switched to 2...d6
, transposing below after 3.g3 Nc6
4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e5 7.Qd2 So we reach the main line for
this chapter. 7...Be6
[ Black has numerous options here:
7...Nd4 is seen in the next game; ]
[ while the main continuation 7...Nge7
, not fearing the exchange of bishops
via Bh6, will be examined in Games
10-12. ]
[ Others:
a) 7...Nf6 8.Bh6 ( 8.h3 transposes
to Game 21 ) 8...Bxh6 9.Qxh6
accomplishes nothing for White, since
Qg7 is not even a threat. After Nd4
10.0-0-0 b5 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5
Qa5 ( 12...Nf5 13.Qd2 Bb7
is also quite nice for Black ) 13.Kb1
Bg4 14.f3 Bd7 15.Qg5 Qd8 16.Qd2
b4 , Black is obviously doing fine, H.
Hamdouchi-C.Minzer, Castellar
1996. ]
[ b) In a youthful game by two of the
biggest experts on the Closed Sicilian,
Black opted for 7...Rb8 8.f4 Nge7
22
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9.Nf3 b5 10.0-0 Nd4 , reaching a
position more characteristic of
Chapter Seven. A.Krapivin-D.Larino
Nieto, Pardubice 2006, continued
11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Bh6 ( 12.Nd5!?
is certainly better; e.g. Nxd5 13.exd5
Bb7 14.c3 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Bxd5
16.Bxc5 and White has grabbed the
initiative, opening the centre while
Black's king is still stranded in the
middle ) 12...0-0 13.Bxg7 ( here
13.Rf2 transposes to the note to
White's 12th move in Game 43 )
13...Nxf3+ 14.Rxf3 Kxg7 15.Raf1 f6
16.Kh1 Qd6 and Black has a
comfortable position with a simple
game plan of pushing forward on
the queenside; nevertheless, White
ended up winning. ]
[ c) Despite having been called
dubious, Black can also play 7...h5
A) with the idea 8.f4 h4 9.Nf3 h3
10.Bf1 Nd4 and Black should be
fine.;
B) Instead, Z.Hracek-K.Aseev,
Kecskemet 1992, saw 8.h4 Nge7
9.Nh3 Nd4 10.Nd1?! (intending to
evict the knight from d4, but this is
rather passive and allows Black to
take over the initiative)
( Blatny offers 10.f4!? Bg4 11.0-0
Qd7 12.Kh2 intending Rf2, Raf1
with decent play for White; whether
he has any advantage is debatable,
but it certainly is better than the
game continuation ) 10...d5
( 10...Bg4 , forcing 11.Ng1
, can also be considered ) 11.c3
Ne6 (threatening to trap the bishop
with ...d5-d4) 12.Qe2
( Blatny gives 12.exd5 a question
mark, claiming a clear advantage
for Black after Nxd5 13.0-0 0-0
14.Bh6 may actually not be that
bad and seems preferable to
allowing the black d-pawn to go
on ) 12...d4 13.Bd2 b5 14.Ng5
Nc6 15.0-0
B1) 15...Nxg5 16.Bxg5 f6
( Blatny considers 16...Qd6
to be the best option here; e.g.
17.Rc1 Bg4 18.f3 Be6
with advantage for Black, which
definitely seems spot on ) 17.Bd2
Bg4 18.f3 Be6 19.f4 c4 20.f5
(now things are beginning to
look somewhat more promising
for White, or at least more
equal) cxd3 21.Qf3 dxc3
22.bxc3 Bf7 23.fxg6 Bxg6
24.Ne3 with a messy position
where White has excellent
compensation for the pawn,
thanks to the many weaknesses
in Black's camp such as the d5-
and f5-squares.;
B2) Blatny's suggestion of
15...dxc3!? 16.Nxe6?! ( but
16.bxc3 b4 may in fact be
playable for White after 17.Be3 )
16...Bxe6 17.Nxc3 ( or 17.bxc3
c4 ) 17...Nd4 18.Qd1 Bg4
looks very nice for Black.;
C) 8.h3 is another option,
somewhat akin to what we see in
our main game; here 8...Nge7
9.Nge2 ( and 9.f4 to Game 28 )
9...Nd4 in fact transposes to Game
27 ]
[ d) 7...h6 is slightly less logical, as
while White's ability to exchange
bishops is removed, Black will not be
able to castle kingside for some time:
8.Nge2 Nge7 9.0-0 Nd4 10.Nd1 d5
( 10...Bg4 11.f3 Be6 is a reasonable
alternative ) 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.c3 Bf5
( 12...Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Nxe3 14.Nxe3
0-0 is approximately equal according
to my computer, but I prefer White's
position slightly on account of the
23
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
weak light squares in the centre as
well as the strong bishop on g2 )
13.Nc1 Bh3?! (this only looks clever;
the bishop cannot be captured on
account of ...Nf3+, but White has a
stronger option available...) 14.Bxd4!
( after 14.cxd4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 cxd4
, Black regains the piece and is
perfectly okay ) 14...Bxg2 15.Bxe5!
Bxf1 16.Bxg7 Rh7 17.Kxf1?!
( White could play 17.c4 Nc7 18.Qc3
with the better chances despite being
an exchange down; e.g. Bh3 19.Ne3
Qd7 20.Nb3 b6 21.Be5 , followed by
d3-d4 ) 17...Rxg7 18.Qxh6 Rg8
19.Ne3 Rc8 , Tian Tian-S.Kudrin,
Philadelphia 2004, and now 20.Nb3
Nxe3+ 21.Qxe3+ Qe7 22.Qh6
looks best, when White has two
pawns and excellent compensation
for the exchange. ]
8.f4
[ White has various minor options
available at this point:
a) 8.Nge2 Nd4 9.0-0 Ne7
was considered via 7 Nge2 in the
notes to Game 7 (see 9 0-0 Be6
there); Black has no problems. ]
[ b) 8.Nd5 Bxd5 9.exd5 Nce7
10.Qc1 Nf6 11.c4 Nf5 12.Bd2 Qe7
13.f3 h5 14.Ne2 h4 and Black's
position is already preferable, V.
Smirnov-A.Kovalev, Belarus
Championship, Minsk 2001. ]
[ c) 8.Nf3 h6 9.0-0 Nf6 10.h3 Qc7
11.Kh2 g5 12.Ng1 Nd4 13.Nce2 d5
14.c3 Nc6 15.exd5 Bxd5 16.f3
( 16.Bxd5 Nxd5 17.Bxc5
was obviously correct ) 16...Qd6
17.d4 cxd4 18.cxd4 0-0 19.dxe5
Nxe5 20.b3 Rad8 21.Rad1
was H.Hamdouchi-M.Al Modiahki,
Tunis 1997, and now Rfe8 22.Nd4
Qd7 would have left Black with the
somewhat better chances. ]
[ d) 8.Nh3 h6 9.f4 Nd4 10.0-0 Qd7
11.Nf2 Ne7 12.Ncd1 exf4 13.gxf4
( or 13.Bxf4 g5 14.Be3 Qa4 15.c4
0-0-0 ) 13...f5 14.c3 Ndc6
was good for Black in A.Koukoufikis-
Kr.Georgiev, Ikaros 1999, especially
after 15.e5?! 0-0-0 16.b4? cxb4
17.exd6 Qxd6 18.Rb1 Nd5
and so on. ]
[ e) 8.h4 h5 9.Bh3 Bxh3 10.Nxh3
Nd4 11.0-0-0 Ne7 12.Kb1 Qd7
13.f4 Rc8 14.Rdf1 b5 15.Bxd4
exd4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Qf5
18.Re1+ Kf8 19.Qa5 Bf6 20.Qxb5
Kg7 led to a quick draw in R.
Borng‫ن‬sser-H.Wirthensohn,
Dortmund 1978; even if White tries to
hang on to the pawn after 21.Qc4
Rb8 22.a3 , he has no obvious way
to make progress. ]
8...Qd7 This looks like the logical follow-
up to Black's previous move;
[ though Black has tried many others
at this juncture:
a) 8...exf4 9.Bxf4 Nd4 ( or 9...Nge7
10.Bh6 0-0 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.Nf3
d5 13.Ng5 d4 14.Ne2 Bd7 15.0-0
Ne5 16.c3 N7c6 17.Nf3 Nxf3+
18.Bxf3 Be6 with a comfortable
position for Black, M.Narmontas-R.
Akesson, Warsaw rapid 2006 ) 10.Nf3
Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 Qd7 12.0-0-0 Ne7
13.Bh6 Be5 14.Rde1 0-0-0 15.Bf4
f6 16.Kb1 h6 17.Rhf1 Kb8 18.Ne2
g5 19.Be3 Qa4 and Black should be
pleased with the outcome of the
opening, Z.Sturua-V.Loginov,
Borzhomi 1984. ]
[ b) 8...Nf6 9.Nf3 ( intending 9.fxe5
Ng4 10.exd6 Nxe3 11.Qxe3 Qxd6
with excellent compensation for the
pawn; or 9.Nge2 Nd4 10.Nd1 Bh3
11.0-0 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 0-0 13.c3
Nxe2 14.Qxe2 c4 15.Nf2 cxd3
16.Qxd3 , as in G.Mahia-A.Zapata,
24
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Buenos Aires 2000, then Re8
is fine for Black ) 9...Ng4 10.Bg1 exf4
11.gxf4 0-0 12.h3 Nf6 13.Be3 Re8
14.0-0 Nh5 15.Qf2 was played in A.
Kislinsky-S.Sivokho, Minsk 2006, and
here Bf6 is quite comfortable for
Black. ]
[ c) 8...Nge7 is a natural choice,
basically replicating the Botvinnik
Variation of the English Opening with
colours reversed. Then 9.Nf3
A) 9...Nd4 10.0-0 0-0 transposes
a position considered in Chapter
Seven (see 10...Be6 in the notes to
Game 42). ( 10...-- );
B) Instead, 9...exf4 10.Bxf4 h6
11.h4 Qd7 12.a3 Ne5 13.Nxe5
Bxe5 ( 13...dxe5 14.Be3 b6
15.0-0-0 0-0-0 looks more
acceptable for Black ) 14.0-0-0
( 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.0-0-0
might improve, when 0-0-0 16.Qf2
b6 17.Rdf1 Nc6 18.h5
gives White the somewhat better
chances ) 14...Bg7 15.Nd5 Nc6
16.Rdf1 b5 17.Be3 Bxd5 18.exd5
Ne5 19.h5 g5 20.Be4 was played
in A.Ledger-A.Kosten, British
League 2001, and now a5!?
looks like the best way forward for
Black on the queenside. ]
9.Nf3 exf4?! QUESTION: Does this
kind of exchange not play into White's
hands by strengthening his control over
the centre?
ANSWER: In fact this is a normal
approach for Black, who in return opens
up the diagonal for the g7-bishop.
However, it may perhaps be mistimed
here.
[ Instead:
a) 9...Nge7 10.0-0 Nd4 11.Rf2
( 11.Ng5 looks more promising )
11...Nxf3+ 12.Rxf3 h5 13.fxe5 Bxe5
14.Bg5 0-0-0 15.Raf1 Rdf8 16.Bf6
Bxf6 17.Rxf6 h4 and Black has a
comfortable game, Ma.Olesen-J.
Carstensen, Danish League 2007. ]
[ b) 9...0-0-0!? 10.Ng5 exf4 11.Bxf4
h6 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.0-0 Bd4+
14.Kh1 g5 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Qxe3
Qg7?! ( 16...Nge7! 17.Bh3 Ne5
leaves Black with a comfortable
position )
A) 17.Rf2? Qe5 18.Qe2 h5
(Black's initiative quickly gains
strength) 19.Rf7? h4 (and now
White is finished) 20.Qg4 ( or
20.g4 h3 21.Bf1 Nh6 22.Rf2 Nd4
23.Qd1 Rdf8 and Black controls
just about every important square
on the board ) 20...Nh6 and White
resigned next move, L.Mancini-M.
De Pirro, correspondence 1997.;
B) Overlooking the elegant
continuation 17.e5! Qxe5 18.Qf2
Qg7 ( or 18...Nge7 19.Rae1 )
19.Bxc6 bxc6 20.Qf7 Qxf7
21.Rxf7 Rd7 22.Ne4! and White
regains the pawn at least with a
solid advantage in hand. ]
10.gxf4 Nge7
[ If Black seeks to prevent White's next
move with 10...Nd4 , he runs into
different problems after 11.Bxd4!
cxd4 12.Ne2 Qb5 (otherwise White
just takes on d4) 13.a4! ( better than
13.Nfxd4 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxb2
15.Nxe6 Qxa1+ 16.Ke2 Qxa2
17.Nc7+ Kd7 18.Nxa8 Ne7
, followed by ...Rxa8, when Black is
okay ) 13...Qxb2 ( 13...Qb6 14.a5; or
13...Qc5 14.b4 drives the queen
away ) 14.0-0 Rc8 15.Rab1 Qxc2
16.Qxc2 Rxc2 17.Nexd4 Rc7
18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.Ng5 and White has
a strong initiative in the endgame,
despite being at the moment a pawn
down. ]
11.d4! Pinpointing the drawback to
25
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Black's play, who will now be left with a
weak d-pawn. 11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bg4
13.h3 Bh5 14.0-0 f5?! QUESTION:
This looks odd too; why would Black
open the diagonal for the g2-bishop in
this fashion? Shouldn't he have focused
on getting the king to safety and
completing his development?
ANSWER: You're absolutely spot on
with both your observations, but Black
was clearly concerned about the
ramifications of allowing f4-f5.
[ For instance, 14...0-0 15.f5 Bxd4
( 15...Nxd4 16.f6! is good for White )
16.Bxd4 Nxd4 17.Qxd4 Nc6 18.Qd2
Kh8 19.Nd5 Qd8 and White has the
initiative, even if Black should be able
to defend. ]
[ Alternatively, after 14...0-0-0 15.a4
Nxd4 ( or 15...Kb8 16.Nxc6+ Nxc6
17.a5 Rhe8 18.a6 b6 19.Nb5
and I clearly prefer White ) 16.Bxd4
Bxd4+ 17.Qxd4 Kb8 18.a5 Nc6
19.Qe3 , White is somewhat better
due to the opportunities to attack
Black on the queenside. ]
15.exf5
[ The immediate 15.Ndb5!?
also causes considerable headaches;
e.g. Rd8 16.Nxa7 0-0 17.Nab5
and Black does not have full
compensation for the pawn. ]
15...gxf5 16.Ncb5!?
[ Once again 16.Ndb5 is a worthy
idea. ]
16...Rd8??
[ He should have sent his king to
safety on the kingside with 16...0-0
, although 17.Nxc6 Nxc6 18.Rae1
Rf6 19.Kh2 is then comfortably better
for White in view of Black's weak
pawns. ]
TACTICAL EXERCISE: How should
White continue?
ANSWER: 17.Ne6! Oops! The knight
cannot be captured because the fork on
c7. Black's game goes downhill rather
quickly from here. 17...Bxb2
This does not help the situation,
[ but obviously 17...Kf7 18.Nxd8+
Rxd8 19.Rae1 is pretty disgusting for
Black. ]
18.Rab1 Bf6 19.Nxd8 Kxd8 20.Nxd6
b6 EXERCISE (combination alert): How
does White finish Black off?
ANSWER: 21.Rxb6! Bd4 The rook of
course cannot be touched. 22.Bxd4
Qxd6 23.Rxc6 Nxc6 24.Bf6+
. Game over! Black will end up a rook
down.
1-0
B26
Ledger,D
Kosten,A
9: British Championship, Scarborough
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
[ White adopted the move order 4.d3
Bg7 5.Be3 here, which is preferred
by some players. I'm not sure what
the point is exactly, since it doesn't
seem to avoid any line in particular.
Anyway, it makes no difference from
our perspective; the game quickly
transposed after d6 6.Qd2 e5 7.Bg2
.]
4...Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e5 7.Qd2 Nd4
QUESTION: Isn't this premature? White
has yet to develop his kingside knight;
isn't that the rule?
ANSWER: It is the rule, but we often
see strong and stronger players – as
well as people who don't know what are
they are doing, but that's unimportant
for our purposes right now – trying to
rock the boat early on to force the
opponent think for themselves or into
26
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
new territory.
8.Nd1 Intending to drive the black knight
away again with c2-c3.
[ White can prepare this in two other
ways:
a) 8.Nd5 Be6 9.c3 ( or 9.c4 Nf6
10.Nxf6+ Bxf6 11.Ne2 h5 12.h4
Qd7 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Bg5 Bg7
15.Qa5 0-0 16.0-0 Rfc8
and the game is are more or less
even, R.Hartoch-L.Christiansen, Wijk
aan Zee 1977 ) 9...Bxd5 10.cxd4
cxd4 11.Bg5 f6 12.exd5 fxg5
13.Bh3 Nf6 14.Be6 Nd7 , and while
it could appear as if White has
accomplished something, the bishop
on e6 will soon be evicted, leaving
Black with the better chances, B.
Roselli Mailhe-G.Llanos, Buenos
Aires 1997. ]
[ b) 8.Nce2 Ne7 9.c3 Ndc6 10.Bh6
0-0 11.h4 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 .
QUESTION: Isn't it dangerous to
invite the queen to h6, especially
when White has already played h2-h4
and is ready to open the h-file?
ANSWER: It certainly could seem so.
Nevertheless, Black is in no danger
in getting mated right now; and as we
saw already in the notes to Game 5, if
White is careless then it is his queen
and not Black's king which is in
danger.
Here f6 13.Nh3 ( if White continues
his kingside ambitions with 13.h5??
then g5 , followed by ...Kh8 and ...
Ng8, traps the queen ) 13...Kh8
14.Qe3 b6 15.f4 d5 16.h5 d4
17.Qd2 dxc3 18.bxc3 g5 19.fxg5
Bxh3 20.Bxh3 fxg5 21.0-0-0 h6
led to a messy position where both
sides have their share of the chances,
Ju.Hodgson-Y.Razuvaev, Sochi
1986. ]
8...Ne7 9.c3 Ne6 Alternatively, Black
can just withdraw the knight to its
original departure square (as in Game 1),
claiming that White's Nd1 and c2-c3 is
not a worthwhile accomplishment.
[ After 9...Ndc6 10.Bh6 0-0 11.Bxg7
Kxg7 12.h4 f6 13.Ne3 ( White might
consider 13.h5 g5 14.h6+ Kh8
15.Ne3 Be6 16.Nd5 , although the
evaluation needle hasn't moved a
great deal on that dial ) 13...Be6 14.f4
d5 15.h5 d4 16.Nc2 Qb6 17.hxg6
hxg6 18.f5 Bg8 19.fxg6 Kxg6
20.Na3 ( or 20.cxd4 cxd4 21.Qh6+
Kf7 22.0-0-0 Ke8 with a double-
edged position, where Black has to
remember that his king can't castle
any longer ) 20...dxc3 21.bxc3 Qa5
22.Nc2 Rad8 23.Ne2 Kf7
and once more we have unbalanced
position with chances for both sides,
J.Klinger-L.Yudasin, Bern 1989. ]
10.Bh6!
[ More precise than 10.Ne2 0-0
11.0-0 d5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Bh6
Bxh6 14.Qxh6 Nec7 ( 14...f5!?
looks like a promising alternative )
15.Ne3 Be6 16.Nc4 f6 17.Rad1
b5?! ( 17...Qd7 is preferable and
equal ) 18.Ne3 Rb8 19.d4 exd4
20.cxd4 ( the computer suggests
20.Nxd4! cxd4 21.Rxd4 , showing
that White regains the piece with
advantage ) 20...c4 21.Nc3 Rb6
22.Nexd5 ( here 22.Rfe1 Nxe3
23.Qxe3 Bg4 24.Rc1 Re8 25.Qf4
looks more promising for White )
22...Bxd5 23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Bxd5+
Qxd5 25.Rfe1 Re6 26.Rxe6 Qxe6
and the chances are pretty even in
the major piece ending, F.Pancevski-
M.Vasilev, Sofia 2006. ]
10...0-0 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 QUESTION:
What is more dangerous for Black: to
exchange on h6 and have White's
queen near Black's king or let White
27
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
exchange on g7?
ANSWER: It entirely depends on the
circumstances. Normally I would say
that White would prefer the latter, but it
is too broad a question to generalize.
12.Ne2
[ Another option is 12.Ne3 f5 13.exf5
gxf5 14.Nf3 f4 15.Nc2 Bd7 16.0-0-0
Rc8 17.Kb1 Bc6 18.Nh4 Bxg2
19.Nxg2 Nc6 20.gxf4 Nxf4
, when the chances are about evenly
spread, C.Gulbas-U.Tuncer, Turkish
League 2014; even though Black's
king looks wide open, it can always
crawl back into the hole on h8 and be
quite safe. ]
12...f5
[ With reference to the previous
question, note that 12...d5 13.exd5
Nxd5 14.0-0 reaches a similar
position to that in the 10 Ne2 line
above, but with the bishops having
been exchanged on g7. All the same,
the position remains equal. ]
13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 Bd7 15.0-0 Bc6
16.Ne3 Qd7 17.exf5 Nxf5 18.Nxf5+
Rxf5?! QUESTION: Why is this normal-
looking move a mistake?
ANSWER: Just because a move is
"normal" doesn't mean that it's the best
available. In this case it allows White to
grab the initiative, whereas the "ugly" ...
g6xf5 keeps the position balanced.
However, Black was possibly
considering another factor as part of his
equation: keeping the position
unbalanced, hoping to be able to outplay
his almost 300 points lower-rated
opponent.
[ For instance, after 18...gxf5 19.d4
Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Rae8 21.d5 Nc7
22.Rg1 , Black has very few winning
chances, and I would probably prefer
White's position on account of his
king being somewhat safer. ]
19.Ng3 Rff8 20.Bh3
[ White might improve here with 20.f5
gxf5 21.Bxc6 bxc6 ( or 21...Qxc6
22.Rae1 ) 22.Rxf5 ( or 22.Nxf5+ Kh8
23.Qh6 Rg8+ 24.Kh1 Rg6 25.Qh4 )
22...Rxf5 23.Nxf5+ Kh8 24.Rf1
, when his more active pieces give
him the better chances. ]
20...Qf7? Moving out of the pin, but this
is not ideal.
[ Instead, he should have played
20...Kg8 21.Rae1 Rae8 22.f5 Ng7
23.Rxe8 Nxe8 24.Qe3 b6
, and Black is not worse. ]
21.f5! Now things are getting
problematic. 21...Nc7
[ The alternative is not much better:
21...gxf5 22.Bxf5 Qe7 23.Qe2 Bd7
24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Qg2 Kh8
26.Qxb7 and Black is pinned from all
angles. ]
22.fxg6 Qxg6 23.Bf5 Qh6 24.Qxh6+
Kxh6 QUESTION: Didn't White help his
opponent by exchanging the queens?
The pressure seems to have been taken
off for now.
ANSWER: It may appear so, but in fact
Black's king is in just as much danger
as before, as White will aptly
demonstrate in the game.
25.Rf4 Nd5
[ Or 25...Kg7 26.Rh4 Rh8 27.Rg4+
Kh6 28.Be4 Bxe4 29.Rh4+ Kg5
30.Rxe4 Raf8 31.Re7 , when Black's
active king is not a sign of things
going his way, rather White has the
initiative. ]
26.Rh4+ Kg5?! Black is playing with
fire;
[ but 26...Kg7 27.Rxh7+ Kg8 28.Rh6
Ne3 29.Bh3 is also clearly better for
White. ]
27.Rh5+ Kf4?? An incredible blunder
that loses the game very quickly.
[ However, White also has excellent
28
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
winning chances after 27...Kf6
28.Be4 Ne3 29.Bxc6 bxc6 30.Rh6+
( or first 30.Re1 ) 30...Kg5 31.Rxd6
; e.g. c4 32.d4 Rab8 33.Rb1 Nd5
34.Rxc6 Nxc3 35.Re1 Rxb2
36.Rxc4 and White is much better,
even if the position still requires a
fair amount of work. ]
28.Rf1+ Ke3 29.Rf2 Ouch! White
threatens mate in one by 30 Nf1.
29...Rxf5
[ Or 29...Rg8 30.Re2+ Kf4 31.Be4
with the dual threat of 32 Bxd5 and 32
Rf5+ Kg4 33 Bf3+ and 34 Rh5 mate. ]
30.Nxf5+ Kxd3 31.Rh3+ Ke4
32.Nxd6+ Ke5 33.Nc4+ Ke4 34.Rh4+
Kd3 35.Ne5+
[ Overlooking 35.Rd2# , but it doesn't
matter. ]
35...Ke3 36.Kf1 . And since he is forced
to give up more material to delay mate,
Black decided he had enough.
1-0
B26
Krapivin,A
Amonatov,F
10: Moscow Championship 2006
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ This game featured a slight variation
on the Najdorf player's detour: 2...d6
3.g3 and then g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3
Nc6 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e5 7.Qd2 Nge7 8.Bh6 The obvious
idea behind this move is to weaken
Black's kingside through the exchange
of dark-squared bishops.
[ Otherwise 8.f4 Nd4 9.Nf3 0-0
10.0-0 transposes to 6 f4 e5 7 Nf3
lines in Chapter Seven, which
Krapivin has played as well (see
Game 43). ]
8...0-0
[ We will examine 8...Bxh6
in the final game of this chapter. ]
9.Bxg7
[ In our next main game, we consider
the consequences of 9.h4!? . ]
[ Another option is 9.Nge2 , but then
Black can choose between allowing a
subsequent Bxg7 anyway with White
now committed to Nge2, or playing
Bxh6 10.Qxh6 Nd4 (as in Game 12)
without any inconvenience. ]
9...Kxg7 10.Nge2 This continuation is
generally considered inadequate for an
advantage.
[ Instead:
a) 10.h4 h5 doesn't do much for
White either: 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5
Ne7 13.Ne2 b5 14.c4 Rb8 15.0-0
f6 16.b3 Nf5 17.Kh2 Bd7
and if anything Black's position is
preferable, G.Jamrich-Sa.Horvath,
Hungarian League 1996. ]
[ b) 10.f4 is somewhat more
promising:
A) 10...Be6 11.Nf3 f6 12.0-0
( 12.0-0-0 is playable but seems to
invite more trouble than it
provides opportunities ) 12...Nd4
13.Nh4 Qb6 ( 13...exf4 14.gxf4
Nec6 15.f5 Bf7 is also acceptable
for Black ) 14.Rf2
A1) 14...c4?! 15.dxc4 Bxc4
16.b3 Bg8 17.Na4 Qc7 18.c3
Ndc6 19.c4 and White has good
control over the game, B.
Spassky-N.De Firmian, London
1984. ( 19.-- );
A2) Instead, my computer is in
love with 14...exf4 15.gxf4 Bg8
, which I'm not sure I
understand; ( but 15...f5; and
15...Bf7 can be considered. );
B) 10...Nd4 11.Nf3 Bg4 12.0-0
29
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qd7? ( 12...exf4 is better; or else
12...Bxf3!? 13.Bxf3 Qb6 14.Nd1
c4 15.Kh1 cxd3 16.Qxd3 Rac8
17.c3 Nxf3 18.Rxf3 f5 and Black
is doing rather well, S.Narayana-D.
King, Kolkata 1993 ) 13.fxe5!
( much stronger than 13.Nh4 exf4
14.gxf4 f5 15.Rae1 Rae8
, when Black has successfully
solved any opening problems he
may have had, L.Ljubojevic-J.Van
der Wiel, Tilburg 1983 ) 13...Nxf3+
( 13...Bxf3 14.exd6 Bxg2 15.dxe7
leaves White with an extra pawn )
14.Bxf3 dxe5 15.Bxg4 Qxg4
16.Qf2 (Van der Wiel) and with
threats against both c5 and f6,
White is clearly better. ]
10...Be6
[ Black has two more options
available:
a) 10...Bg4 11.f3 Be6 (Black gains
nothing from prompting f2-f3 since
White intends to push the f-pawn to
f4 anyway, and indeed 12 f4 would
just transpose to the game) 12.0-0
Nd4 13.Nd1 b5 14.c3 Nxe2+
15.Qxe2 Rb8 16.Ne3 Nc6 17.f4 b4
, O.Maiorov-D.Nyudleev, Anapa 2009,
and now 18.f5 Bd7 19.Rf2
promises White good chances. ]
[ b) 10...Nd4 11.Nxd4?! ( 11.0-0 Rb8
12.Nd1 is probably White's best,
intending both c2-c3 and f2-f4; O.
Maiorov-V.Zakharstov, Cherkessk
1997, was agreed drawn at this point,
which doesn't tell us much ) 11...cxd4
12.Ne2 Be6 13.0-0 Rc8 14.c3 dxc3
15.bxc3 f6 was seen in H.Bastian-A.
Naumann, German Championship,
Osterburg 2006. Objectively speaking
the chances are more or less even,
but clearly Black has nothing to worry
about, and I would prefer playing the
black side in view of his slightly
superior pawn structure. ]
11.f4
[ The similar 11.0-0
A) 11...f6 12.f4 Nd4 13.Nd1
Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 exf4 15.Rxf4 d5
16.exd5 Bxd5 17.Ne3 Bxg2
18.Qxg2 Qd7 also leaves chances
evenly divided between the two
players, V.Bakhrakh-A.Vaulin, St
Petersburg 1995. ( 18...-- );
B) Occasionally Black pushes the f-
pawn one square further: 11...f5!?
12.f4 Qd7 13.Rae1 Rad8 14.Nd5
Ng8?! reducing the pressure on d5
frees White's hand; ( either
14...fxe4; or 14...Rf7
is more circumspect ) 15.Nec3
( here 15.exf5 makes a lot of
sense; e.g. Rxf5 16.Ne3 Rff8
17.fxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Nxf1 Nxe5
19.d4 and White is clearly in
command of the game ) 15...fxe4
16.dxe4 Bh3 17.Bxh3 ( 17.f5!?
also comes into consideration )
17...Qxh3 was P.Leko-A.Soos,
Kecskemet 1990, and now 18.Rd1
Nd4 19.Ne2 promises White the
somewhat better chances. ]
11...f6 QUESTION: It seems as if Black
plays ...f7-f6 at all sorts of random times;
is there a firm rule for when it is best to
make this move?
ANSWER: Not really, but Black should
keep it in mind whenever White has
played f2-f4 or h2-h4 and the dark-
squared bishops have already come – or
are about to come – off the board.
[ Instead, 11...f5 appears less
attractive while the white king can still
go to the queenside; ]
[ but playing 11...Nd4 and then ...f7-f6
is perfectly acceptable. ]
12.h3 Keeping the option of castling
long;
[ otherwise 12.0-0 transposes to 11
30
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
0-0 above. ]
12...d5 This central break is logical
enough, though it does weaken Black's
pawn structure a little.
[ The standard 12...Nd4
seems safer. ]
13.exd5 Nxd5 14.0-0-0 Qd7 15.g4
[ If White plays 15.fxe5 Nxe5
and then 16.g4 , Black has the extra
option of starting a queenside
initiative with b5 and posting the
queen's rook behind the c-pawn. ]
15...Rae8
[ Here 15...Nd4 16.fxe5 fxe5
17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Bxd5 Qxd5
19.Nc3 Qf7 is assessed as equal by
my computer, whereas I prefer
White's long-term chances in view of
Black's inferior pawn structure. ]
16.fxe5 Nxe5 17.Rhf1 b6 18.Bxd5
This looks unnecessary to me.
[ Instead, 18.Rde1 patiently improves
White's position. ]
18...Bxd5 19.Nxd5 Qxd5 20.Nc3 Qd7
[ 20...Qe6 , preventing White's next
move, is a better choice. ]
21.Ne4 Qe6 22.Qc3!? Krapivin plays
quite aggressively.
[ After 22.b3 Nc6 23.Rde1
, I would once more prefer White, but
we are talking about marginal matters
here. ]
22...h6
[ I'm not entirely sure why Amonatov
didn't take on a2. After 22...Qxa2
23.Rf4 ( 23.g5? is met by fxg5
24.Rxf8 Kxf8 25.Nxg5 Kg8
and Black is simply a pawn up )
23...Re6 24.b3 Nc6 25.Rxf6 Rfxf6
26.Nxf6 Nd4 27.Ne4 Re5
, Black appears to be doing quite
well. ]
23.a3 Nc6 24.Rde1 Nd4 QUESTION:
How should a position like this be
evaluated?
ANSWER: It is dynamically equal, which
means that both sides have factors in
their favour. White's king is somewhat
safer, but Black's knight is very much a
nuisance on d4.
25.Kb1 Qc6 26.h4 f5?! I do not know
what prompted Black to play this move.
[ The normal 26...Qd5 would have left
the game level. ]
27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Ng3
Now the weaknesses around Black's
king are more pronounced. 28...Kh7
29.Rxe8 Rxe8 30.Qd2 Rg8 31.Nh5
Qg6 32.Nf4 Qg3 33.h5 Re8 34.Qg2
Qxg2 35.Nxg2 Having entered the
endgame phase and therefore moved
outside the immediate area of interest
for the purposes of this book, I will only
add a few brief comments to the
remainder of the game.
35...Rg8 36.Nf4 Rg4?! This is an
inaccuracy.
[ Black should have nudged the rook
one square further: 36...Rg3 , when
37.c3 can be met by Rf3 ( or 37...Nf3
, if Black prefers to stay clear of the
knight ending ) 38.Rxf3 Nxf3
and the chances are probably more or
less even. ]
37.c3 Nc6 38.Ne6 Ne7 39.Re1 Nc6
40.Rf1 Ne7 41.Re1 Nc6 42.b4 Rh4
I'm not sure why Black so willingly parts
with the c-pawn.
[ 42...cxb4 43.axb4 Rh4 44.b5
may be good for White, but at least
he does not have connected passed
pawns. ]
43.bxc5 bxc5 44.Nxc5 Rxh5 45.d4
f4 46.Rf1 Rf5 47.Nd3 Kg6 48.Nxf4+
Kg5 49.Ne6+ Kf6 50.Re1 Now White
is a pawn up as well. Black's last hope
is to make something of his h-pawn.
50...h5 51.Nc5 Kg5 52.Rg1+ Kf4
53.Nd3+ Ke4 54.Kc2 Na5 55.Re1+
Kd5 56.Rh1 Ke4 57.Re1+ Kd5
31
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
58.Nf4+ Kc4 59.Re4 Nb7?
This hastens the end dramatically.
[ 59...h4 would have been a better
chance; e.g. 60.Nd3 Rh5 61.Rg4
Kb5 62.a4+!
A) not 62...Kxa4?? since 63.d5+
wins on the spot: Kb5 ( or 63...Ka3
64.Nb2 ) 64.Rb4+ Ka6 65.Nc5#;
B) 62...Kb6 63.Rg6+ Kc7 64.Nf4
Rh7 and while White is obviously
much better, there is still a
considerable amount of work to be
done. ]
60.d5+ Kc5 61.c4 Kd6 62.Re6+
Kc5? The king had to go back to the
second rank. The text walks into a
mating net.
63.Kc3 Rxf4 64.Rc6#
1-0
B26
Stukopin,A
Narayanan,S
11: Kirishi 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Another Najdorf player, another
game that began 2...d6 and then
followed the previous one with 3.g3
g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.Bg2 Nc6
and so on. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
e5 7.Qd2 Nge7 8.Bh6 0-0 9.h4!?
By playing this before taking on g7,
White rules out the blocking move ...h7-
h5. The drawback is that Black can
exchange the bishops on h6 after all.
9...f6 QUESTION: This seems a little
strange; what's the point?
ANSWER: You should be familiar with
the point by now. Black intends to meet
10 h5?? with 10...Bxh6 11 Qxh6 g5,
followed by 12...Kh8 and 13...Ng8,
trapping the white queen.
[ Nevertheless, Black can (and should)
improve on this idea by trading
bishops first: 9...Bxh6! 10.Qxh6 f6
( not yet 10...Nd4?? which loses on
the spot to 11.h5! etc ) 11.Qd2
(White cannot make progress without
retreating the queen at some stage)
( still not 11.h5?? g5; while 11.0-0-0
Nd4 12.f4?? Nef5 is another trick to
be avoided – but then White is one or
two tempi down on the main game )
11...Nd4 ( or 11...Kh8!? 12.h5 g5
13.h6 Bg4 14.Nd1 Be6 15.f4 gxf4
16.gxf4 exf4 17.Nh3 Ng6 18.Nxf4
Nxf4 19.Qxf4 f5 and Black is well
ahead in development, G.Knol-J.Van
der Wiel, Hoogeveen 2011 )
A) 12.Nd1 f5!? 13.c3 Ne6
14.exf5 gxf5 15.Ne3 f4 16.Nd5
Kh8 17.Nxe7 Qxe7
with a complicated position, where I
personally prefer Black's chances,
M.Strijbos-J.Van der Wiel,
Vlissingen 1998. ( 17...-- );
B) 12.Nce2 d5 13.c3 Ndc6 14.f4
( after 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Nf3 Bf5
16.0-0 Qd7 17.a3 Rad8 18.Rad1
a5 19.d4 cxd4 20.cxd4 e4
, Black is already in charge of the
game, A.Orlov-R.Tischbierek, Porto
San Giorgio 2003 ) 14...Bg4 15.Bf3
Qd7 16.h5 gxh5 17.0-0-0 dxe4?!
( 17...Rad8 looks stronger ) 18.dxe4
Qxd2+ 19.Rxd2 Rad8 20.Bxg4
hxg4 21.Rh4 exf4 , and a draw
was agreed in A.Krapivin-Mi.
Hoffmann, Moscow 2006, although
there is still plenty left to play for.;
C) 12.h5 g5 13.h6 (this reaches
the same position as after 12...Kg8
in the game, but with ...Nd4 thrown
in for free and Black to move as
well; surprisingly, this is still
playable for White) Qa5 14.f4 exf4
32
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
( 14...Bg4!? 15.fxg5 f5 might be
considered ) 15.gxf4 Ng6 16.f5
Ne5 17.0-0-0 Bd7 18.Nge2 Bc6
19.Kb1 Nxe2 ( or 19...Nxf5
20.Bh3 with compensation )
20.Qxe2 b5 21.d4 cxd4?!
( 21...Nc4 is preferable ) 22.Rxd4
looks like an Open Sicilian where a
number of things have gone wrong
for Black, E.Moser-I.Rajlich,
European Women's Team
Championship, Plovdiv 2003. ]
10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.h5
[ Anything else and Black could just
play 11...h5 again:
a) 11.f4 h5 12.Nd1 ( or 12.Bh3 Nd4
13.Nd1 Bxh3 14.Rxh3 Qd7 15.Nf2
Qa4 16.b3 Qa3 and Black is clearly
better, K.Hِnnekes-Ja.Becker, Bad
Wiessee 1999 ) 12...d5 13.Nf2 dxe4
14.Nxe4 exf4 15.gxf4 Bg4 16.Bf3
Qd5 17.c4 Qf5 18.0-0-0 b6
19.Bxg4 Qxg4 20.Ne2 Rad8
21.Rhg1 Qxh4 22.f5 Nxf5 23.Nf4
Ne5 24.Ne6+ Kf7 25.Nxd8+ Rxd8
26.Qe2 Nd4 27.Qe3 Qf4
and White resigned in M.Strijbos-Kr.
Georgiev, Avoine 1995, since after
28.Qxf4 Ne2+ 29.Kc2 Nxf4
, Black soon-to-be three connected
passed pawns are much stronger
than White's extra exchange. ]
[ b 11.0-0-0
A) 11...h5 12.f4 Bg4 ( 12...Nd4;
12...Qa5; and 12...Rb8!?
by ...b7-b5 are all logical too )
13.Bf3 f5 14.Rf1 Nd4 15.Bxg4
fxg4 16.Nge2 Nf3 17.Qe3 Nc6
18.fxe5 Ncxe5 19.Nf4 Qe8
20.Kb1 b5 21.Ncd5 Rf7
and Black is certainly not worse, V.
Bachin-M.Solovchuk, Vladivostok
2007.;
B) Another option for Black is to
play ...h7-h6, ruling out ideas of h4-
h5-h6, though this is more risky in
that it allows White to push the f-
and g-pawns. For example,
11...h6!? 12.f4 Nd4 13.Rf1 Be6
14.Bh3 Bf7 15.g4 Nec6 16.g5
fxg5 17.hxg5 h5 18.Nf3 Qa5
19.f5 Bxa2 20.f6+ Kf7
was A.Maljush-A.Zhigalko, Minsk
2006, and now 21.Qg2!
is the correct move, when the
analysis becomes very interesting:
Nb4!? ( Black can force a draw
with 21...Bb3 22.cxb3 Qa1+
23.Nb1 Nxb3+ 24.Kc2 Ncd4+
25.Nxd4 Nxd4+ 26.Kc1 Nb3+
etc ) 22.Bf5 gxf5 ( 22...Rg8
is met by the brutal 23.Qh2!
intending Nxf3 24.Bxg6+! Rxg6
25.Qxh5 Nxg5 26.Rhg1
and wins ) 23.g6+ Ke8 ( not
23...Kxf6? 24.exf5 Nxf3 25.Qxf3
Bb3 due to 26.Rxh5 Qa1+ 27.Kd2
Qxb2 28.Qe4! Qxc2+ 29.Ke3
Qxd3+ 30.Qxd3 Nxd3 31.Ne4+!
Ke7 32.Rh7+ Kd8 33.Kxd3
and the two white pawns are very
strong ) 24.exf5 Rxf6 25.Ne4
Ndxc2 ( again not 25...Bb3?
26.Nxd4 Nxd3+ 27.Kd1 Nxb2+
28.Ke2 Bc4+ 29.Kf2 and White is
winning ) 26.Nxf6+ Kd8 27.Qg5
Bb3 28.Kd2 Kc7 29.Ke2 Qa6
and the chaos continues. I
apologize for giving this long line,
but it is a ton of fun. ]
11...g5 12.h6+ QUESTION: Why this
move? Doesn't the pawn just get left to
its own devices on h6, out of touch with
the remaining white army?
ANSWER: The point is that it prevents
Black from sealing the kingside with ...
h7-h6. Furthermore, the pawn can
easily become a thorn in Black's side,
participating in White's attack, as we
will see in this game.
33
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ In any case, White has little hope of
accomplishing anything if he allows ...
h7-h6. For example, 12.f4 h6 13.Bh3
( not 13.Nh3 Nd4 14.fxg5?! fxg5
15.Nxg5? Nec6! 16.Nh3 Bxh3
17.Rxh3 Qg5! 18.0-0-0 Rf2
and Black is winning ) 13...Nd4
14.0-0-0 b5 15.Nce2 Nec6 ( or
15...d5!? ) 16.c3 ( 16.Nxd4 cxd4
17.Kb1 a5 looks pleasant enough for
Black ) 16...Nxe2+ 17.Nxe2 d5
18.d4?! Bxh3 19.Rxh3 cxd4 20.exd5
Qxd5 and Black has a clear
advantage, A.Pakhomov-R.Swinkels,
Teplice 2009. ]
12...Kg8?!
[ Tucking the king in the corner with
12...Kh8!? is better, although here too
White gets his hands on the initiative:
13.0-0-0 ( 13.f4!? , as in the main
game, is also an option ) 13...Ng6
14.Nge2 ( or 14.Nd5!? ) 14...Nd4
15.Rdf1 ( 15.Kb1 Bg4 16.Nxd4 cxd4
17.Ne2 Rc8 18.f3 Be6 19.Bh3
Bxh3 20.Rxh3 d5 is double-edged )
15...Qa5 16.a3 Nxe2+ 17.Nxe2
Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 with a tiny plus for
White in the queenless middlegame,
F.La Rota-J.Smejkal, New York Open
1988. ]
13.f4! The vulnerability of Black's king
on the g-file now becomes apparent.
13...exf4
[ Black can consider the pawn
sacrifice 13...Bg4 14.fxg5 Nd4
, but White should be better after
15.Nd1 Bxd1 16.Rxd1 . ]
14.gxf4 Ng6 15.Nge2 Bg4?!
Black's problems start to increase.
[ He should have played 15...Nd4
, when 16.f5 Nxe2 17.Nxe2 Ne5
18.0-0-0 definitely is more promising
for White, who will break with d3-d4,
but it is much safer for Black than the
game continuation. ]
16.Bh3! Bf3 17.Rg1 Nd4?
The downhill ride gains pace.
[ Here Black should have tried
17...Kh8 18.0-0-0 Nd4 19.Rdf1
Nxe2+ 20.Nxe2 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qe7
, when he can still fight; ( but not
21...Nxf4?? 22.Rxf4 gxf4 23.Qg4
, since 24 Qg7+! wins against every
move. )]
18.Nxd4 cxd4 19.Nd5 f5?
Another mistake;
[ but even after 19...Kh8 20.Rg3 Bh5
21.fxg5 fxg5 22.Qxg5 , White should
win rather easily. ]
20.Rxg5 fxe4 21.Be6+ Kh8 22.dxe4
Ne5 23.Qxd4 Rxf4 24.Rxe5 Qh4+
25.Kd2 Qh2+ 26.Kc3 . With mate or
heavy material losses around the corner,
Black called it a day.
1-0
B26
Blatny,P
Babula,V
12: Czech League 2013
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e5 7.Qd2 Nge7
8.Bh6 Bxh6
[ Rather than allowing a possible
exchange on g7 after 8...0-0
, Black opts to bring the white queen
to h6 at once. ]
9.Qxh6 Nd4 10.Qd2 QUESTION: How
come White immediately retreats the
queen again?
ANSWER: For the simple reason that,
apart from preventing the black king
from castling, there is nothing
constructive for the queen to do on h6,
but if this is the best move then Black
was certainly justified in exchanging
bishops at once.
34
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ White does have a couple of
alternatives to choose from:
a) 10.Rc1 and now:
A) 10...Ng8!? 11.Qd2 ( or 11.Qg7
Qf6 ) 11...Nf6 12.Nd1 0-0 13.c3
Nc6 14.Ne2 d5 15.exd5 Nxd5
16.0-0 Be6 17.Ne3 Nxe3
18.Qxe3 Bd5 and Black has
equalized, F.La Rota-L.
Christiansen, New York Open
1997.;
B) 10...Be6 11.Nf3 Qb6 ( or
11...Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 Qd7 13.0-0
0-0-0 14.Bg2 f6 15.a3 Kb8 16.b4
c4 17.dxc4 Bxc4 18.Rfd1 Qe6
with chances for both sides, R.
Baumhus-G.Timoscenko, Vienna
1991 ) 12.Nd1 Qa5+!?
a risky pawn grab; ( simply
12...0-0-0 is fine for Black ) 13.c3
Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Qxa2 15.0-0 Nc6
( 15...Qb3 was safer ) 16.Ne3 0-0-0
17.Nd5 Kb8 18.Ra1 Qb3 19.Ra3
Qb5 20.Qd2 Bxd5 21.exd5 Ne7
22.Rfa1 and White has a strong
initiative for the pawn, M.Rohde-M.
Dlugy, US Championship, Estes
Park 1986. ]
[ b) 10.0-0-0 with the following
options:
A) 10...Qa5 11.f4 Be6 ( 11...Bg4
12.Rd2 b5!? is another way to
play ) 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Qg7!?
A1) 13...Rg8 14.Qxe5 Bxa2?!
( here too 14...Nec6 15.Qg5
Nb4 is possible ) 15.Nge2 Nxe2+
16.Nxe2 Be6 17.Nf4
and White is now in charge, A.
Krapivin-V.Zakhartsov, Lvov
2006.;
A2) or simply 13...0-0-0
, intending 14.Qxe5? ( or
14.Bh3 Nec6 15.Qxf7 Bxh3
16.Nxh3 Nb4 ) 14...Nec6
15.Qg5 Nb4;
B) 10...Be6 11.Nd5 ( 11.Qg7 Kd7
gets White nowhere, who now has
to be aware of the nasty threat that
comes to life after a move like
12.f4?? Nef5 and the queen is
trapped; while 11.Bh3 Qd7
12.Bxe6 Qxe6 13.Kb1 0-0-0 14.f4
Kb8 15.Qh3 exf4 16.gxf4 Qxh3
17.Nxh3 f5 should be fine for
Black, A.Martin Fuentes-D.Alsina
Leal, Alicante 2011 ) 11...Bxd5 ( or
11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Bg4 13.f3 Bd7
, and if 14.Qg7? then Ke7!
threatening 15...Nf5 ) 12.exd5 Qa5
13.Kb1 Nef5?! ( 13...Ndf5 14.Qc1
f6 improves for Black ) 14.Qc1 Qb6
15.c3 Nb5 16.Nf3 h6 17.Rhe1
and White's position is now
clearly preferable, L.Fritsche-E.
Kengis, German League 1995. ]
10...Qa5
[ Black has several reasonable and
more interesting moves available at
this juncture:
a) 10...b5 11.Nd1 b4 12.c3 bxc3
13.bxc3 Ndc6 ( 13...Ne6!? ) 14.Ne3
Rb8 15.Ne2 Qb6 16.Nc4 Qc7
17.0-0 0-0 18.f4 was C.Acor-K.Troff,
Arlington 2015, and now f6
looks equal, ( whereas after 18...f5?!
then 19.exf5 Bxf5 20.fxe5 Nxe5
21.Nf4 Nxc4 22.dxc4 promises
White the better game. )]
[ b) 10...0-0 (a logical move, now that
the white queen has gone away) 11.f4
( after 11.Nd1 d5 12.c3 Ndc6
13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nf3 Bf5
, the players settled on a far too
premature draw in E.Bricard-M.Santo
Roman, Marseilles 2001 ) 11...Be6
12.Nf3 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Nc6 14.h4
Nd4 15.Be2 b5 16.h5 b4 17.Nd1
exf4 18.gxf4 f5 19.hxg6 hxg6
with a complicated position where
both sides have their share of the
35
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
chances, V.Bachin-S.Sjugirov,
Russian Team Championship 2008. ]
[ c) 10...Be6 keeps options of castling
on either side:
A) 11.Nce2 d5 12.Nxd4 cxd4
13.Ne2 dxe4 14.Bxe4 Bd5 15.0-0
0-0 16.f4 Bxe4 17.dxe4 Qb6
18.Qd3 ( 18.Kh1 Qxb2 19.fxe5 d3
20.Qxd3 Qxe5 is also somewhat
better for Black ) 18...Rac8
and Black has grabbed the initiative,
A.Krapivin-R.Ankit, Moscow 2012.;
B) 11.Nge2 Qd7 12.h3 f6 13.f4
0-0-0 14.0-0-0 Kb8 15.Kb1 Rhf8
16.Rdf1 Rc8 17.Rf2 Nec6 18.Nc1
Rce8 19.Nd5 was seen in J.Tarjan-
C.Duncan, Douglas 2014, and now
f5 20.c3 Nb5 keeps the game
approximately balanced.;
C) 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Bd7
13.c3 Nf5 14.Nf3 0-0 15.h4 h5
16.Ng5 b5 17.Ne4 Kg7 18.0-0
( or 18.f3 Rh8 19.0-0-0 b4 20.c4
Nd4 21.Rdf1 f5 22.Ng5 Qe7
and Black is slightly better, A.
Krapivin-S.Sjugirov, St Petersburg
2009 ) 18...Qb6 19.Rae1 f6
20.Kh2 Nh6 21.f3 Rae8 22.Bh3
Bxh3 23.Kxh3 Qd8 24.Kg2 Qd7
with chances for both sides, A.
Krapivin-A.Kremenietsky, Moscow
2011; ]
11.h4 h6
[ Naturally, 11...h5 is possible too. ]
12.Nge2 Bg4 This essentially forces
the following reduction in battle forces.
13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Nd5 Qxd2+
15.Kxd2 Nxd5 16.exd5 Ke7
Black has completely equalized. The
remainder of the game does not bring
much more excitement than the first
part.
17.c3 dxc3+ 18.bxc3 Rhc8 19.Rhb1
Rc7 20.Rb4 Bd7 21.c4 b6
White will never break through on the
queenside unless Black slips up in a
major way. 22.Bf1 g5 23.hxg5 hxg5
24.Bg2 Rh8 25.Rh1 Rxh1 26.Bxh1
Rc5 27.Bf3 Ra5 Now Black even has a
minor initiative, but nothing that will
cause White any headaches, and the
players soon agreed upon a draw.
28.Rb2 b5 29.Bd1 Kd8 30.Kc3 bxc4
1/2
B26
Larino Nieto,D
Valmana Canto,J
13: La Roda 2011
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Rb8 7.a4
Setting up a temporary roadblock on
the queenside, or if Black insists with ...
a7-a6 and ...b7-b5, as usually occurs,
then the exchange of pawns on b5
opens the a-file for White's rook.
Strangely, in this game Black never
gets round to pushing the b-pawn.
[ The main move here is 7.Qd2
, which is considered in the rest of
this chapter; ]
[ while 7.f4 b5 8.Qd2 is another path
to Game 14. ]
[ In general, 7.Nge2 will transpose as
well (to Games 16 or 17) if both Qd2
and ...b7-b5 are played, though this is
not always the case. For example:
A) 7...b5 8.a3!? Nf6 9.h3 0-0
10.b4 Nd7 11.Rb1 ( or 11.0-0
Nd4 ) 11...cxb4 12.axb4 a5
13.bxa5 Qxa5 14.Bd2 ( 14.d4 b4
15.Ra1 Qd8 16.Nb1 Bb7
is quite comfortable for Black,
although by no means worse for
White ) 14...b4 15.Nd5 e6 16.Ne3
Ba6 17.0-0 Nc5 and Black has the
initiative, L.Ljubojevic-J.Polgar,
36
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Monte Carlo (rapid) 1995.;
B) 7...Nf6 8.h3 b5 9.Qd2 ( 9.a3!?
is line 'a' ) 9...b4 10.Nd1 0-0
11.0-0 is seen via 6...Nf6 7 h3 0-0
8 Qd2 Rb8 9 Nge2 b5 10 0-0 b4 11
Nd1 in the notes to Game 19.;
C) 7...Nd4 8.0-0 e6 ( 8...b5
9.b4!? e6 10.a4 a6 11.axb5 axb5
12.Rb1 Bd7 13.Na2 Ne7 14.bxc5
dxc5 15.c3 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Rc8
was J.Van der Wiel-G.Sosonko,
Wijk aan Zee 1984, and here 17.d4
looks somewhat better for White )
9.Qd2 Ne7
C1) 10.Rab1 Nec6 11.a3 0-0
12.b4 (White gets his break in
first!) cxb4 13.axb4 b5 ( 13...b6
is more solid ) 14.Nxd4 Nxd4
15.Ne2 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 a5
17.bxa5 Qxa5 18.Bd2 Qc7
19.Bb4 Bb7 and while this is
assessed as equal by my
computer, I definitely prefer
White's position with a
harmonious pawn chain, S.Roy
Chowdhury-Y.Solodovnichenko,
New Delhi 2009.;
C2) 10.Bh6!? Nxe2+
( but simply 10...0-0 11.Bxg7
Kxg7 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Ne2 e5
is about even ) 11.Nxe2 Bxb2
12.Rab1 Bf6 13.d4! cxd4
14.Nxd4 a6 15.Rfd1
gave White good compensation
for the pawn in O.Romanishin-L.
Van Wely, Novy Smokovec
1992. ]
7...a6 This is the most consistent move
and usually played, though it's not
obligatory.
[ In Chess Informant, V.Sokolov gave
7...e6 an exclamation mark, following
V.Hort-R.J.Fischer, Rovinj/Zagreb
1970, which continued 8.Qd2 Nd4
9.Nf3 Ne7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bh6 e5
12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2
Be6 15.f4 f6 16.c3 Qa5 17.Qe1
dxc3 18.bxc3 f5 and Black was
fine. ]
8.Qd2
[ 8.f4 is also played quite frequently,
when Black has several options:
A) 8...b5 9.axb5 axb5 10.e5!?
Nd4 11.Ne4 Nh6 12.Nf3 Ng4
13.Bg1 dxe5 14.h3 Nh6 15.Nxe5
Bb7 16.c3 Ne6 17.Qd2 Ra8
18.Rd1 Rc8 19.Ng5 Bd5 20.Nxe6
Bxe6 21.Bf2 Bd5 22.0-0
is more or less equal, R.Di Paolo-
Ki.Georgiev, Italian League 2010.;
B) 8...Nd4 9.Nh3 Nf6 10.Nf2 e5
11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Nd5 Be6?!
( Black should prefer 12...Nxd5
13.exd5 b6 14.0-0 Bb7 15.c4 0-0
with equal chances ) 13.c3 Bxd5
14.exd5 Nf5 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bxf6
Bxf6 17.Qf3 0-0 18.0-0
and White is in the driver's seat, I.
Starostits-V.Zavoronkov, Tallinn
(rapid) 2005.;
C) 8...Nf6 9.h3 0-0 10.Nf3 Qb6
11.Rb1 Qc7 12.0-0 b5 13.axb5
axb5 14.g4 b4 15.Ne2 e6
16.Qe1 Re8 17.Qh4 Ne7 18.Ng3
( or 18.Nd2 Bb7 ) .
EXERCISE: White is building up to
throw either g4-g5, f4-f5, or both at
Black.
How should he respond to these
threats?
ANSWER: 18...g5!! (ouch!! – it
turns out that White's queen is
trapped) 19.fxg5 ( or 19.Qxg5 h6
20.Qh4 Ng6 ) 19...Ng6 20.gxf6
Nxh4 21.Nxh4 ( 21.fxg7 Nxf3+
22.Rxf3 Kxg7 23.Rbf1 offers a few
more chances ) 21...Bf8
and White is obviously lost, M.
G‫ن‬hler-T.Burg, Zürich 2010. ]
8...e6 This position could also arrive via
37
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
6...e6 7 Qd2 Rb8 8 a4 a6. There is
nothing at all wrong with 8...e6 here,
even if advancing the b-pawn seems
more consistent, given that Black has
spent two moves preparing it.
[ After 8...b5 9.axb5 axb5
, White has tried:
A) 10.f4 b4 11.Nd1 e6 12.Nf3
Nge7 13.0-0 0-0 transposes to the
9...e6 line in the notes to the next
game.;
B) 10.Rb1 (consolidating the
queenside at the cost of giving up
the a-file) b4 11.Nd1 Nd4 12.b3
Nf6 13.h3 0-0 14.Ne2 e5
15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Bg5 d5 17.exd5
Bb7 18.0-0 Bxd5 19.f4?!
( 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Bxd5 Qd6
21.Nb2 is level ) 19...Bxg2 20.Qxg2
exf4 21.Bxf4 and a draw was
agreed in M.Simons-B.Lalic, British
League 2005, although Black's
position looks somewhat preferable
after Rc8 in view of his safer king
position, along with White's
backward c-pawn and holes at c3
and e3.;
C) 10.Nge2 b4 11.Nd1 Nd4
12.0-0 e6 ( or 12...e5 13.Nc1 Ne7
14.c3 bxc3 15.bxc3 Ne6 16.Bh6
0-0 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Ne3 f5
19.exf5 gxf5 20.f4 exf4 21.gxf4
d5 with an unclear position, M.
Ivanov-Ma.Andersen, World
Junior Championship, Caldas
Novas 2011 ) 13.Nc1 Qb6
( 13...Ne7 transposes to the 10...e6
line in the notes to Game 16 ) 14.c3
Nc6 15.f4 Nge7 16.Qf2 bxc3
17.bxc3 0-0 18.Ra2 Bd7 19.g4
f5 20.gxf5 exf5 21.e5 dxe5
22.Bxc5 Qc7 and both sides have
their chances, C.Bank Friis-L.
Schandorff, Danish Championship,
Holstebro 1987. ]
9.Nge2 Nd4 10.Nd1 This looks like a
thematic retreat, clearing the way for c2-
c3, but in fact White has an unusual
idea in mind.
[ A more standard path is 10.0-0 Ne7
( here 10...b5 might be met by
11.axb5 axb5 12.b4!? , intending
Nxe2+ 13.Nxe2 Bxa1 14.Rxa1
with strong play on the dark squares
for the exchange )
A) 11.Bh6!? 0-0 ( both 11...Bxh6
12.Qxh6 Nxc2 13.Rac1 Nb4
14.d4; and 11...Nxe2+ 12.Nxe2
Bxb2 13.Rab1 Bf6 14.d4
give White reasonable
compensation for the pawn )
12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.f4 Nec6
14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.e5 d5 16.g4
Qh4 17.h3 Bd7 18.Ne2 Nxe2+
19.Qxe2 a5 20.Kh2 b6
with chances for both sides, V.
Gorkavij-I.Kudelya, Taganrog
2014.;
B) 11.Nd1 0-0 ( or 11...b5 again )
12.Nc1 f5 13.c3 Ndc6 14.Bh6
Bxh6 15.Qxh6 e5 16.Ne2 Be6
17.Ne3 Kh8 18.Nd5 Ng8 19.Qd2
Bxd5 20.exd5 Na5 21.Qc2 f4
22.Bh3 b6 23.f3 fxg3 24.hxg3
with an unusual but roughly equal
position, M.Zlatic-N.Djukic, Serbian
League 2004. ]
10...Ne7
[ Black can still advance the b-pawn if
desired; indeed, 10...b5 11.axb5
axb5 12.0-0 b4 transposes to 8...b5
lines above. ]
11.Nxd4!? White suddenly takes the
game in a different direction.
[ As we saw in the previous note,
11.Nc1 , followed by c2-c3, is the
usual idea behind Nd1, though it
offers White no particular
advantage. ]
11...cxd4 12.Bh6 0-0 13.h4
38
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Launching a kingside attack.
[ 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.0-0 Qc7
does not rock the boat and leaves the
game more or less balanced. ]
13...Bxh6 QUESTION: Should Black not
delay this move until White has made a
decision about castling or not? Is seems
a little hazardous to invite the white
queen to h6 at this point.
ANSWER: While it certainly would look
safer to wait until White has castled,
who knows if White would accommodate
Black with that favour? Anyway, in this
case it is actually perfectly safe, since
there is no imminent danger of Black
getting mated.
14.Qxh6 Kh8
[ As we have already seen, 14...f6
is pretty much the standard reply
against a queen on h6 and an
oncoming h-pawn. White has to
respond with 15.Qd2 if he intends to
push the h-pawn forward ( as usual
15.h5?? loses to g5 , intending ...Kh8
and ...Ng8 ) , after which 15...Nc6
16.f4 Bd7 is about even. ]
[ Alternatively, 14...Nc6 15.h5 Qe7
defends for the time being, but White
might then increase the pressure with
16.f4 , followed by Nf2-h3-g5, while
the black f-pawn is stuck supporting
its colleague on g6. ]
15.h5 Ng8 16.Qd2 g5 17.c3 e5
When I first went through this game, I
thought Black's last two pawn moves
were somewhat unnecessary, but
looking again now it appears to be a
perfectly viable option.
18.cxd4 exd4 19.f4
[ Or 19.0-0 Qf6 20.b4 Be6
with about even chances. ]
19...gxf4 20.Qxf4
[ Here 20.gxf4 is possibly safer, but
Black has no serious problems in this
line; e.g. Bd7 21.Nf2 Rc8
with chances for both sides. ]
20...f5? This attempt to exploit the
position of White's king and queen is
easily answered.
[ 20...Qa5+ 21.Ke2 Qe5 was a better
choice, when Black has a rather
pleasant game. ]
21.0-0! Evacuating the king from the
centre as well as pinning the black f-
pawn. 21...Qf6?!
[ It is difficult to look into the future,
but it would probably have been
better to put the queen on e7; for
example, 21...Qe7 22.Nf2 ( or
22.Rc1 Nf6 23.exf5 Qe5 24.Rc7
Rg8 ) 22...fxe4 23.Qxe4 Qg7 24.Qh4
Nh6 25.Ne4 Bf5 26.Rae1 ( or
26.Nxd6 Bxd3 ) 26...Bxe4 27.Rxf8+
Rxf8 28.Rxe4 Nf5 29.Qg4 b6
and White has the better chances, but
Black is still alive. ]
22.Nf2 Qe5
[ Or 22...Bd7 23.exf5 Bxf5 24.Ne4
Bxe4 25.Qxe4 Qg7 26.Rae1
, when in comparison with the
previous note, the exchange of minor
pieces favours White. ]
23.Qxe5+ dxe5 24.Ng4 Be6 25.Nxe5
[ Another option is 25.exf5 Rxf5
26.Rxf5 Bxf5 27.Nxe5 Nh6 28.Rc1
and White has an extra pawn and the
clearly better chances. ]
25...fxe4?! This only helps White further.
[ 25...Nh6 offers more resistance. ]
26.Rxf8 Rxf8 27.Bxe4
[ Here Black decided to resign, which
seems a bit early, but continuing
would have been on a one-way street;
e.g. 27.Bxe4 b6 28.a5 bxa5
29.Rxa5 Bc8 30.Nc6 Nf6 31.Bf3
Bb7 32.Nxd4 Bxf3 33.Nxf3 Nxh5
34.Kg2 Nf6 35.Rxa6 and now with
two extra pawns, White should win
easily enough. ]
1-0
39
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B26
Short,N
Kramnik,V
14: Wijk aan Zee 2005 8...b4 9.Nd1 Qb6 QUESTION: I'm not
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Rb8 7.Qd2 b5
There is little point in Black delaying this
advance;
[ but it's worth noting that the position
after 7...e6 can also be reached via
6...e6 7 Qd2 Rb8. As we said in
Chapter One, this will generally
transpose to 7...b5 lines where Black
plays a later ...e7-e6. For example:
A) 8.a4 a6 returns to the previous
game.;
B) 8.f4 b5 9.Nf3 b4 10.Nd1
is the note with 9...e6 below.;
C) 8.Nf3 b5 9.0-0 b4 10.Nd1
is 9...e6 in the notes to Game 15.
( 10.-- );
D) 8.Nge2 Nd4 ( 8...b5 9.0-0 b4
10.Nd1 Nd4 is 10...e6 in the notes
to Game 16 ) 9.0-0 , and now b5
is 9...e6 in the notes to the same
game; ( while 9...Ne7 (without ...b7-
b5) was seen via 7 Nge2 Nd4 in
the notes to Game 13. )]
[ Otherwise, for what it's worth, 7...e5
was seen in the notes to Game 8; ]
[ while 7...Nf6 8.h3 features in the
notes to Game 22. ]
8.f4 This position perhaps belongs in
Chapter Nine (via 6 f4 Rb8), but it's
more often reached via the game move
order so we'll examine it here.
[ Of White's alternatives: 8.Nf3
is considered in the next game; ]
[ and 8.Nge2 in Games 16-17. ]
[ Instead, 8.Nd1 b4 merely switches
the move order; ]
[ while 8.a3 a5 , followed by 9...b4 10
axb4 axb4, comes to the same thing
as 7 a4 a6, followed by 8...b5 9 axb5
axb5 and 10...b4, in the notes to the
previous game. ]
sure I understand why placing the
queen opposite the white bishop on e3
is a good idea.
ANSWER: Kramnik is quite fond of this
move, which increases Black's control
over the important d4-square and allows
some additional options in terms of
completing his development, as we will
see in this game. The fact that the
queen is "facing" the bishop is only a
minor nuisance.
[ Naturally, Black has numerous other
possibilities:
a) 9...e5 10.Nf3 exf4 11.Bxf4 Bg4
12.0-0 Nge7 13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3
0-0 15.Ne3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Ne5
17.Bg2 and White's position is
favourable, O.Castro Rojas-J.
Dorfman, Oviedo (rapid) 1991. ]
[ b) 9...Bg4 10.Nf3 e6 11.0-0 Nge7
12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Qc7 14.Bg2 0-0
15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 f5 17.Rc1 Kh8
18.exf5 gxf5?! ( 18...Nxf5 19.Bf2
is still marginally better for White, but
is definitely to be preferred over the
game continuation ) 19.Bf2 Ng6
20.d4 and White is clearly in
command of the game, A.Krapivin-E.
Miroshnichenko, Russian Team
Championship 2007. ]
[ c) 9...Ba6 10.Ne2 e6 11.0-0 Nf6
12.Nf2 0-0 13.a3 (trying to exploit
the bishop's unguarded placement on
a6) Bb7?! (Black panics a bit)
( instead, 13...b3!? 14.c3 Qb6
is perfectly acceptable – in fact my
computer assesses it as good for
Black, which may be a bit of a
stretch ) 14.axb4 cxb4 15.c4 bxc3
16.bxc3 Nd7 17.Bxa7 Nxa7
18.Rxa7 Qb6 19.Ra2 Ba8 20.d4
40
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and White was up a pawn which he
converted in a long game, N.Short-
A.Greenfeld, Douglas 2014. ]
[ d) 9...e6 10.Nf3 Nge7 11.0-0
and now:
A) 11...Nd4 12.Nh4!? ( 12.c3
bxc3 13.bxc3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 0-0
15.d4 sets Black few problems; e.g.
Ba6 16.Re1 cxd4 17.cxd4 d5
18.e5 Nf5 19.Bf2 Qb6 20.Be2
Bxe2 21.Rxe2 h5 22.h3 Rfc8
23.g4 hxg4 24.hxg4 Ne7 25.Be3
Qb4 and I prefer Black's position, P.
Vieira-S.Dumont, Vitoria 2001 )
12...f5 13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 Ndc6
15.exf5 gxf5 16.Nf3 Nd5 17.Re1
0-0 18.Bf2 Bd7 19.Rc1 h6 20.h3
Qa5 21.d4 Nf6 22.Ne5! dxe5
23.dxe5 Rfd8 24.exf6 Bxf6
was A.Krapivin-J.Gunnarsson,
Budapest 2003, and here 25.Ne3!
, intending Nc4, looks somewhat
better for White.;
B) 11...0-0 12.a3 a5 13.axb4
axb4 14.d4 ( or 14.Rb1 Ba6
15.b3 Nd4 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Bf2
Qc7 18.Ra1 Bb5 19.Ra2 f5
20.exf5 Nxf5 21.g4 Ne7 22.Re1
Bd7 with a dynamic position where
both sides have their share of the
chances, A.Krapivin-I.Khairullin,
St Petersburg 2009, although my
preference would be playing Black
here ) 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 Qc7
16.Nxc6 ( 16.Nf2 is safer and
equal ) 16...Nxc6 17.Ra4 Bd7
18.b3 Rfd8 19.g4 d5 20.exd5
exd5 21.f5 d4 22.Bg5 ( 22.Bf4
Ne5 23.Ra2 gxf5 24.gxf5 Bxf5
25.Nf2 Qc3 seems promising for
Black too ) 22...Re8 23.h3? d3!
24.fxg6 fxg6 25.Qf2
was A.Krapivin-A.Timofeev,
Moscow 2012, and here Nd4!
would have won quickly. ]
10.Nf3 Nh6 Preparing to push the f-
pawn;
[ which looks preferable to playing
10...f5 at once, as then 11.exf5 gxf5
12.0-0 gives White perhaps a slight
edge. ]
11.a3
[ Instead, 11.h3 f5 12.0-0 0-0
A) and then 13.a3 a5 14.axb4
axb4 comes to the same thing, but
Krapivin has tried a couple of other
moves here:;
B) 13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 Nf7
( it is better to exchange on e4
first: 14...fxe4!? 15.dxe4 Nf7
16.Bf2 Ba6 17.Re1
with a pleasant position for Black )
15.exf5 gxf5 16.d4 Ba6 ( 16...e5
17.dxc5 dxc5 18.Qf2 is good for
White ) 17.Re1 cxd4 18.cxd4
Na5? ( 18...Qb4 was preferable )
19.Bf2 (all of a sudden Black is
struggling with loose pieces,
hanging, backward pawns and
weak squares) Qd8 ( 19...Nc4
doesn't help after 20.Qc2 ) 20.Rc1
d5 21.Nc3 ( or 21.Nh4!? and if
Bc8 then 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Nxf5
is pretty dangerous for Black )
21...Qd6?! 22.Ne5!? ( 22.Nxd5!
Qxd5 23.Rc5 may be even better )
22...Nc4 23.Qe2 Ncxe5?
( Black should have tried to muddy
the waters with 23...Nb2 24.Qh5
Bc4 25.Nxc4 dxc4 26.Qxf5 Bxd4
, though 27.Ne4 still gives White
excellent winning chances ) 24.dxe5
Qa3 25.Qe3 e6 26.Nxd5! Qxa2
27.Ra1 Qc4 28.Ne7+ Kh8
29.Nxf5! 1-0 A.Krapivin-V.Rozhkov,
Russian Team Championship 2010
(if exf5 then 30.Bf1 etc).;
C) White achieved less after
13.exf5 Nxf5 14.Bf2 Nfd4
15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.c3 bxc3
41
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.bxc3 Qa5 18.Kh2 Nb5 19.a4
Nc7 and Black is quite comfortable,
A.Krapivin-D.Frolyanov, Zvenigorod
2008. ]
11...a5 12.axb4 axb4 13.h3
White has to prevent Black from playing
...Ng4.
13...f5 14.0-0 0-0 QUESTION: Black
appears to have control over both wings;
does he have the better chances?
ANSWER: Well, if he controlled the
centre as well, then maybe. Here White
still can generate play in that sector to
counterbalance Black's aggressive set-
up, which admittedly looks enticing.
15.Bf2 White commences a
reorganization of his pieces, clearing
the e3-square for the c2-knight and the
e-file for the f1-rook.
15...e6 16.Ne3 Nf7
[ Not 16...Bxb2? 17.Nc4 Bxa1
18.Nxb6 Bc3 19.Qe2 Rxb6 20.e5!
and although Black has rook, knight
and pawn for the queen, his position
is disintegrating. ]
17.Nc4 Qc7 18.Rfe1 Rd8
[ Short later gave 18...fxe4 19.dxe4
Rd8 as better. If 20.g4 , then 20...
Bb7 seems safe enough, or even d5!?
21.exd5 exd5 22.Nce5 Ncxe5
23.Nxe5 Nxe5 24.fxe5 Be6
with mutual chances ( but not
24...Bxe5?? 25.Qg5 and White
wins. )]
19.exf5 exf5 20.c3
[ Rerouting the knight back towards d5
with 20.Ne3 achieves little after Ne7
( if 20...Bxb2 , then 21.Nd5 Qb7
22.Rab1 Bh8 23.d4! gives White
excellent compensation for the pawn )
21.c3 bxc3 22.bxc3 Bb7
and the position is fairly equal. ]
20...bxc3 21.bxc3 d5 22.Nce5?!
QUESTION: Is it necessary for White to
sacrifice a pawn in this fashion?
ANSWER: Not really; Short probably
considered that the activity provided
would more than compensate for the
loss.
[ Instead, the patient 22.Ne3!? Bb7
23.d4 cxd4 24.cxd4 Qd7 25.Reb1
, followed by Ne5, should give White
the upper hand. ]
22...Nfxe5 23.fxe5 Nxe5 24.Nxe5
Bxe5 25.Qg5?!
[ White might improve here with
25.Bxc5 Qxc5+ ( not 25...Bxg3?
26.Bxd5+! Rxd5 27.Re8+ Kf7
28.Re7+ Qxe7 29.Bxe7 Kxe7
30.Qg5+ and wins ) 26.d4 Bxd4+
27.cxd4 Qd6 28.Re5 Be6 29.Qg5
(Short), when Black's extra pawn is
not very significant. ]
25...Bb7?!
[ Black should collect the second pawn
as well: 25...Bxc3 26.Ra7 Rb7
27.Rxb7 Bxb7 28.Re7 Rd7 29.Rxd7
Qxd7 30.Bxc5 Be5 , and although
White has won one pawn back, he will
still have a yucky endgame to defend
for some time to come. ]
26.Ra7 Rd7 27.c4! This move enables
White to regain his material. 27...Qd6
28.cxd5
[ Or 28.Bxd5+ Bxd5 29.Rxd7 Qxd7
30.Rxe5 Bf3 31.Qf6 Rb1+ 32.Re1
Qxd3 33.Qe6+ Kg7 34.Qe7+ Kg8
( not 34...Kh6?? 35.Be3+
and White wins ) 35.Qe8+ with a draw
by perpetual check. ]
28...Bf6 29.Qf4 Qxf4 30.gxf4 Rbd8
31.Re6 Bxd5 32.Rxd7
[ White could have made his opponent
suffer a little after 32.Bxd5! Rxa7
33.Bc4 Kg7 34.Rxf6 Rxd3 35.Bxd3
Kxf6 36.Bxc5 , though Black
shouldn't have much trouble drawing.
Instead, all of a sudden all the
heavy pieces come off the board. ]
42
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
32...Bxe6 33.Rxd8+ Bxd8 34.Bxc5
1/2
B26
Krapivin,A
Shomoev,A
15: Moscow 2010
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Rb8 7.Qd2 b5
8.Nf3 An unpretentious move which
Vasily Smyslov tried a couple of times.
QUESTION: Doesn't the knight block the
f-pawn?
ANSWER: In this game White stays
away from ideas of f2-f4 for the moment,
focusing instead on the deployment of
his forces, perhaps hoping to punish
Black for his rapid expansion on the
queenside without having developed
much else.
8...b4 9.Nd1 e5
[ As usual Black has a number of
alternatives available:
a) 9...a5 10.0-0 Ba6 11.Re1 Qb6
12.h3 Nf6 13.Bh6 0-0 14.Bxg7
Kxg7 15.e5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5
17.Rxe5 e6 and the players soon
agreed a draw in a roughly even
position, O.Sepp-K.Sakaev, Kuopio
1995. ]
[ b) 9...Bg4 (this is a reasonably
common idea with colours reversed)
10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nf6 12.0-0 0-0
13.Bg2 Re8 14.f4 ( 14.Bh6 Bh8
15.Ne3 Nd7 16.Rab1 Rb6 17.Nc4
Ra6 18.a3 Nb6 was quite equal in V.
Smyslov-R.J.Fischer, Rovinj/Zagreb
1970 ) 14...Nd7 15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3
Qb6 17.Rc1 Rec8 18.g4 Qa6 19.h4
e6 20.h5 Rb6 21.g5 Rcb8 22.f5
Nde5 23.fxe6 fxe6?! ( 23...Qxd3!
24.exf7+ Kf8 is better ) 24.h6 Bf8
25.d4 and White's eight consecutive
pawn moves finally generated a
clear advantage, A.Krapivin-A.Kornev,
Vladimir 2008. ]
[ c) 9...Nd4 10.Nh4!? Qa5 ( or
10...e5 11.f4 exf4 12.Bxf4 Ne7
13.0-0 h6 14.Be3 g5 15.Nf3 Nxf3+
16.Bxf3 Nc6 17.Bg2 Be6 18.a3 a5
19.axb4 axb4 20.c3 bxc3 21.bxc3
Ne5 and a draw was agreed, V.
Smyslov-L.Portisch, 6th matchgame,
Portoroz 1971 ) 11.0-0 Qa4 12.c3
bxc3 13.bxc3 Nc2 14.Rc1 Nxe3
15.Nxe3 Nf6 16.f4 0-0 17.h3 Ba6
18.g4 Rfd8 19.g5 Ne8
( the computer suggests 19...Nh5!?
, intending 20.Bf3 Bxd3! 21.Qxd3
Nxf4 , followed by ...Nxh3+ and ...
Nxg5 with four pawns for the piece )
20.f5 Nc7 21.Ng4 Qb5 with a sharp
position where both sides have their
share of the chances, even though it
is about to get hot around Black's king,
A.Krapivin-J.Ulko, Moscow 2009. ]
[ d) 9...e6 10.0-0 Nge7 11.Bh6 0-0
12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.d4 ( or 13.Ne3 f5
14.exf5 exf5 15.Nc4 f4 16.Rae1
Bg4 17.gxf4 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Qd7
19.c3 Rf6 20.d4 bxc3 21.bxc3 cxd4
22.cxd4 Nf5 23.d5 Ncd4 24.Bg4
Qa4 and Black has good play for the
pawn, T.Jandecka-J.Jurek, Klatovy
2003 ) 13...e5 14.d5 Nd4 15.Nh4 f5
( 15...Ba6 16.Re1 f5 17.c3 bxc3
18.bxc3 Qa5 19.f4 exf4 20.e5
creates a big mess ) 16.c3 bxc3
17.bxc3 Qa5 18.Qg5 Ne2+ 19.Kh1
Rf7 20.exf5 , I.Kosov-A.Smirnov, St
Petersburg 2007, and now Bxf5!
21.Qe3 Qa6 22.Nxf5+ Nxf5 23.Qe4
Nexg3+ 24.hxg3 Nxg3+ 25.fxg3
Rxf1+ 26.Bxf1 Qxf1+ 27.Kh2 Rf8
28.Rb1 Rf5 29.Rb7+ leads to a draw
by perpetual check. ]
10.0-0 a5
43
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ After 10...Nge7 , White again plays
11.Bh6 0-0 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 , when
13.Nh4 ( or 13.Ne3 f5 14.exf5 gxf5
15.Nc4 e4 , La.Hansen-J.Rowson,
Copenhagen 1996, and here 16.dxe4
fxe4 17.Nh4 d5 18.Ne3 Ne5
19.Rad1 Bb7 20.Qe2
remains unclear ) 13...Nd4 14.Ne3
g5 15.Nf3 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 f5 17.exf5
Nxf5 18.Nxf5+ Bxf5 19.Bg2 h6
20.b3 a5 21.a3 offers mutual
chances, A.Krapivin-V.Gagarin,
Moscow 2010. ]
[ Another option is 10...h6
, which prevents Bh6, but then Black
will be unable to castle kingside
because of the now vulnerable pawn
on h6. All the same, after 11.a3 a5
12.c3 ( or 12.axb4 axb4 13.b3 Nf6
14.h3 Nd4 15.Bxd4 cxd4 16.Nb2
0-0 17.Ra4 and White has some
measure of initiative to work with )
12...bxc3 13.bxc3 Nge7 14.h3 Qb6
15.Ra2 Be6 16.Rb2 Bb3 17.Nh2!?
( 17.c4 and 18 Nc3 looks better for
White ) 17...a4 18.f4 exf4 19.gxf4 f5
20.exf5 gxf5 21.Bf2 0-0 , Black had
a rather comfortable position, C.
Renner-L.Milov, Nuremberg 2010. ]
11.c3
[ Our main proponent for White in this
line, GM Alexander Krapivin, once
tried 11.Nh4 h6 12.Nf3 , which is an
odd idea. Even if White is pleased to
see ...h7-h6, it hardly seems worth
giving Black this move plus another
one for free. A.Krapivin-E.Bareev,
Moscow 2010, continued Be6 13.c3
( 13.b3!? might be best here ) 13...Nf6
14.h3 Qd7 15.Kh2 c4 ( 15...bxc3
16.bxc3 c4!? also looks promising for
Black ) 16.Ne1 h5!? 17.d4 d5 18.f3
0-0 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.f4 Nc6 21.f5
gxf5 22.exf5 ( or 22.exd5 Bxd5
23.Bh6 Bxg2 24.Qg5 Ng4+! 25.hxg4
f6 with a clear advantage for Black )
22...Bxf5 and White was without
compensation for the pawn. ]
11...a4 Black ploughs ahead on the
queenside, not worrying about White
impending pawn break in the centre.
[ The normal 11...Nge7 12.Bh6 0-0
is still possible: 13.d4 ( 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.Ne3 is probably better, if
less combative ) 13...bxc3 14.bxc3
cxd4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.cxd4 Bg4
17.d5 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Nd4 19.Bg2
Rb4 ( here 19...Qb6!? 20.Ne3 Rfc8
looks promising for Black, since the
knight on d4 is a monster ) 20.Rc1
Qb6 21.Kh1 Rc8 22.Rxc8 Nxc8
23.f4 and the chances are about even,
A.Krapivin-I.Ivakhinova, Russian
Team Championship 2010. ]
12.d4 bxc3 13.bxc3 exd4 14.cxd4
Bg4 15.e5 cxd4 QUESTION: It seems
like Black is playing with fire, well
behind in development, yet opening the
centre. Am I the only one to think this is
dangerous?
ANSWER: No, Black is definitely
pushing the envelope, and his latest
move may be a bit too much.
[ In fact, 15...Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nxd4
17.Bxd4 cxd4 18.Qxd4 Bxe5
19.Qxa4+ Kf8 20.Rc1 Kg7
seems playable, although I feel that
White must be better with the passed
a-pawn, more coordinated pieces, as
well as a temporary lead in
development. ]
16.Nxd4?! This involves an interesting
exchange sacrifice but is probably not
White's best.
[ Instead, White should consider
16.Bg5!? Qd7 ( or 16...Nge7
17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Be6
19.Qxa4+ Qd7 20.Qxd7+ Kxd7
21.Bf6 Bxf6 22.exf6 Ng8 23.Ne3
Nxf6 24.a4 and White is better in the
44
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
endgame ) 17.exd6 Bxf3 18.Bxf3
Ne5 19.Bg2 h6 ( or 19...Qxd6
20.f4 ) 20.Bf4 Qxd6 21.Re1 Ne7
22.Nb2 , when Black is clearly having
troubles. ]
16...Nxd4 17.Qxd4 Bxe5 18.Qxg4
Bxa1 19.Ba7 Rc8 20.Ne3 Be5
21.f4?!
[ The critical move is 21.Qxa4+ Qd7
22.Qxd7+ Kxd7 23.Bh3+ f5 24.Nxf5
gxf5 ( or 24...Rc7 25.Nd4+ Ke7
26.Nb5 Rc6 27.Be3 and White has
an excellent game despite being the
exchange down ) 25.Bxf5+ Kd8
26.Bb6+ Rc7 27.f4 Bg7 28.Re1
intending Re4; ( not 28.Rc1?? Bd4+!
and wins ) 28...d5 29.Kf1 Nh6
30.Bh3 Bf8 31.Rd1 Bd6 32.Rxd5
Nf7 33.a4 and White's pawns weigh
heavier than Black's extra piece. ]
21...Nh6 22.Qh3 QUESTION: This
looks suspect too; why would White put
his queen on this ugly square?
ANSWER: I think it is a matter of not
having a satisfactory alternative;
[ e.g. 22.Qe2 Qa5 23.fxe5 Qxa7
24.Kh1 0-0 25.Nd5 Qd4 26.Ne7+
Kg7 27.Nxc8 Rxc8 28.e6 Qe5
29.Qxe5+ dxe5 30.exf7 Nxf7
31.Rd1 and even if White is not
necessarily losing, it is not going to be
a lot of fun trying to save the game. ]
22...Bg7 23.Nd5 Rc2?
[ The straightforward 23...f5
gives Black excellent winning
chances; e.g. 24.Re1+ Kf7 25.Re7+
Qxe7 26.Nxe7 Kxe7 27.g4 Rc1+
28.Bf1 Nxg4 29.Qf3 Rhc8
with a large material advantage. ]
24.Re1+ Kf8 This is the starting point
for a series of serious errors from both
sides, for which we'll have to assume
mutual time trouble.
25.Be4?
[ White should have played 25.Rb1
Rc8 26.Bf2 Nf5 27.g4 Nd4 28.Qd3
Ne6 29.Qd1 Rb8 30.Rxb8 Qxb8
31.f5 gxf5 32.gxf5 with full
compensation for the exchange, if no
more than that. ]
25...Rc4?
[ Black could have secured a large
advantage with 25...Rxa2 26.Bb6
Qe8 27.Nc7 Qb8 28.Nd5 f5 29.Bf3
Nf7 , when he has the situation under
control and can focus on
consolidating his material
advantage. ]
26.Bd3?? An even bigger mistake.
[ He should have played 26.Bf2 Qc8
27.Qh4 Rc1 28.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 29.Kg2
f6 30.Qh3 Nf5 31.Bxf5 Qc4 32.Ne3
Qc6+ 33.Kg1 gxf5 34.Qxf5
and Black's awkwardly placed pieces
provide White with adequate
compensation. ]
26...Qc8??
[ This time Black could have secured
a decisive advantage with 26...Qa5
27.Bxc4 Qxe1+ 28.Qf1 Qxf1+
29.Kxf1 Nf5 , followed by ...Bd4, ...
Ne7, ...Kg7 and so on. ]
27.Qh4 Rc7? Another mistake.
[ Instead, after 27...Rc1 28.Qe7+ Kg8
29.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 30.Bf1 Qc8 31.Nf6+
Bxf6 32.Qxf6 Qe6 33.Bd4 Qxf6
34.Bxf6 Ng4 35.Bxh8 Kxh8 36.a3
, followed by Bb5, White has won
the exchange back and should be in
okay shape to hold the draw. ]
28.Nb6? Giving Black yet another
chance.
[ Simply 28.Nxc7 Qxc7 29.Be3
leaves White with more than enough
for the pawn. ]
28...Bd4+ 29.Kf1 Qb7?? The final
blunder.
[ 29...Qg4 keeps Black in the game; e.
g. 30.Qxg4 Nxg4 31.Nd7+ Rxd7
32.Bxd4 Rg8 33.h3 Ne5! 34.fxe5
45
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
dxe5 35.Bc5+ Kg7 with a probable
draw. ]
30.Nd7+ Rxd7 31.Bxd4 Qf3+
[ Or 31...Qh1+ 32.Kf2 Ng4+ 33.Qxg4
Qxh2+ 34.Kf3 Qd2 35.Qxd7 Qxd3+
36.Be3 Qd5+ 37.Kf2 and White is
winning. ]
32.Kg1 Ng4
[ Or 32...Ng8 33.Bxh8 Qxd3
34.Qxh7 and it is rapidly all over for
Black. ]
33.Be4 Qa3 EXERCISE: What is
White's fastest win?
34.Qxg4?! Two bishops versus Black's
useless king's rook are more than
enough for White, but he had a stronger
move.
[ ANSWER: 34.Rb1! ends the game
immediately. ]
34...Qb4 35.Qd1 Rg8 36.Bf6 d5
37.Bg2 Qb6+ 38.Bd4 Qb4 39.a3 Qc4
40.Bf1 Qc6 41.Qe2 f6? Preventing
White's next was essential, even if the
result is no longer in doubt.
42.Qe8+ Kg7 43.Re7+ Rxe7 44.Qxc6
1-0
B26
Adams,Mi
Anand,V
16: Dortmund 1998
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Rb8 7.Qd2 b5
8.Nge2 Nd4 Exactly the right time to
play this move; i.e. with White's minor
pieces on c3, e2 and e3. Now White will
not be able to play Bh6 without having
addressed the c2-pawn.
[ The immediate 8...b4 , at least
where Black does not follow up with ...
Nd4, is considered in the next game. ]
9.0-0 b4
[ Here 9...e6 is a significant
alternative, especially since it can
arrive via the 6...e6 7 Qd2 Rb8 move
order. Mostly this will transpose to
our main line after ...b5-b4, but Black
can opt to hold that back or even omit
it altogether. For example, 10.Nd1
( or 10.Nc1 first ) 10...Ne7 11.Nc1
( White doesn't get anything from
11.c3 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 0-0; nor
11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Bh6 0-0 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.f4 f6 15.Bh3 e5 16.Nf2
Bxh3 17.Nxh3 and a draw was
agreed in B.Spassky-L.Portisch, 11th
matchgame, Mexico 1980, since after
Qd7 and 18...Rbc8, Black has little to
worry about ) 11...h5 ( 11...b4
still transposes below ) 12.c3 Ndc6
13.Ne2 ( the obvious 13.d4 cxd4
14.cxd4 0-0 is fine for Black ) 13...b4
14.f4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Qa5 16.Rc1 d5
17.f5 gxf5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Bxd5?!
( 19.Bf4 is better ) 19...exd5 20.Bg5
d4 21.Qf4 Qxa2 22.Re1 0-0
and Black is doing well, R.Tischbierek-
Ki.Georgiev, European Championship,
Ohrid 2001. ]
[ Another idea is 9...h5 , which has
some independent lines (i.e. without ...
b5-b4) as well. For example, 10.b4!?
( for 10.h4 b4 11.Nd1 see 10...h5
11 h4 below; while after 10.Nd1 h4
11.c3 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 hxg3 13.fxg3
Be6 14.Nf2 Nf6 15.Rfd1 Qc8
16.Bf3 d5 17.Bg5 dxe4 18.Nxe4
Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Qd7 , the chances
are about even, M.Iskandarov-B.
Dastan, Turkish League 2014 ) 10...a5
( after 10...Nxe2+ 11.Nxe2 Bxa1
12.Rxa1 cxb4 13.Bxa7 Ra8
, White has reasonable compensation
for the exchange ) 11.bxc5 dxc5
12.Rab1 Bd7 13.e5 Bxe5 14.Ne4
Bg4 15.f3 Bf5 16.f4 Bg7 17.Nxc5
Nh6 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Nb3 ( here
46
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
19.Bxd4!? Qxd4+ 20.Qf2 Qd6 21.h3
leaves White with the upper hand )
19...Bxe3+ 20.Qxe3 Rc8 21.Qd4
0-0 with chances for both sides, Mi.
Adams-V.Ivanchuk, Linares 1999. ]
10.Nd1 Nxe2+!? QUESTION: Why
does Black give up his strong knight
unprovoked?
ANSWER: It is true that he might wait
for c2-c3, but one of White's main plans
is to prepare this move with Nc1, after
which the d4-knight will have to retreat
again. So the immediate exchange is
not illogical; the danger is of the game
opening up while Black remains very
much undeveloped.
[ Black has tried numerous other
moves:
a) 10...a5 11.c3 ( here 11.Nc1 Nf6
12.c3 bxc3 13.bxc3 Nc6 14.Bh6
0-0 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Ne2 Ba6
17.f4 Rb6 18.Rc1 Qd7 is fine for
Black, E.Grosse Klِnne-A.Huhndorf,
German League 2002 ) 11...Nxe2+
12.Qxe2 Ba6 13.Re1?!
( commencing kingside action with
13.f4 seems a more logical way to
proceed ) 13...Nf6 14.f4 0-0 15.Nf2
a4 ( 15...bxc3 16.bxc3 a4 17.Qc2
Qa5 18.Bd2 is about even ) 16.c4!
Nd7 ( 16...a3?! 17.b3 leaves Black
with without targets on the queenside
and White full of opportunities on
the kingside ) 17.Rab1 b3!
(fixing the b2-pawn as a long-term
weakness) 18.a3 Rc8 19.h4 Nb8
20.f5 Nc6 with chances for both
sides, L.Yudasin-B.Gelfand, Munich
1991. ]
[ b) 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bd7 12.Nc1
Ba4!? (an interesting way to interfere
with White's plan) 13.Nb3 ( now
13.c3?! bxc3 14.bxc3 Nc2 15.Ne2
Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Bd7 is good for
Black ) 13...Qc7 14.f4 Nh6 15.h3 f5
16.Bf2 0-0 17.Ne3 e6 18.Kh2 Bc6
19.Bg1 Kh8 20.Rae1 Ng8 21.Nc1?!
returning to his original plan;
( instead, 21.exf5!? Bxg2 22.Nxd4
Bxd4 23.Qxg2 exf5 24.Nd5
might give White a little something )
21...fxe4 22.dxe4 Nf6 23.Nd1 Bb5
24.Rf2 e5 25.c3 exf4 26.gxf4?
( 26.cxd4 fxg3+ 27.Kxg3 cxd4
28.Kh2! d5+ 29.Kh1 just about
keeps White in the game ) 26...Ne6
27.f5? Nh5 28.Bf3? Be5+
and Black won quickly, A.Ledger-V.
Neverov, Port Erin 2002. ]
[ c) 10...h5 is a surprisingly valid
option, despite Black being
significantly behind in development:
11.h4 ( after 11.h3 Nh6 12.f4 f5
13.Nc1 h4 14.gxh4 Nf7 15.c3 bxc3
16.bxc3 Ne6 , Black had a decent
position and eventually won in M.
Narciso Dublan-R.Aloma Vidal,
Barcelona 2014 ) 11...e5 ( or 11...e6
12.Nc1 Ne7 13.a3 a5 14.axb4 axb4
15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 Ndc6 17.d4
cxd4 18.cxd4 0-0 19.Ne2 d5
with roughly equal chances, S.B.
Hansen-F.Handke, Hamburg 2002 )
12.c3 bxc3 13.bxc3 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2
Ne7 15.f4 Bg4 16.Qd2 Qa5 17.Rc1
0-0 18.f5! (White starts the kingside
attack, readying himself to throw a
couple of pawns on the fire) gxf5
19.Bh6 f6 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Ne3!
fxe4 22.Nxg4 hxg4 23.Qe2! exd3
24.Qxg4+ Kh8 25.Qh5+ Kg7 26.Be4
Rf7 27.Bxd3 Qxa2? ( Black should
have played 27...Kg8 28.Qg4+ Kh8
29.Qe6 Rbf8 30.Qxd6 Qxa2
31.Rce1 Rg7 32.Rf3 Qd5 33.Qxd5
Nxd5 , when White's initiative is worth
the pawn but no more than that )
28.Rb1 Rb6 29.Qh7+ Kf8 30.Qh8+
Ng8 , was Mi.Adams-M.Illescas
Cordoba, Madrid 1998, and now
47
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
31.Bg6 would have crowned White's
attack; e.g. Qd2 32.Bxf7 Kxf7
33.Ra1 a6 34.Qh7+ Kf8 35.Rfb1
Qxc3 36.Rxb6 , when White faces a
barrage of checks but eventually gets
away: Qxg3+ 37.Kf1 Qf3+ 38.Ke1
Qe3+ 39.Kd1 Qf3+ 40.Kd2 Qf2+
41.Kc3 Qd4+ 42.Kc2 Qf2+ 43.Kb1
Qe1+ 44.Kb2 Qd2+ 45.Qc2 Qd4+
46.Kb1 Qg1+ 47.Ka2 and that's it. ]
[ d) 10...e5 11.Nc1 ( after 11.c3 bxc3
12.bxc3 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Ne7 14.f4
exf4! and 15...0-0, Black has no
problems; but now that he has closed
the long diagonal, 11.b3!?
is not a bad idea; e.g. Ne7 12.Nxd4
cxd4 13.Bh6 0-0 14.Bxg7 Kxg7
15.a3 and I slightly prefer White's
chances, although this is by no
means a scientific evaluation ) 11...Nf6
( or 11...Ne7 12.c3 bxc3 13.bxc3
Ne6 14.Bh6 0-0 15.Bxg7 Kxg7
16.Ne2 f5 17.f4 exf4 18.Nxf4 Nxf4
19.Rxf4 fxe4 20.Rxf8 Qxf8 21.dxe4
Nc6 22.Ne3 Ne5 with a more-or-less
equal position, J.Houska-B.Lalic,
British League 2004 ) 12.c3 bxc3
13.bxc3 Ne6 14.h3 Nh5!?
(an interesting way to prevent f2-f4)
15.Nb3 0-0 16.Bh6 f5 17.exf5 gxf5
18.Bxg7 Nhxg7 19.f4? (obviously
concerned about ...f5-f4, White
pushes his own f-pawn forward, but
this is a big mistake) exf4 20.gxf4
Nh5 21.Bd5 Kh8 22.Bxe6 Bxe6
23.Kh2 Rg8 24.Qf2 Qf6 25.Ne3 a5!
26.Rac1 a4 27.Na5 Qh6 28.Nc6
Rbe8 29.Qh4 was M.Narciso Dublan-
H.Hamdouchi, Arinsal 2011, and
here Bd7 30.Ne7 Rxe7! 31.Qxe7
Nxf4 32.Rf3 Nxh3! 33.Qxh7+ ( or
33.Rxh3 Qf4+ 34.Kh1 Bc6+ )
33...Qxh7 34.Rxh3 Qxh3+ 35.Kxh3
f4+ would have won a piece and
surely the game for Black. ]
[ e) 10...e6 is Black's most popular
move, which again can arrive via a 6...
e6 7 Qd2 Rb8 move order. Here
White has tried:
A) 11.f4 Ne7 12.g4 f5 13.gxf5
( or 13.h3 0-0 14.Ng3 Qa5
15.Bf2 fxe4 16.dxe4 Ba6 17.Re1
Nec6 and Black is already much
better, A.Krapivin-S.Azarov,
Moscow 2010 ) 13...exf5 14.Ng3
Qa5!? ( or just 14...0-0 15.c3 bxc3
16.bxc3 Ne6 with a good position )
15.e5? ( it may be best to allow the
trick 15.c3 Nb3! , when 16.axb3
Qxa1 17.d4 offers White some
compensation for the exchange )
15...dxe5 16.fxe5 0-0 17.c3 bxc3
18.bxc3 Ne6 19.Bh6 was played
in G.Huber-S.Kudrin, Las Vegas
1997, and now after Bxh6 20.Qxh6
Qc7! , White has a hard time
keeping his position together.;
B) 11.Nf4 Ne7 12.Nh3
(otherwise the knight is just in the
way) e5 13.f3?! ( 13.f4
makes more sense ) 13...0-0 14.c3
Ndc6 15.Bh6 d5 16.Bxg7 Kxg7
17.Qf2 bxc3 18.Nxc3 Nb4
19.Rfd1 Ba6 20.Bf1 d4
is quite comfortable for Black, G.
Kjartansson-H.Stefansson,
Icelandic League 2010.;
C) 11.Nc1 Ne7 ( or 11...Qa5
12.a3 Qa4 13.b3 ) 12.a3 ( or
12.c3 bxc3 13.bxc3 Ndc6 14.Bh6
0-0 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Ne3 Bb7
17.Nb3 a5 18.a4 Ba6 19.Rfb1
Qb6 and Black has equalized, L.
Ljubojevic-G.Tringov, Lucerne
Olympiad 1982 ) 12...a5
( Black can consider 12...b3!?
13.Bxd4 cxd4 14.Nxb3 Qc7
with reasonable compensation for
the pawn ) 13.axb4 axb4 14.c3
bxc3 15.bxc3 Ndc6 16.Bh6 0-0
48
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Ne3 d5 19.Qc2
d4 20.Nc4 e5?! ( 20...dxc3
21.Qxc3+ Qd4 improves this for
Black, I.Ivanisevic-M.Perunovic,
Yugoslav Championship, Subotica
2000 ) 21.Nb3 dxc3 22.Qxc3 Nd4
23.Nxd4 cxd4 24.Qa3 and White
has the initiative, B.Spassky-L.
Portisch, Mexico (14th matchgame)
1980. ]
11.Qxe2 Nf6 Accelerating his
development, but the knight is
vulnerable here to attacks with e4-e5, as
we will see.
12.a3! Playing to open the game at once.
[ 12.h3 0-0 13.Qd2 a5 14.f4 ( or
14.Bh6 d5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.e5
Nd7 17.f4 d4 18.Nf2 Nb6 19.Ne4
Qc7 20.Rae1 Nd5 and Black has the
better chances, U.Arat-N.Djukic,
Skopje 2012 ) 14...a4 15.a3 b3
16.c3 Bb7 17.f5 d5 18.e5 d4
19.cxd4?! ( 19.exf6 dxe3 20.Nxe3
is preferable ) 19...cxd4 20.Bh6
, was M.Jorquera Cahuin-M.Golubev,
Dos Hermanas (blitz) 2004, and now
after Nd7! 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Bxb7
Rxb7 23.Qf4 Rb5 , it's not clear how
White continues. ]
12...a5!? Maintaining the pawn chain.
[ 12...bxa3 13.Rxa3 Qc7 14.b3
is somewhat better for White ]
[ while closing the queenside with
12...b3 13.c3 , even if objectively the
safest option, is not at all what Black
had in mind and leaves White with all
the long-term prospects. ]
13.axb4 cxb4?
[ QUESTION: Why is Black not
recapturing with the a-pawn?
ANSWER: In this case there is a very
concrete answer to that question:
13...axb4 is met by 14.e5! Ng4
( after 14...dxe5 15.Bxc5 0-0
16.Qxe5 Nd7 17.Qxe7 Nxc5
18.Qxc5 , Black's compensation is
hardly enough to make up for two
pawns ) 15.exd6 Qxd6 16.Bg5
( or just 16.Bf4 e5 ) 16...h6 17.Bf4
e5 18.Bd2 0-0 19.h3 Nf6 20.Ne3
and while Black's position may seem
tenable, it is somewhat overextended
and White has the better chances.
This was tested in M.Narciso Dublan-
A.Dreev, Barcelona 2009, and it
required all Black's ingenuity to
extricate himself: b3! 21.Nc4 Qe6
22.Ra5 bxc2 23.Rxc5 e4! 24.Rc1
Ba6! 25.Rxc2 Nd7 26.Rc7 exd3
27.Qxe6 fxe6 28.Rc1 Bxc4 29.Rxd7
Bb5 eventually led to a draw. ]
14.Bd2?!
[ QUESTION: What about 14 e5 now?
Couldn't White have won material?
ANSWER: Yes, he could! In fact, in
'Chess Informant' Adams gave his
own move a full question mark,
together with the line 14.e5!
(K.Bischoff) dxe5 15.Ba7
A) 15...Rb7 16.Bxb7 Bxb7
17.Qxe5 0-0 18.Qxa5 Qd7
19.Ne3 , which he assessed as
clearly better for White. So perhaps
he didn't reject 14 e5 so much as
simply not see it.;
B) 'ChessBase Magazine' featured
an attempt to justify Black's play
with 15...Bg4 16.Bc6+ ( or 16.f3
Ra8 ) 16...Kf8 17.f3 Rc8 18.Qxe5
and Black's queenside pawns are
going to drop off.;
C) 15...Nd7 16.Bxb8 Nxb8
17.Qe4 looks plain bad for Black. ]
QUESTION: So instead of winning
material White plays a weirdly passive
move?
ANSWER: I agree it looks a little odd,
but there is a concrete positional idea
behind it: White wants to continue Ne3-
c4 and then double the rooks on the a-
49
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
file with R1a2 and Rfa1, targeting
Black's soft a-pawn.
14...Nd7 Uncovering an attack on b2,
while heading round to influence play on
the queenside light squares a4, b3 and
d3. Adams disliked his position so much
by this stage that he added a "clear
advantage for Black" symbol, but it is
perhaps not as bad as he thought.
15.Ra2 0-0 16.Ne3 Nc5 17.b3
Correctly postponing his plan for the
moment.
[ 17.Nc4 Be6 ( 17...a4 18.Be3 Ba6
19.e5!? is not so bad ) 18.b3 a4
19.bxa4 b3 20.cxb3 Rxb3
looks pleasant for Black ]
[ while 17.Rfa1 is met by a4 18.Nd5
( or 18.Nc4 Be6! ) 18...b3 ( 18...a3!?
is good too ) 19.cxb3 Nxb3 20.Rd1
Nxd2 21.Qxd2 Bd7 22.d4 e6
23.Nc3 Qa5 and Black's position is
very favourable. ]
17...Ba6 18.Nc4 a4 19.bxa4 b3
20.Ra3! Adams is noted for his resilient
defence, and he shows that here.
[ Not 20.cxb3? Rxb3 , which is even
better for Black than the 17 Nc4 line
above. ]
20...Bxc4 Black decides to cash in on
his position pressure and win the
exchange.
[ The alternative is 20...bxc2!?
, after which White needs to be very
careful.
A) Adams' intended 21.Be3? Qc8
22.Bxc5 in fact runs into Bxc4!
(Bangiev) 23.Be3 ( 23.dxc4 Rb2
24.Rc1 Qxc5 25.Rf3 Qb4
wins for Black ) 23...Be6 24.Bc1
Qc5 and White is in severe trouble
if not already lost.;
B) Instead, he would have to find
21.Bc3! Nxd3 22.Qxd3 Qc8
23.Qxc2 Qxc4 24.Rfa1 Qc5 ( or
24...Rfc8 25.Bf1 ) 25.Qd2 Rfc8
26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.a5 , when White
looks to have extricated himself
more-or-less satisfactorily. ]
21.dxc4 Bb2 22.Rxb3 Nxb3 23.cxb3
Rxb3 24.Rb1 Qc7? A strange
oversight, which gives the exchange
back for nothing and leaves Black a
pawn down.
[ Instead, 24...Rb8 keeps the extra
material, though after 25.Be3
and 26 Rb5, it's not easy to see how
Black will make progress. There are
no open lines for his rooks, while
White's queenside pawns are easily
defended, and could even become
dangerous if left to themselves. White
may in fact be completely okay here. ]
25.Bc1! Bxc1 26.Rxb3 Rb8
Black aims for a queen and opposite-
coloured bishop endgame.
[ Leaving the rooks on makes it more
difficult for Black to coordinate his
pieces; e.g. after 26...Ra8 27.Qa2
Ra5 28.Rb5 Qa7 29.Qa1! Bh6
30.Qb2 ]
[ or 26...Rc8 27.Bf1 Ra8 28.Qc2
Bg5 29.Rb5 Bf6 30.c5
, White seems to be making good
progress on the queenside. ]
27.Rxb8+
[ Not 27.Rb5?! Ba3! 28.Qa2 Bc5
29.a5 e5 and Black has a solid
blockade on the dark squares. ]
27...Qxb8 28.c5! QUESTION: Why
does White throw this pawn away so
randomly?
ANSWER: It is not random at all. In
opposite-coloured bishop endgames,
the rules are a bit different than in
normal bishop endgames. What matters
is how and where they can participate.
Here it is clear that Black wants his
bishop on c5, where it sets up a firm
blockade.
[ For instance, after 28.a5 Ba3
50
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
29.Qa2 Bc5 , White's a-pawn is
going nowhere and the c-pawn may
as well not be on the board at all; so
he jettisons it in order to disrupt
Black's defences. ]
28...dxc5 29.a5 Bb2 30.a6 Bd4
31.Bf1 c4! Touché.
[ Black returns the pawn in order to
clear the a7-g1 diagonal. With a pawn
on c5 the bishop is protected on d4,
but it cannot coordinate with the
queen, nor assist in the defence
against the a-pawn; e.g. 31...Kg7
32.Qa2 ( 32.Qb5 Qxb5 33.Bxb5 c4
34.Bxc4 e5 is similar to the next
note ) 32...Qa7 33.Bc4 e6 34.Qb3
leaves Black with a long defence
ahead, even if the chances of it
being successful are pretty good. ]
32.Qxc4 Qb2 33.Qe2 Qc3
[ QUESTION: Hold on, why didn't
Black exchange queens? Isn't the
opposite-coloured bishop endgame
drawn?
ANSWER: It certainly looks that way
to me. After 33...Qxe2 34.Bxe2 e5
, I find it hard to see how White can
get anywhere. But of course both
players here are world-class
grandmasters, so if they felt White
had more chances in the bishop
endgame, it is difficult to argue with
them. ]
34.Kg2 Bb6 35.Qa2 Qd4 With the
battery against f2 now restricting
White's forces, Black should be able to
defend.
36.Qc2 e6 37.Bb5 h6 38.Qe2 Qc5
39.Qb2 g5!? A rather startling idea
from Anand. By advancing his g-pawn
he hopes to restrict White even further,
albeit at the cost of weakening his own
king position. Both Adams and Bangiev
(in ChessBase Magazine) called the text
move a mistake, but that is difficult to
assess accurately. I think Black still has
excellent chances to save the draw.
40.Bd3 g4 41.Qf6 h5 42.Qf4 Kf8
43.e5 Qd5+ 44.Be4 Qd4 45.Qh6+
Ke7 46.Qf6+ Kf8 47.Bc6 Kg8 48.h4
With the threat of Be8.
[ The immediate 48.Be8? only looks
attractive until we notice that Qe4+
leads to perpetual check. ]
48...gxh3+? This seems so logical, but
it turns out to be the losing mistake.
[ Black should have sat tight with
48...Qc4 49.Be8 Qc7 50.Kh2 Ba7!
, when I don't see how White can
make any progress; e.g. 51.Qf4 Kf8
52.Ba4 Qb6 (renewing the pressure
on White's f2-pawn) 53.Kg1 Qa5
54.Bc2!? Qxa6 55.Bg6 Qb7
56.Bxh5 Qf3 57.Qxf3 gxf3 58.Bxf3
Bd4 with a fairly easy draw. ]
49.Kxh3 Qa1
[ Unfortunately, 49...Qxf2 50.Qxf2
Bxf2 is no good since the bishop
endgame is now lost for Black:
51.Kh4 Kg7 52.Kxh5 f6 (otherwise
White wins by g4-g5, Be8, Bxf7! and
Kh6 etc) 53.exf6+ Kxf6 54.g4 Bb6
55.g5+ Kg7 56.Be4 (Bangiev),
followed by 57 g6, after which the
king marches over to the queenside. ]
50.Kg2 Qc1
[ After 50...Qxa6 , White sets up a
mating net: 51.Qg5+ Kf8 52.Qxh5
Kg7 53.Qg5+ Kf8 54.Qh6+ Kg8
55.Be4! Qa7 56.Qh7+ Kf8 57.Qh8+
Ke7 58.Bc6 and the threat of mate
on e8 forces Black to gives up his
queen. ]
[ Nor is 50...Qb1 51.Be8 Qh7
ultimately any better; e.g. 52.Kh3
(intending Kh4, Bxf7+ etc) Kf8
53.Bd7 h4 54.Bxe6 hxg3+ 55.Kxg3
Qg7+ 56.Qxg7+ Kxg7 57.Bxf7 Kxf7
58.f3! and wins. ]
51.Bf3 h4 52.gxh4 Qc5 53.Bh5 Qc6+
51
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
54.Qf3 Qc7 55.Qb7 Qxb7+ 56.axb7
Bc7 57.f4
1-0
B26
Narciso Dublan,M
Barbot,Pi
17: Andorra 2014
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Rb8 7.Qd2 b5
8.Nge2 b4 The most consistent move,
driving the white knight away and
increasing Black's control of the long
diagonal before getting on with
development. Note that a subsequent ...
Nd4 will usually transpose to lines
examined the previous game, so here
we'll look only at variations where Black
refrains from, or at least defers, that
knight move.
9.Nd1 e5
[ Black has also tried:
a) 9...e6 10.0-0 Nge7 ( for 10...Nd4
see 10...e6 in the previous game )
11.Bh6 0-0 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Ne3
and here stronger players (such as
Shabalov and Timoshenko) have
tended to favour e5!? , which seems
like an odd choice given that we
reach the same position in our main
game with Black to move. Still, the
position is of course a Closed one. ]
[ b) 9...Nf6 10.Bh6 ( for 10.h3
see 7 Nge2 Nf6 in the notes to Game
13 ) 10...Bxh6 ( or 10...0-0 11.Bxg7
Kxg7 12.0-0 Qc7 13.Ne3 Nd4 14.f4
Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 with the initiative, M.
Narciso Dublan-V.Gandrud, Andorra
2014 ) 11.Qxh6 Bg4 12.f3 Bd7
13.0-0 e6 14.Qd2 e5 15.Ne3 0-0
16.f4 Nd4 17.fxe5 Nxe2+ 18.Qxe2
dxe5 19.Rf2 Be6 20.Raf1 Nd7
as seen in M.Narciso Dublan-L.Rojas
Keim, Vallfogona de Balaguer 2013,
and now 21.h4 promises White the
marginally better chances. ]
[ c) 9...h5!? 10.h3 ( not 10.h4?!
Nf6! ) 10...h4!? 11.g4 e5 12.0-0
Bxg4!? 13.hxg4 h3 14.Bh1 h2+
15.Kg2 Qh4 16.f3 f5 17.exf5
( 17.Bg5! Qh3+ 18.Kf2 looks critical )
17...gxf5 18.Ng3 Qh3+ 19.Kf2 f4
20.Nf5 fxe3+ 21.Ndxe3 Bf6 22.Bg2
Qh7 23.Nxd6+ Kd7 24.Ne4 Qh4+
25.Ng3?? ( 25.Ke2 Nd4+ 26.Kd1
h1Q 27.Bxh1 Qxh1 28.c3
was necessary ) 25...Qxg3+ 26.Kxg3
Bh4+ 27.Kxh2 Be1+ 28.Bh3 Bxd2
and Black was rewarded for his
enterprising play, J.Garcia Padron-I.
Teran Alvarez, Spanish League
1993. ]
10.0-0 Nge7
[ Just to reiterate the point, 10...Nd4
would transpose to the previous game
(see the note with 10...e5). ]
11.Bh6 0-0 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Ne3
[ Another possibility is 13.a3 a5
14.axb4 axb4 15.c3?! ( 15.Ne3
at once seems better, as in the main
game ) 15...Be6 16.f4 f6 17.Ne3
Na5 18.Rad1 Qb6 19.Kh1 Bb3
20.Rde1 Ba4 21.Nd5 ( 21.fxe5 fxe5
22.Rxf8 Rxf8 23.Nc1 is the lesser
evil, but certainly does not represent
a problem for Black ) 21...Nxd5
22.exd5 was seen in E.Bricard-O.
Foisor, Saint Affrique 1999, and now
Nb3 23.Qe3 c4! 24.Qxb6 Rxb6
25.dxc4 Rc8 would have given Black
a strong initiative in the endgame. ]
13...Be6
[ Or 13...Bd7 14.f4 f6 15.h3 ( simply
15.Rf2 looks better, followed by either
Raf1 or a2-a3; e.g. Qb6 16.a3 bxa3
and now 17.b3! leaves White with the
upper hand ) 15...Nd4 16.Nc1 a5
52
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.c3 Ndc6 18.Nd5 ( 18.Ne2
is more flexible ) 18...Nxd5 19.exd5
bxc3 20.bxc3 Ne7 21.fxe5 fxe5
22.Rxf8 Qxf8 23.Ne2 and chances
are more or less equal, although I
think I would prefer Black, G.Letay-
V.Loginov, Budapest 1993. ]
14.f4 exf4
[ Black more usually defends with
14...f6 in these positions. Presumably
he didn't like the possibility of 15.f5!?
with a definite initiative, but White
gets that in the game anyway. ]
15.Rxf4 Qd7 16.Raf1
[ White doesn't achieve much with
16.d4 cxd4 17.Nxd4 Nxd4
18.Qxd4+ Kg8 . ]
EXERCISE: What is Black's best move?
In particular, calculate the
consequences of 16...d5.
16...d5?? This natural-looking break is
actually a blunder.
[ ANSWER: The best move is 16...Ne5
and then:
A) 17.d4 cxd4 18.Nxd4
( 18.Qxd4 ) 18...N7c6 19.Nef5+!
(critical) Kg8 ( not 19...gxf5?
20.exf5 Nxd4 21.Rxd4 Bxf5
22.Rxd6 Qc8 23.Qg5+ Bg6
24.Qxe5+ , and White is clearly
better ) 20.Nxc6 Nxc6 21.Rh4 f6
22.b3 and now simply a5
keeps the balance. Note that White
cannot take the d-pawn: after
23.Nxd6!? ( 23.Qxd6?? loses to
Bxf5 ) 23...Ne5! 24.Nc4 Qxd2
25.Nxd2 Rbc8 , Black has a big
advantage.;
B) 17.b3 f6 18.d4 g5! ( not now
18...cxd4? 19.Nxd4 N7c6? due to
20.Nxe6+ Qxe6 21.Nd5 Nd7
22.Bh3! Qxh3 23.Rh4 and wins )
19.R4f2 Ng4 20.Nxg4 Bxg4 21.c3
and White has an edge, but
nothing that should keep Black up
at night. ]
17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Rh4!
This is the refutation of Black's play.
19...Rh8 An unfortunate necessity;
[ as 19...h5 is met by 20.Rxh5! gxh5
21.Qg5+ Kh7 22.Qxh5+ Kg7
23.Qg5+ Kh8 24.Rf6 and Black will
have to give up the queen just to
delay getting mated. ]
20.Qh6+ Kg8 21.Nf4?? With this
rather routine move, White throws the
entirety of his advantage on the floor.
[ He should have played 21.Bxd5
Qxd5 22.Re4 and only then sent the
knight forward; e.g. f5 23.Nf4 Qf7
24.Ne6 Re8 25.Nxc5 and White has
picked up material while retaining
the initiative. ]
21...Bxg2 22.Nxg2 On account of his
weak 21st move, White has lost crucial
time. Even so, I find it difficult to
believe that White is not better
nonetheless.
22...Re8?! The first of two mistakes in a
row. This one is by no means a losing
move, but it makes things more difficult
for Black.
[ He should have played 22...Nd4
, after which it turns out to be
surprisingly difficult to exploit Black's
awkward set-up with the rook on h8; e.
g. 23.Re4 Re8 24.Ne3 f5 25.Rxe8+
Qxe8 26.g4 Qf8 27.Qxf8+ ( or
27.Qh3 f4 28.Nd5 Qd6 29.Nxf4
Kg7 and the rook gets out ) 27...Kxf8
28.gxf5 Kg7 29.fxg6 hxg6 30.Rf2
Re8 and it will be a long road to
conversion for White. ]
23.Ne3 f5? This turns out to be another
major blunder.
[ Here Black should have played
23...Ne5 , when 24.Rhf4 Re6 25.g4
certainly leaves White with the
better chances, but there is nothing
immediately decisive on the horizon. ]
53
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
EXERCISE: How should White continue?
ANSWER: 24.Nxf5! Rf8
[ The knight cannot be taken since
24...gxf5 25.Rg4+! fxg4 26.Qg5+
Qg7 27.Qd5+ leads to mate. ]
25.Ne3 Good enough, if not the best. I
suspect the Spanish Grandmaster may
have seen the strongest move, but
played the text for practical reasons, as
a safe way to the win.
[ The computer solution is 25.Rhf4!
Rxf5 26.Rxf5 gxf5 27.Qg5+ Kf8 ( or
27...Qg7 28.Qxf5 Nd8 29.Rf4 etc )
28.Rxf5+ Ke8 29.Qh5+ Kd8 30.Rd5
and Black loses the queen. ]
25...Rxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Qg7 27.Qg5 Ne5
28.Re4 Qf7+ 29.Rf4 Qe6 30.Rf6 Qe8
31.Nf5 h6 32.Nxh6+ Kh7?!
Losing at once;
[ but 32...Kg7 33.Nf5+ Kg8 34.Rd6!
Rh5 35.Rd8 Rxg5 36.Rxe8+ Kf7
37.Rxe5 gxf5 38.Rxc5 leaves White
with an easily winning rook
endgame. ]
33.Nf7
1-0
B26
Narciso Dublan,M
Moreno Ruiz,J
18: San Sebastian 2011
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Black went for 2...g6 3.g3
( we'll look very briefly at the
attempted spoiler 3.d4!? in the notes
to Game 69 ) 3...Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6
here, which is a sensible option for
anyone with the Accelerated Dragon
in their repertoire; i.e. after 3 Nf3 Bg7
4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nc6. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
Nf6 7.Qc1!? White lines up on the
c1-h6 diagonal with the idea of Bh6,
while leaving d2 as a retreat square for
the bishop should Black send the knight
to g4.
[ The main move 7.h3 is examined in
Games 19-22. ]
[ Instead:
a) 7.Qd2?! is a very common mistake,
especially between lower-rated
players – understandable, because
the move is White's answer against
basically any other move. But here it
is mistaken in view of Ng4
and Black picks up the bishop; e.g.
8.Bf4 e5 9.Bg5 f6 10.Be3 0-0
11.Nge2 Nxe3 and the players
agreed a draw in A.Parkanyi-T.
Nikovits, Hungarian League 2003,
which tells us something, since White
was 180 points higher rated and still
settled for half a point this soon. ]
[ b) 7.f4?! is also unsatisfactory for
White because of Ng4 8.Bd2 Bd4
9.Nh3 0-0 10.Qe2 , as in V.Bachin-B.
Grachev, Russian Team
Championship 2003, and now after
Nb4 ( or 10...Bd7 11.0-0-0 b5
with the initiative ) 11.Rc1 Qb6
, Black is clearly doing well. ]
7...Nd4
[ The attack on c2 prevents White's
Bh6 for the moment, not that Black
need fear this move particularly:
a) 7...0-0 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Nd4
10.Qd2 e5 11.Nge2 Bh3 12.0-0
Bxg2 13.Kxg2 d5 14.f3 Rc8
15.Rae1 Re8 and Black obviously
has no problems at all, M.Narciso
Dublan-I.Salgado Lopez, Spanish
Championship, Linares 2013. ]
[ b) 7...Rb8 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Nd4
10.Qd2 Qa5 11.Nge2 Bg4
( 11...Bh3!? is possible ) 12.Nxd4
cxd4 13.Nd5 , M.Narciso Dublan-H.
Delgado Ramos, Barbera del Valles
54
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
2011, and here Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Rc8
15.Nxf6+ exf6 is equal, despite
Black's inferior pawn structure. ]
[ c) 7...Ng4 8.Bd2 Nd4 , switching
the moves round, is also possible but
misses out on the possibility in the
next note: 9.h3 Ne5 10.Nce2
( instead, 10.Nd1 0-0 transposes to
our main game; while 10.f4 Nec6
11.Nd5 e6 12.Ne3 Ne7 13.c3 Ndc6
14.g4 f5 15.gxf5 exf5 16.Ne2 0-0
offers mutual chances, R.Hawkes-K.
Spraggett, Canadian Championship,
Winnipeg 1986 ) 10...Qb6 11.f4 Nec6
( or 11...Nxc2+!? 12.Qxc2 Qxb2
13.Qxb2 Nxd3+ 14.Kf1 , V.Smyslov-
D.Bronstein, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1951, when Nxb2 15.Bc3
0-0 16.a4 Nd3 would have left Black
with good compensation for the
piece ) 12.c3 Nxe2 13.Nxe2 f5
14.Be3 Qa6 15.Qd2 fxe4 16.dxe4
Na5 17.Qc2 Nc4 with a pleasant
position for Black, L.Pachman-D.
Bronstein, Gotha 1957. All these
games actually arose via 6...Nh6!?
(see Game 25) 7 Qc1 Ng4 etc. ]
8.Nd1
[ White has also tried 8.Nce2 Ng4!
9.Bd2?! ( relatively best is 9.Bxd4
cxd4 10.Nf3 Qa5+ 11.Qd2 Qxd2+
12.Nxd2 , although this position is not
at all what White wants from the
opening ) 9...Qb6!
A) and now after 10.Nf4? c4!
11.c3? .
EXERCISE: How should Black
continue?
A1) ANSWER: There are two
ways to win: 11...Nb3! 12.axb3
( or 12.Be3 Qxe3+! ) 12...Qxf2+
13.Kd1 e5 14.Bh3 exf4
15.bxc4 fxg3 16.hxg3 Qxg3;
A2) or 11...Ne2! 12.Ngxe2 ( or
12.Be3 Nxc1 13.Bxb6 axb6
14.Rxc1 Rxa2 ) 12...Qxf2+
13.Kd1 cxd3 and White is
completely busted in either
case.;
A3) Instead, C.Renner-L.D.
Nisipeanu, German League
2009, continued 11...e5?
12.Nfh3 Ne6 13.dxc4? ( after
13.f3 Nc5 14.Bf1 Nxd3+
15.Bxd3 cxd3 16.fxg4 f5
, Black merely has good
compensation for the piece )
13...Nc5 14.Qc2? Qxb2!
15.Rc1 Qxc2 16.Rxc2 Bd7
, and White resigned because
the threat of ...Ba4 followed by ...
Nd3 will cost him additional
material.;
B) Not 10.h3? Nxe2 11.Nxe2
Bxb2 12.Qd1 Bxa1 13.Qxa1 Nf6
.;
C) The immediate 10.c3
is not attractive either: 10...Nxe2
11.Kxe2 f5 ( 11...Qa6!? 12.c4 b5
is also quite unpleasant for White )
12.f3 Ne5 13.f4 Ng4 14.h3 Nf6
15.Be3?! Qa6 16.Kd2 Qc6
17.Rh2 fxe4 18.Qc2 d5 19.dxe4
Nxe4+ 20.Bxe4 dxe4 and Black
has a very large advantage, A.
Parkanyi-Nhat Minh To, Budapest
2010. ]
8...Ng4!? Without the dark-square tricks
in the previous note, this move is less
effective but it's still okay.
[ Otherwise Black can play more
straightforwardly:
a) 8...e5 9.c3 Ne6 10.Bh6 0-0
11.Bxg7 Nxg7 12.Ne2 Be6 13.f4
Bg4 14.Qd2 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 exf4
16.gxf4 Nfh5 17.0-0 Ne6 ( 17...f5!?
keeps the game going ) 18.Qg4 Nf6
19.Qf3 Nh5 20.Qg4 Nf6 and ½-½, L.
Pachman-F.Olafsson, Portoroz
Interzonal 1958. ]
55
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ b) 8...d5 9.c3 ( or 9.exd5 Nxd5
10.c3 Nxe3 11.Nxe3 Nf5 ) 9...Nc6
10.f3?! ( 10.f4 is preferable ) 10...d4
11.cxd4 cxd4 12.Bh6? Nb4! 13.Ke2
0-0 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qd2 Qb6
16.a3 Nc6 17.Rc1 Na5 18.Qb4 Nb3
and Black is much better, H.Seidman-
P.Benko, US Championship, New
York 1959. ]
9.Bd2 0-0 10.h3 Ne5 11.f4 Nec6
[ I would prefer 11...Nd7!? 12.c3 Nc6
to the game continuation, though
whether it is actually better is
another question. ]
12.c3 Nb5 QUESTION: It seems like
the black horses are being kicked
around and sent galloping off to safer
ground. Does White have the advantage,
considering all those moves Black has
spent with his knights?
ANSWER: That is a very good question,
because White does appear to be
making progress. Actually, the
evaluation is probably still about even.
White is not better, but he is certainly
not worse either.
13.Nf3
[ Here 13.Ne3!? seems preferable,
preventing Black from playing ...d6-
d5 straight away. ]
13...f5?! The text move curtails White's
ambitions on the kingside but causes
some long-term structural issues.
[ As just indicated, 13...d5!?
is an attractive alternative. ]
14.Qc2 Nc7 15.exf5 gxf5 16.0-0
[ White should definitely consider
16.Ne3! now, keeping the option of
castling on either side; e.g. e5 ( or
16...d5 17.0-0 b6 18.Rfe1 Bb7
19.Qd1 , intending Qe2 and Nc2,
when I prefer White's position )
17.0-0-0 . ]
16...Kh8 17.Nf2?! It is unclear what the
knight's purpose is on this square.
[ Instead, 17.Ne3 might be met by e5
;]
[ but 17.Be3 Rg8 18.d4 grabs the
initiative; e.g. cxd4 19.cxd4 h6
20.Bf2 e6 21.Rc1 and White has a
tiny plus with an easier position to
play. ]
17...Bd7 18.d4 cxd4 19.Nxd4 Nxd4
20.cxd4 Bc6 Taking the d-pawn was
acceptable, but Black naturally prefers
to keep his dark-squared bishop on the
board. 21.Bxc6 bxc6 22.Qxc6 Ne6
23.Qg2?! This is another odd move,
which relegates the queen to the lowly
post of guarding White's kingside pawns
and surrenders the initiative.
[ After 23.Qc4 Nxd4 24.Bc3
, the chances are fairly even. ]
23...Nxd4 24.Kh2?! White soon
realizes that h2 is not the right square
for the king.
[ 24.Rad1 Rc8 25.Nd3
is only marginally better for Black. ]
24...e5 25.fxe5 dxe5 26.Rad1?! e4!
27.Kh1 Qb6 Now Black is in control of
the entire board, while White position is
pretty sad. 28.Be3?! There is no reason
is give up the b-pawn.
[ 28.b3 makes more sense. ]
28...Qxb2 29.Rd2 Qb4 Needless to
say, White's position is pretty miserable
here and Black is well on the way to
winning. The rest of the game will
therefore be lightly annotated.
30.h4 Rac8 31.Nh3 Nf3 32.Rd7 Rc3
33.Bg1 Qc4 34.Ng5 Rc2? Perhaps in
time trouble, Black begins to allow his
opponent some drawing chances.
[ The correct continuation is 34...Qc6!
35.Rdd1 ( or 35.Rfd1 Rc2 )
35...Nxg1! 36.Rxg1 Be5 and White's
position quickly collapses; e.g.
37.Qd2 ( or 37.Qb2 h6 38.Nh3 Rb8
39.Qd2 Rc2 40.Qd5 Qxd5 41.Rxd5
Rbb2 ) 37...h6 38.Nh3 e3+ 39.Qg2
56
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qxg2+ 40.Rxg2 Bxg3 41.Rxg3 e2
and Black wins. ]
35.Rf2 Rxf2 36.Qxf2 Ne5?! 37.Rxg7!
Kxg7 38.Qxa7+ Nf7 39.Qe7?!
[ White should play 39.Qd7
straight away, when e3 can be met
by 40.Bxe3 Qf1+ 41.Bg1 . ]
39...Rc8 40.Qd7? Now this just loses;
[ instead, 40.Nxf7 Qxf7 41.Bd4+ Kg8
42.Qe5 Rc1+ 43.Kg2 Qxa2+ 44.Bf2
Rc2 45.Qxf5 sees White still
fighting. ]
40...e3! 41.Bxe3
[ Or 41.Qxf5 Qc6+ 42.Nf3 Re8
. Once the queens are off, White has
no hope of saving the game. ]
41...Qc6+ 42.Qxc6 Rxc6 43.Nf3 Ra6
44.Nd4 Kf6 45.Kg2 Rxa2+ 46.Kf1
Ke5 47.Ne2 Ra3 48.Bf4+ Ke4
49.Ng1 Ra2 50.Ne2 Rc2 51.Ke1 Nd8
52.Kd1 Rc8 53.Ke1 Ne6 54.Bd6 Ke3
0-1
B26
Wen Yang
Ding Liren
19: Chinese Championship, Xinghua
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4
[ This was a game that actually began
1.g3!? and only entered a Closed
Sicilian after g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.e4 c5
4.Nc3 Nc6 . ]
1...c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7
5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.h3 Safeguarding
the e3-bishop from attack.
[ White has occasionally tried to do
without h2-h3 while giving priority to
castling after 7.Nge2 , and then:
A) 7...0-0 8.0-0 Rb8 ( or 8...Ng4!?
9.Bd2 Nd4 10.Nxd4 cxd4 11.Ne2
Qb6 12.h3 Ne5 13.f4 Nc4
14.dxc4 d3+ 15.Kh2 dxe2
16.Qxe2 Qxb2 with a good game
for Black, R.Spielmann-W.Schwan,
Barmen 1905 ) 9.a4 ( instead, 9.h3
b5 10.a3 a5 11.Qd2 transposes
to our main game and was in fact
the route taken ) 9...a6 10.Qc1 b5
11.axb5 axb5 12.Bh6 b4 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.Nd5 e5 ( 14...e6 15.Ne3
d5 16.exd5 exd5 17.Re1 Bb7
18.Nf4 Nd4 19.Ra4 Re8
is also quite equal, Mi.Adams-L.
McShane, Kilkenny 1999 ) 15.Nxf6
( or 15.Ne3 Ng4 , as in V.Jakimov-
A.Zubarev, Ukrainian League
2007 ) 15...Qxf6 16.h3 Qe7 17.f4
f6 18.Kh2 Bd7 19.Ra8
and Black has a perfectly good
position, M.Narciso Dublan-S.
Shankland, Barcelona 2013.;
B) 7...Ng4!? 8.Bd2 0-0 ( here
8...Nd4 seems more appropriate,
intending 9.h3 Ne5 ) 9.h3 Nf6
is not a great achievement for
Black, spending a tempo to drive
the white bishop back one square,
which might just return to e3 in any
case. Alternatively, White has tried
10.0-0 Rb8 11.a3 ( 11.Qc1 b5
12.Bh6 b4 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Nd5
e5 15.a3 a5 16.axb4 axb4
is much the same as line 'a', as
the omission of h2-h3 makes no
real difference; e.g. 17.c3 Nxd5
18.exd5 Ne7 19.d4 bxc3 20.bxc3
cxd4 21.cxd4 e4 22.Nf4 Nf5
½-½ E.Lobron-L.Dominguez Perez,
Wijk aan Zee 2004 ) 11...b5
12.b4!? cxb4 13.axb4 Nxb4
14.Rxa7 Nc6 15.Ra1 e6 ( 15...b4
16.Nd5! Nxd5 17.exd5 Bxa1
18.Qxa1 Ne5 19.Bh6 Re8 20.f4
Qb6+ 21.Kh2 Qe3 22.Nd4
gives White good play for the
exchange ) 16.Rb1 Ba6 17.Na2
Qc7 18.Kh1?! ( 18.Nb4
57
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
might give White a tiny edge )
18...d5 19.exd5 Nxd5 20.Nf4
Nce7 21.Nb4?! was agreed drawn
in N.Short-L.McShane, British
League 2002, though Black now
looks to have a very pleasant
position after Nxb4 22.Bxb4 Rfc8
.]
7...0-0 The usual and most natural move.
[ Others:
a) 7...e5 8.Nge2 ( while 8.Qd2 Nd4
9.Nge2 h5!? is Game 21 ) 8...0-0
9.0-0 is Game 20. ]
[ b) 7...Rb8 will likely transpose below
(e.g. after 8 Qd2 b5 9 Nge2 or 9 a3
etc); independent lines such as 8.f4
Nd4 9.Nce2 are considered in Game
22. ]
[ c) 7...Bd7 8.Nge2 ( 8.Qd2
is more consistent, but White has
often played Nge2 already by this
point ) 8...Qc8!? 9.g4 h5 10.g5 Nh7
11.h4 Nf8 12.Ng3?! ( 12.Qd2
is about equal ) 12...Ne5 ( 12...b5
looks promising for Black ) 13.f3 Ne6
14.Qd2 Nd4 15.0-0 Bh3 16.Nd5
Bxg2 17.Kxg2 e6 18.Nf6+ Bxf6
19.gxf6 Ndc6 20.Bg5 with chances
for both sides, L.McShane-S.Bogner,
German League 2011. ]
8.Qd2
[ We will look at 8.Nge2 in the next
game, but note that Rb8 9.0-0 b5
10.a3 ( or 10.Qd2 )
A) 10...a5 11.Qd2 transposes
below. ( 11.-- );
B) One game which deviated was
N.Short-L.McShane, Reykjavik
2000: 10...Bd7 11.f4 a5 12.a4!?
b4 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Rb1 Na7!?
( simply 14...Nc7 15.c4 Ne6 16.f5
Ned4 is about equal ) 15.c4 ( not
15.Nxa7?! Bxa4 16.b3 Bd7 17.d4
Qc7 18.dxc5 Qxa7 and Black is
doing well ) 15...bxc3 16.Nxa7
, and now Black should have tried
Rxb2!? 17.Qe1 Bxa4 18.e5 Bd7
19.Nc6 Bxc6 20.Bxc6 dxe5
21.Nxc3 Rxb1 22.Nxb1 exf4
23.Bxf4 , though whether the three
pawns are quite enough for the
piece is another question. ]
8...Rb8 Pushing the b-pawn is the most
common plan for Black in this variation.
[ Another important option is 8...Nd4
, which we'll examine in the notes to
Game 21. ]
9.Nge2
[ With White having spent a move on
h2-h3, the exchange of bishops with
9.Bh6 is less troublesome to Black,
since any attack will necessarily be
one move slower. For example, Bxh6
( 9...b5 is good too ) 10.Qxh6 Nd4
11.Qd2 ( or 11.0-0-0 b5 12.Nf3 b4
13.Nd5 , M.Vilar Lopez-A.Cantero
Martin, Castellar 1999, and now Nxd5
14.exd5 Nf5 , followed by ...Qa5,
sees Black seize the initiative ) 11...b5
12.Nce2 ( or 12.Nd1 e5 13.c3 Ne6
14.Ne2 d5 15.exd5 Nxd5
and Black has the better chances, J.
Sanpera Bonet-V.Vehi Bach,
Manresa 2004 ) 12...e5 13.c3 Nxe2
14.Nxe2 Bb7 15.Qe3 d5 16.0-0
was A.Mohammadi-A.Greenfeld,
Gothenburg 2016, Qd6 17.Rad1
Rbd8 looks promising for Black. ]
9...b5 10.a3 It is perhaps a matter of
taste whether White inserts this move
or opts to castle straight away, though
the latter is seen more frequently.
[ After 10.0-0 b4 11.Nd1 , Black has
tried several continuations:
A) 11...a5 12.Bh6 ( or 12.g4 Ba6
13.f4 Nd7 14.Rb1 a4 15.b3 Nd4
16.g5 axb3 17.axb3 f5 18.gxf6
Nxe2+ 19.Qxe2 Nxf6
with chances for both sides, F.
Pancevski-B.G.Smith, Paracin
58
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
2011; whereas 12.f4 Nd7 13.h4
Ba6 14.h5 gxh5 15.Rb1 Kh8
16.Nf2 Rg8 17.Nh3 Nd4
turned out better for Black in E.
Ghaem Maghami-E.Najer, German
League 2009 ) 12...Nd4
( 12...Bxh6! 13.Qxh6 Nd4 14.Qd2
Bxh3 15.Nxd4! Bxg2 16.Nc6 Qc7
17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Kxg2 d5
is about equal ) 13.Bxg7 Kxg7
14.f4 e5 15.Kh2 Nh5 16.f5 h6
17.Ne3 Nf6 18.a3 Bd7 19.axb4
Nxe2 20.Qxe2 axb4 , S.Rublevsky-
I.Khairullin, Russian Championship,
Moscow 2006, and now 21.h4 Ra8
22.Rxa8 Qxa8 23.Bh3
looks somewhat more promising for
White at this point, although we are
talking about tiny margins.;
B) 11...Ba6 12.f4 Nd7 13.a3
showing the drawback of playing ...
Ba6 without ...a7-a5; ( instead,
13.h4 c4 14.d4 c3 15.bxc3 Nb6
16.Bf2 d5 17.e5 Nc4 18.Qc1 e6
sees Black in control, N.Shyam-
Wang Hao, Abu Dhabi 2014 )
13...Qc8 14.axb4 cxb4 15.Re1 e6
16.d4 d5 17.e5 Ne7 18.Nc1 Rb6
19.g4 Qc7 20.Nb3 and White has
the upper hand, J.Sindarov-S.
Vokhidov, Baku 2016.;
C) 11...Nd7 12.Bh6 Bxh6
13.Qxh6 Nd4 14.Qd2 a5
(there is no ...Bxh3 trick here as
the d7-knight is in the way) 15.Ne3
Nb6 16.f4 f5 17.exf5 Nxe2+
18.Qxe2 gxf5 19.a3 Qd7 20.axb4
axb4 21.g4 e6 22.gxf5 exf5
23.Kh2 Kh8 24.Rg1 ( 24.Qh5
looks more precise ) 24...Qe7
25.Qf3 Be6 26.Qh5 Qf7 27.Qh6
Qf6 28.Qxf6+ Rxf6 29.Ra7 Bf7
30.Re1 and White's pieces are
better placed than their black
counterparts, S.Rublevsky-A.
Areshchenko, Russian Team
Championship 2011.;
D) 11...Qb6 12.f4 Nd4 13.Nxd4
cxd4 14.Bf2 h5 ( 14...Ba6!? 15.b3
Qc5 16.Nb2 Rfc8 gives Black the
initiative ) 15.b3 e5 16.a3! Be6
17.axb4 Bh6 18.Qe2 Qc7?!
19.Be1 d5? 20.fxe5 Qxe5 21.Ra5
( or just 21.Qf2! ) 21...Rbc8
22.Nb2! , threatening Nc4, left
Black with serious problems, D.
Shahinyan-H.Hayrapetyan,
Yerevan 2014.;
E) 11...e5 12.f4 ( or 12.c3 a5
13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 Bd7 15.Nf2
Ne8 16.d4 cxd4 17.cxd4 d5
18.e5 Nc7 19.Nd3 Ne7 20.Ng3
h5 with chances for both sides, J.
Hjartarson-L.McShane, Qaqortoq
rapid 2003 ) 12...Nd4 13.f5!? d5
( 13...Nh5 14.Bf2 gxf5 15.exf5
Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Nf6 17.g4
is good for White, Hou Yifan-Gu
Xiaobing, Jiangsu Wuxi 2011 )
14.g4 dxe4 15.g5 exd3 16.cxd3
and now Bxf5!? (J.Van Mil-M.Kuijf,
Haarlem 1995) ( or 16...Nd5 17.f6
Bh8 18.Rc1 Rb5 19.h4
is quite unclear ) 17.gxf6 Bxf6
18.Nf2 . ]
10...a5 11.0-0 b4 12.axb4 cxb4!?
QUESTION: Why does Black capture
away from the centre? Now he loses
control over the d4-square and his a-
pawn appears to be a long-term
weakness.
ANSWER: Yes, it seems more
consistent to recapture with the a-pawn
– why else did Black play ...a7-a5 after
all? – but using the c-pawn is neither
bad nor entirely unusual. If Black wants
to play for a win, in this case being
almost 200 points higher rated, he must
find some way to imbalance the game
and cause it to change direction.
59
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ Otherwise, 12...axb4 is more natural;
for example, 13.Nd5!? ( or 13.Nd1
Bb7 14.Bh6 Ra8 15.Rxa8 Qxa8
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Ne3 Qa2 18.b3
with equal chances, Z.Gyimesi-R.
Ruck, Slovenian League 2007 )
13...Nd7 14.Bh6 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 e6
16.Ne3 Nd4 17.Nxd4 cxd4 18.Nc4
Ne5 19.b3 Qc7 20.f4 Nxc4 21.dxc4
f6 22.h4 ( my computer likes 22.f5
quite a lot, but ultimately Black should
be fine; e.g. exf5 23.Kh2 Re8
24.exf5 Bxf5 25.Qf4 Re2 26.Rf2
Rbe8 27.Ra8 Rxf2 28.Rxe8+ Kf7
29.Qxf2 Kxe8 30.Qxd4 Qe7
with a level endgame ) 22...e5 23.h5
Qg7 24.Qxg7+ Kxg7 and while
White has a slight initiative, it is
nothing that should worry Black
unduly, Mi.Adams-L.Van Wely,
Frankfurt (rapid) 1999. ]
13.Nd5 Nd7 14.d4 Ba6 15.Rfd1 Bb5
[ Another game saw 15...e6!? 16.Ndf4
Nb6 17.b3 e5 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Nd5
( 19.Qe1 Qc7 20.Nd5 is much the
same ) 19...Nxd5 20.exd5 Bxe2
21.Qxe2 Nd4 22.Bxd4
and was agreed drawn, D.King-O.
Cvitan, Swiss League 2000. I'm not
sure the position is quite dead yet,
but it's certainly equal. ]
16.b3 Re8 17.c4
[ Here 17.Ndf4 is an attractive
alternative; e.g. e6 18.Rab1 Ne7
19.c4 bxc3 20.Nxc3 Bc6 21.Rdc1
and White's position looks more
promising. ]
17...bxc3 18.Nexc3 Ba6 19.Rab1 Nf8
20.Nf4 Now unless Black plays
accurately, White will have the better
chances. 20...e5! 21.dxe5 dxe5
22.Qxd8 Rexd8 23.Rxd8 Rxd8
Black has equalized, but he cannot
really hope for any more than that.
24.Nfd5 Rb8 25.Bf1 Bxf1 26.Kxf1
Nd7 QUESTION: I like White's position,
the knight on d5 is strong and the other
pieces look well placed as well; isn't
White just better?
ANSWER: It could seem that way, but
Black will soon have a knight on d4,
when his pieces will actually be very
well placed as well.
27.Na4 Nd4 28.b4 axb4 29.Rxb4
Rxb4 30.Nxb4
1/2
B26
Adams,Mi
Topalov,V
20: Dos Hermanas 1999
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 Topalov has
played all of 2...Nc6, 2...d6. 2...e6, and
2...g6 here.
[ In this game, he went for 2...d6 3.g3
Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 , perhaps
considering that Adams was just as
likely to open the Sicilian with 3 Nf3
and 4 d4, as in their game at Tilburg a
few months earlier. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
Nf6 7.h3 0-0
[ The move order switched again here
with 7...e5 8.Nge2 0-0 . Via this
route, 8 Qd2 features in the next
game. ]
8.Nge2 e5
[ Note that 8...Rb8 9.0-0 b5 10.a3
( or 10.Qd2 ) 10...a5 11.Qd2
was examined in the previous game. ]
9.0-0 b5!? Kasparov's provocative idea.
Rather than preparing this advance with
...Rb8, as we saw in the previous game,
Black offers it as a temporary sacrifice
in order to open the b-file.
[ Naturally, 9...Rb8 is playable too; ]
[ or 9...Nd4 10.f4 ( not 10.Qd2?
60
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bxh3 etc; and 10.Kh2 Nh5 11.Nd5
Be6 12.c3 Nxe2 was a quick draw in
S.Rublevsky-B.Gelfand, Russian
Team Championship 2007 ) 10...Rb8
( or 10...b5 11.a3 Rb8 12.b4!? Nh5
13.bxc5 dxc5 14.g4 Nxf4 15.Nxf4
exf4 16.Bxf4 Rb7 17.Nd5 Ne6
18.Be3 Rd7 19.Rb1 a6
, which seems fairly equal, Lin Chen-
Yu Lie, Chinese League 2013 ) 11.f5
( 11.Qd2 is covered via 7...0-0 8 Qd2
Nd4 9 Nge2 in the next game ) 11...h6
( or 11...gxf5 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Qe8
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 Bd8 16.Nxd4
cxd4 17.Qh5 and White is slightly
better, R.Dudek-G.Chrapkowski,
Bydgoszcz 1978 ) 12.g4 b5 13.Ng3
b4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 gxf5
16.Nxf5 Bxf5 17.gxf5 Qf6 18.Be4
Qh4 19.Kh2 with a strong attack for
White, H.Westerinen-S.Pons Sastre,
Saragossa 1993. ]
10.Nxb5
[ More testing than 10.a3 , when Nd4
11.f4 transposes to the previous note.
] knights are wonderfully placed. Now if
[ Otherwise Black will have saved a
move with the a8-rook; for example,
10.f4 b4 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Nd4
13.fxe5 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 Bxe5
and Adams' assessment that Black is
slightly better appears correct, since
15.Bxc5? Re8 lands White in
trouble ]
[ or 10.Qd2 b4 11.Nd1 a5 . ]
10...Rb8 11.Nec3
[ Improving on his game against
Kasparov a few weeks earlier, which
saw 11.a4 a6 12.Na3 Rxb2 13.Nc4
Rb8 14.f4 ( 14.Nc3 ) 14...exf4
15.Nxf4 Na5 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.Ra2
Bc6 18.Nf3 Ba8 19.c4 Nd7 20.Raf2
Nb3 21.h4 Nd4 and Black had some
initiative to work with, Mi.Adams-G.
Kasparov, Linares 1999. ]
11...a6 12.Na3 Rxb2 13.Nc4 Rb8
14.Bg5! White kills off the f6-knight in
order to control the d5-square. If we
consider that White might have played
14 Nc3 in the previous note (and in fact
did play that in R.Palliser-J.Rowson,
British Championship, Scarborough
2001), clearly Bg5 is a more useful
move here than a2-a4.
14...h6
[ In 'Chess Informant' Adams gives the
terse note 14...Be6 15.Nd5 Bxd5
16.exd5 Ne7 "unclear", but as long
as he can contain Black's counterplay,
it seems to me that White must have
the better chances here. One idea is
17.Qf3!? Nf5 ( or 17...Nh5 18.Rab1
f6 19.Bd2 f5 20.Na5 , followed by
c2-c4 ) 18.c3 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6
20.Rfb1 , after which the queen can
swing round to the queenside again; e.
g. Be7 21.Qd1 Qc7 22.Be4 Ng7
23.Qa4 f5 24.Bg2 and White has a
definite advantage. ]
15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd5 The white
only the light-squared bishops could be
exchanged, then Black would be in
serious trouble.
16...Bg7 17.Rb1 Rxb1 18.Qxb1 Na5
19.Qb6!? An interesting decision;
Adams essentially forces an endgame
where White has a tiny edge and Black
will have to defend patiently.
[ Nevertheless, it looks stronger to
keep both knights for the moment and
play 19.Ncb6 , when Be6 20.c3 Nc6
21.Qb3 Ne7 22.Nc4! Nxd5 23.exd5
Bc8 24.Rb1 sees White more
dominant than in the game. I.Chaika-
A.Khvorostyanov, correspondence
2011, continued Qe7 25.Qb6 Rd8
26.Na5 Re8 27.Qc6 Bf8 28.a4 h5
29.h4 f5 30.Nc4 f4 ( or 30...Rd8
31.Qa8! Qc7 32.Rb8 ) 31.Nxd6 Bd7
61
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
32.Qxa6 Qxd6 33.Rb6 Qe7 34.Rb7
Qg7 35.Bh3 Re7 36.Rxd7! Rxd7
37.Bxd7 Qxd7 38.Qxg6+ Bg7 39.a5
Qxd5 40.Qe4 and Black resigned:
Qd6 41.Qc4+ Kh8 42.a6 Qd7
43.Qa2! Qa7 44.Qe6 leaves his
queen tied down by the a-pawn, while
the g7-bishop is surprisingly useless. ]
19...Nxc4 20.Qxd8 Rxd8 21.dxc4
Rd7 22.Nb6 It's a shame to give up the
strong knight,
[ but 22.Rb1 Rb7 gives Black no
problems at all, while if he gets his
rook to the b-file unopposed, then
Black would even have a clear plus. ]
22...Rc7 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Rb1
QUESTION: This looks 100% drawn;
why don't the players just sign the
scoresheets and head home?
ANSWER: White controls the only open
file on the board and that gives him the
advantage. If the rooks come off then,
yes, it would be completely drawn, but
as long as they are on the table, White
has a chance and Black will have to
play accurately. Therefore, Adams
forces his opponent to defend for quite
a while longer.
24...Rc7 Topalov decides that the most
important thing is to keep the white rook
out of the seventh rank.
[ Otherwise Black might play 24...Bf8
25.Rb7 Re8! (intending ...Re7)
26.Ra7 Rb8 27.Rxa6 Rb2 28.a4
Rxc2 29.a5 Ra2 and hope that the
passed a-pawn can be sufficiently
restrained, which indeed looks likely
to be the case. ]
QUESTION: How does White intend to
win after the text?
ANSWER: You will see his plan in action
in the game, but before moving on,
what would be your own plan if you
were trying to win here?
QUESTION: How about 25 Rb6, winning
a pawn?
ANSWER: It does win a pawn, though
that's not exactly a plan, because what
will you do once you have it? That
question is what planning is all about.
We'll come back to this in the next note.
25.h4?! QUESTION: This looks like a
strange idea; why has White suddenly
decided to play on the opposite side of
the board from the action?
ANSWER: Actually, this is the key move
in White's plan. Right now his own
bishop doesn't accomplish much on g2;
its ideal post is on d5, where it both
attacks the f7-pawn and takes away a
lot of squares from Black's pieces.
QUESTION: Is that enough to win?
ANSWER: As it turns out, no, it isn't. In
fact your own idea of grabbing a pawn
was better, but only with the same plan
in mind.
[ First of all, note that after 25.Rb6
Ra7 ( or 25...Bf8 26.Rxa6 Rb7
27.Bf1 Rb2 28.Bd3 ) 26.Rxd6 a5
27.a4 Bf8 28.Rb6
A) 28...Rd7 29.Ra6 Rd4 30.Bf1
Rxe4 31.f3! Rd4 32.Rxa5
, White has more chances than in
the 24...Bf8 line above. ( 32.-- );
B) Naturally, Black is not obliged to
give up the a-pawn, but if he sets
up as in the game with 28...Kg7
, say, White can then go for 29.h4
, aiming to activate the bishop via
h3 and c8 etc; for example, Be7
( or 29...Rd7 30.Bf1 Rd4 31.c3!
Rxe4? 32.Rb1! and the black rook
is trapped ) 30.Bh3 h5 31.Bc8
Ra8 32.Bd7 , followed by Bc6-d5,
( not 32.Bb7? due to Rb8!
. The difference from the game is
not that White is a pawn up – the
extra pawn on c2 is quite
inconsequential – but that Black's d-
pawn has disappeared, which
62
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
means that both his c- and e-
pawns are now more vulnerable. It
may still not be enough to win, but
White certainly has more to work
with. )]
25...Ra7 26.Bh3 Kf8 27.a4 a5 28.Bc8
Bf6 29.Rb8 Kg7 30.Bb7 Be7
Adams assesses this position as equal,
though that doesn't mean that he is
ready to agree a draw just yet. 31.Kg2
Bf6 32.Kh3 Be7 33.Bd5
So the bishop has arrived at its ideal
location. The next logical step is to try
and break open the kingside so that the
white king can penetrate, but that fails
to achieve anything here. Imagine, on
the other hand, the same position with
Black's d-pawn removed from the board,
then things might have been completely
different.
33...Bf6 34.Kg4 Be7 35.h5 g5
In 'ChessBase Magazine' Donev
mentions that this move weakens the f5-
square, but it doesn't really matter as
there is no way at all for White to break
through beyond putting the king on that
square.
36.Kf5 Bf6 37.Rb5 Bd8 38.Bb7 Be7
39.Rb2 Bd8 40.Rb1 Bf6 41.Bd5 Bd8
42.Rb3 Re7 43.Rb1 Bc7 Black has
now reached an optimum defensive
formation, and White is unable to make
any progress. 44.Rb7 Bd8 45.Rb8
Bc7 46.Ra8 Bb6 47.f3 Bc7 48.Ra6
Re8 49.Rc6 Re7 50.f4 gxf4 51.gxf4
exf4 52.Kxf4 Bd8 53.Rc8 Bc7
54.Ra8 Bb6 55.Ra6 Bc7 56.Rc6
. And finally a draw was agreed.
1/2
B26
Chandler,M
Kovalev,A
21: German League 1993
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.h3 e5
[ Black can adopt the same set-up as
in this game after 7...0-0 8.Qd2 Nd4
, followed by ...e7-e5.
For example:
A) 9.Nd1 e5 10.c3 Ne6 11.Bh6
d5! 12.exd5?! ( but 12.Bxg7 Nxg7
13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Ne3 Nxe3
15.Qxe3 Qb6 certainly gives Black
no problems, W.Sachsenhofer-D.
Rogic, St Veit 2004 ) 12...Nf4!
13.Bxg7 ( or 13.Bxf4 exf4 14.Qxf4
Nxd5 with fine compensation for
the pawn ) 13...Nxg2+ 14.Kf1 Kxg7
15.Kxg2 Qxd5+ 16.Nf3 b5
17.Ne3 Qc6 and Black is already
better, H.Seidman-A.Bisguier, New
York 1956.;
B) 9.Nce2 e5 10.c3 Ne6
( 10...Nc6 , intending ...d6-d5, is
good too ) 11.f4 ( after 11.Nf3 c4
12.dxc4 Nxe4 13.Qc2 f5 14.Rd1
Qc7 , I prefer Black's position, H.
Bastian-F.Bindrich, German
Championship, Bonn 2011 )
11...exf4 12.gxf4 Nh5 13.Nf3?!
( 13.0-0-0 seems preferable, and if
f5 then 14.Bf3 ) 13...f5 14.0-0 Bd7
15.e5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5
17.fxe5 Bc6 and Black has an
excellent game, H.Bastian-A.
Naiditsch, German Championship,
Saarbrücken 2002.;
C) 9.Nge2 may well be best: 9...e5
10.f4 ( again not 10.0-0? Bxh3!
etc; while 10.g4 b5 11.Ng3 b4
12.Nd1 Rb8 13.0-0 Be6 14.c3
bxc3 15.bxc3 Nc6 gives Black a
63
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
decent position, G.Appelt-O.
Chernikov, Dresden 2010 ) 10...Rb8
11.0-0 b5 12.g4 ( 12.Rae1 b4
13.Nd1 Nh5 with good play, A.
Wisniewski-V.Faibisovich, Swidnica
2000 ) 12...b4 13.Nd1 Nxe2+
14.Qxe2 exf4 15.Bxf4 Ne8
16.Qd2 as in M.Lazic-Y.
Solodovnichenko, Padova 2011,
and now Nc7 17.Bh6 Nb5
leaves both sides with an equal
share of the chances. ]
8.Qd2 This position can also arise via
6...e5 (as in Chapter Two) 7 Qd2 Nf6 8
h3 and was in fact the route taken – or
nearly: Kovalev played 5...e5 and 6...d6.
8...Nd4 9.Nge2 QUESTION: I don't get
this move; normally when Black plays ...
Nd4 before White has committed a
knight to e2 or f3, then White will try to
evict it with a prompt c2-c3. Why not
here?
ANSWER: That's a very good point.
The problem for White is that the
desired plan involving Nd1 or Nce2
allows Black to play an equalizing ...d6-
d5.
[ A couple of examples of this:
a) 9.Nd1 d5 10.c3 Ne6 11.Bh6
Bxh6 ( Black can even consider
11...dxe4 12.Bxg7 Nxg7 13.dxe4
Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 0-0 and should not
have any problems ) 12.Qxh6 d4
13.Ne2?! ( 13.Nf3 Qd6 14.0-0 Bd7
is more or less equal ) 13...g5
( 13...b5!? looks promising ) 14.h4
(White has to address the threat of ...
Rg8-g6, trapping the queen) c4
15.cxd4 cxd3 16.Nec3 d2+ ( or
16...Ng4 17.Qh5 Nxd4 18.Kf1 Be6 )
17.Kf1 with a sharp position in D.
Vargic-H.Stevic, Croatian League
2010, where Ng4 18.Qh5 Nxd4
19.Qxg5 Be6 looks promising for
Black. ]
[ b) 9.Nce2 d5 (again!) 10.c3 Ne6
( better than 10...Nxe2 ) 11.Nf3 Qd6
12.Bh6 Bxh6 ( or just 12...0-0 )
13.Qxh6 Bd7 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.0-0
Ne7 16.Qe3 f6 17.Nd2 Nf5 18.Ne4
Qe7 19.Qd2 0-0-0 .
Furthermore, in both these lines
simply 9...0-0 is good too, as we saw
via 7...0-0 above. ]
[ c) 9.f4 has a different drawback:
Nh5! 10.Nce2 Nxe2 11.Nxe2 exf4
12.gxf4 Bxb2 13.Rb1 Bg7
and White doesn't have enough for
the pawn; e.g. 14.0-0 0-0 15.f5 Rb8
16.Bg5 Bf6 17.Bh6 , A.Krapivin-N.
Konovalov, Moscow 2006, and now
simply Re8! 18.Bf3 Ng7 19.Kh1 d5!
is good for Black. ]
9...h5!? Black intends ...h5-h4 to create
long-term dark square weaknesses in
the enemy camp. There's also a small
bag of tricks to which White needs to be
alert.
[ Otherwise, 9...0-0 is again perfectly
acceptable for Black. ]
10.f4 h4 11.fxe5! QUESTION: Why
doesn't White play g3-g4 to minimize
the relevance of Black's pawn advance?
ANSWER: That's a good question, but I
will challenge you right back by making
this an exercise!
[ EXERCISE: So why shouldn't White
play 11.g4 - ?
A) Obviously 11...exf4 12.Nxf4
is not the answer, as White then
has a very comfortable position,
despite minor issues on the dark
squares. ( 12.-- );
B) ANSWER: 11...Nxg4! 12.hxg4
h3 is the solution, when the g2-
bishop has to stay put to guard the
f3-square (else 13...Nf3+ is game
over), so Black regains the
sacrificed piece with a much better
position; e.g. 13.g5 hxg2
64
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
14.Rxh8+ Bxh8 15.Kf2 Nxe2
16.Qxe2 Be6 17.Kxg2 Qb6
18.Bc1 ( both 18.Rb1; and 18.b3
run into exf4 winning material )
18...0-0-0 and Black is clearly
better. ]
11...dxe5 12.gxh4!?
[ White can play 12.0-0-0 hxg3
13.Nxg3 as well, but the text move
presents Black with more problems to
solve. ]
12...Nh7?! This is an odd decision.
[ Presumably Black didn't like
12...Rxh4 13.0-0-0 followed by Bg5,
so he voluntarily misplaces his knight
in order to recover the pawn with the
queen. But the h4-pawn wasn't going
anywhere, and now White gains the
initiative. ]
[ Instead, after the more level-headed
12...Qd6 13.Bg5 Be6 , both sides
would have their share of the
chances. ]
13.0-0-0 Qxh4 14.Nd5 0-0 15.Kb1
[ QUESTION: What is the purpose of
this move? It's not like Black is
threatening anything, right?
ANSWER: The answer to your
question lies in the fact that if White
plays 15.c3 at once, then Nxe2+
16.Qxe2 Bh6 enables Black to get
some minor pieces off the board.
White is still better – the knight on d5
is a beast – but he probably thought
that the exchanges favoured Black
more than the game continuation. ]
15...Be6 16.c3 Nxe2 17.Qxe2
White's position already leaves the
much better impression. 17...Bxd5
[ Now 17...Bh6 is answered simply by
18.Bxc5 and White is close to
winning. ]
18.exd5 Rac8 19.Bf2 Qd8
EXERCISE: White is clearly better with
the pair of bishops and a nice passed
pawn on d5, while Black has no
significant counterplay. How should
White proceed?
ANSWER: 20.h4! It is time to create
some additional weaknesses in Black's
position, and the king can easily
become very compromised if Black
doesn't immediately take care of the
situation.
20...Nf6
[ I would probably have opted for the
sharper response 20...f5 21.h5 g5
22.h6 Bf6 , hoping to create some
counterplay. ]
21.h5!? QUESTION: Can't White just
gobble up the pawn on e5 and be
happy?
ANSWER: Absolutely! In fact that's also
what I would have played;
[ e.g. 21.Qxe5 Re8 22.Qg5 Qb6
23.Rhe1 and Black has very little in
return for the pawn he just lost.
White preferred to continue his
assault on the king, deeming that
more difficult for Black to deal with. ]
21...Nxd5?! This seems like asking for
trouble, as Black's king position will now
be holed like a colander. Perhaps he
thought the knight would find a home on
f4, from where it could help to defend
the king.
[ The alternative 21...Nxh5 22.Rxh5
gxh5 23.Qxh5 leaves Black with a
position that requires great care; for
example, f5 24.Rg1 Rf7 25.Bh3
Qxd5 ( 25...Qd7 26.c4 b6 27.Be3
Rcf8 is possibly Black's best set-up,
although certainly no guarantee of a
successful defence ) 26.Bxf5 Kf8
27.c4 looks quite hairy. ]
22.hxg6 fxg6 23.Be4 Qd6
[ Or 23...Nf4 24.Qg4 Qd6 25.Be3
, and the defensive role of the knight
on f4 comes to an end whenever
White decides it's time. ]
65
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
24.Bg3 Rf7 25.Qg4 Rc6 Guarding g6
and planning to slide the rook to b6 in
the hope of generating some
counterplay. 26.Rd2 Rb6 27.Ka1
And that's the end of Black's counter-
attack! 27...Qd7 28.Qh4 Kf8 29.Bf2
Rc6 30.c4 Ne7
[ I would have tried the more
aggressive 30...Rf4!? 31.Qh2 Ne7
32.Bg3 Rcf6 , which at least gives
Black some activity in return for his
otherwise miserable position. ]
31.Be3! QUESTION: Why is this better
than taking on c6?
ANSWER: Objectively speaking, taking
the rook is probably just as good, but
the text move does not allow Black any
kind of counterplay. He remains stuck in
a passive position with terribly
disorganized pieces, whereas White's
active, well-coordinated forces and
safer king position are worth far more
than a pawn.
31...b6 32.Bh6 Re6 33.Bxg7+ Rxg7
34.Rf2+ Ke8 EXERCISE: How can
White make the most of his superior
position?
ANSWER: 35.Bd5! Kd8
[ Not 35...Nxd5 due to 36.Qh8+ Ke7
37.Qf8# . ]
36.Qh8+ White continues in consistent
fashion.
[ 36.Bxe6 Qxe6 37.Rf6 Qd7 38.Qe4
is just as convincing, when Black's
position collapses. ]
36...Rg8 37.Rf8+ Rxf8 38.Qxf8+ Kc7
39.Rh7 This seals the deal.
[ Seeing as 39.Rh7 Kd6 fails to
40.Qb8+ etc, Black has no other
option than to resign the game. ]
1-0
B26
Li Ruifeng
Xiong,J
22: US Junior Championship, St Louis
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ GM Jeffrey Xiong, one of the
strongest juniors in the world, has
also played several moves against 2
Nc3; in this game he opted for 2...d6
, his recent preference, and then 3.g3
Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
Nf6 7.h3 Rb8
[ We have seen this set-up via 7...0-0
8.Qd2 Rb8 in Game 19. Here we will
only consider continuations which do
not return to that game. ]
8.f4
[ It seems like White is mixing up the
Be3 and f2-f4 lines, but at the same
time White has not had much luck
achieving anything with other moves:
a) 8.Nge2 b5 9.Qd2 b4 10.Nd1 0-0
11.0-0 is the 10 0-0 line in the notes
to Game 19. ]
[ b) 8.a4 a6 ( while 8...b6 9.Qd2
Bb7 10.Nf3 0-0 11.0-0 would be an
unlikely transposition to Game 54 )
9.Qd2 b5 10.axb5 axb5 11.Nge2
is similar. ]
[ c) 8.Qd2 b5 ( or 8...Nd4 9.Nd1 b5
10.c3 Nc6 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6
Ne5 13.Bf1 c4!? 14.d4 Nd3+
15.Bxd3 cxd3 16.Qe3 b4 17.Qxd3
bxc3 18.bxc3 Qa5 , followed by ...
Ba6, with more than enough
compensation for the pawn, D.Luft-T.
Beerdsen, Vlissingen 2016 ) 9.f4 ( for
9.Nge2 b4 10.Nd1; or 9.Bh6 Bxh6
10.Qxh6 Nd4 11.Qd2 0-0
, see Game 19 again ) 9...b4 10.Nce2
Nd7 11.c4 bxc3 12.bxc3 Qb6
13.Nf3 Qb2 14.Kf2 Qxd2 15.Nxd2
66
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Ba6 ( 15...e5 16.Rhb1 Ba6
17.Rxb8+ Ndxb8 keeps more play in
the game ) 16.e5! Rc8 17.exd6 Bxd3
led to a quick draw in H.Bastian-G.
Siegel, French League 2002. ]
8...Nd4
[ One of the plus points of 8 f4 is that
8...b5?? now runs into 9.e5!
, winning a piece. Still, Black hardly
minds playing ...Nd4 in these
positions. ]
[ Another option is simply 8...0-0
A) 9.Nge2 Bd7 (preparing ...b7-b5
again; retreating the f6-knight is
possible too) 10.0-0 ( 10.g4 b5
11.Ng3 b4 12.Nce2 Ne8 13.f5?
Bxb2 14.Bh6 Ng7 15.Rb1 Be5
is just good for Black, G.Wheatcroft-
L.Barden, British Championship,
Aberystwyth 1955 ) 10...b5 11.Qd2
( or 11.a3 Ne8 12.d4 cxd4
13.Nxd4 b4 14.Nxc6 Bxc6
15.axb4 Rxb4 16.Rxa7 Rxb2
and Black is fine, B.Spassky-R.J.
Fischer, 22nd matchgame, St
Stefan/Belgrade 1992 ) 11...b4
12.Nd1 a5 13.f5 Qc7 14.Rc1
Bc8 15.Bh6 Nd4 16.Bxg7 Nxe2+
17.Qxe2 Kxg7 18.Ne3 Bb7
looks fairly balanced, though Black
misplayed his position in J.Van der
Wiel-A.Bezemer, Vlissingen 2006:
19.g4 a4 20.Qd2 Ba8 21.g5 Nd7
22.Ng4 e6 23.Rce1 Rbe8 24.Nf6
Rc8 25.Qf4 Qd8?? ( 25...e5
26.Qh4 Nxf6 was necessary )
26.Nxh7! and Black resigned in
view of Kxh7 27.Qh4+ Kg8 28.f6
etc.;
B) Instead, 9.Nf3 allows b5 , when
10.a3 ( while 10.0-0 is covered in
the notes to Game 45 ) 10...a5
11.0-0 transposes to Game 44 in
Chapter Eight;
C) and 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.Nf3 b5
is much the same. ]
9.Nce2 White immediately targets the
intrusive knight.
[ Instead, 9.Nf3 can be met similarly
by Nd7 ( or even 9...Nh5!? . )]
9...Nd7 10.c3 Nxe2 11.Nxe2 b5
12.Qd2 Bb7 13.0-0 0-0 Now White is
fully developed, he begins his typical
pawn advance on the kingside. 14.g4
e6 15.f5!? exf5 16.gxf5 Re8!
QUESTION: I don't understand. Why
would Black move his rook off a file that
is about to be opened?
ANSWER: Black can always put the
rook back on f8 if necessary, but Xiong
wants to use it more actively than just
sitting behind the f-pawn.
17.Bh6 c4 By hitting the base of the
chain, Black undermines the e4-pawn
which his rook and bishop are already
attacking.
[ 17...Bf6!? should be considered as
well, side-stepping the exchange of
dark-squared bishops and showing
another benefit to Black's previous
rook move. ]
18.fxg6 hxg6 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qf4
Qe7
[ Alternatively, 20...cxd3 21.Qxf7+
Kh6 22.Qf4+ Qg5 23.Qxg5+ Kxg5
24.Nf4 Bxe4 25.Bxe4 Rxe4 26.Nxd3
leaves us in an endgame that will
probably result in a draw. ]
21.d4 QUESTION: It looks like White
has now taken complete control of the
game. Is that a correct assessment?
ANSWER: It may seem that way, but in
fact Black is fine. 21...Rh8
[ Indeed, Black could more or less
force a draw at this point with
21...Bxe4 22.Bxe4 Qxe4 23.Qxf7+
Kh6 24.Qxd7 Qe3+ 25.Kh1 ( not
25.Rf2?? Rf8 26.Raf1 Rxf2 27.Rxf2
Rf8 and wins ) 25...Qe4+ 26.Kg1
Qe3+ etc, except that Xiong is hoping
67
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
for more. ]
22.Ng3 Rh4 23.Qf2 Rbh8!? 24.a4!
Now that Black has swung both rooks to
the kingside, White plays to seize the
initiative on the other flank. 24...b4!?
Sacrificing a pawn in order to keep the
queenside closed.
[ Both 24...bxa4 25.Rxa4 a6
26.Rxc4 ]
[ and 24...a6 25.axb5 axb5 26.Ra5
look quite promising for White. ]
25.cxb4 Nf6 This plays into White's
hands;
[ but at the same time 25...f5 26.exf5
( 26.d5!? is even more messy )
26...Bxg2 27.Kxg2 ( or 27.Rae1 Be4
28.fxg6 Rf8 29.Qxf8+ Nxf8 30.Nf5+
Bxf5 31.Rxe7+ Kxg6 32.Rxa7 Ne6
is more complex and difficult to
evaluate accurately ) 27...Rxh3
28.Rae1 Qg5 29.Qf4 Rh2+ 30.Kf3
Qxf4+ 31.Kxf4 Nf6 32.fxg6 Kxg6
33.Re6 Rxb2 34.Rxd6
is an endgame where only White can
play for the win. ]
26.Rae1 Nh7!? Xiong continues to mix
it up, sending his knight round to attack
h3.
[ After either 26...Nh5 27.Nxh5+
R8xh5 28.Re3 Rg5 29.d5 Bc8
30.Rf3 f5 31.exf5 Bxf5 32.Rg3 ]
[ or 26...Bc8 27.e5 dxe5 28.dxe5
Nh5 29.Nxh5+ R8xh5 30.Qf6+! Qxf6
31.exf6+ Kh6 32.Bf3 , White again
has whatever chances are going. ]
27.e5 d5 28.Qe3?!
[ White should have played 28.e6!
, keeping the opposing bishop out of
the game. After fxe6 29.Qe3 Re8
30.Qe5+ Kg8 31.Re3 , Black's
attacking ambitions are at an end and
he is the one who now has to be
careful. ]
28...Bc8! 29.Bxd5 Ng5 30.Rf6 Nxh3+
31.Kg2? The situation is very tense and
small mistakes are costly.
[ The correct move was 31.Kf1 , when
Be6 32.Be4 Rd8 ( or 32...Qxb4
33.d5 Bd7 34.Qd4 ) 33.b5 Qb4
34.Qc3 leaves White with a definite
edge. After the text move, Black takes
over the game. ]
31...Bb7! A strong switchback. 32.Bf3?
[ Now 32.Bxb7 Qxb7+ 33.Kf1 Rg4
34.Qf3 Qxf3+ 35.Rxf3 Ng5 36.Rc3
Rf4+ 37.Kg2 Rxd4 would have kept
White's disadvantage within limits.
Instead, things go downhill rapidly for
him. ]
32...Bxf3+ 33.Rxf3 Ng5 34.Rf6 Rg4
[ Or 34...Qb7+! 35.Kf1 Rg4
, which is slightly more precise. ]
35.Rf4 Qb7+ 36.Kf1 Rh2??
A tragic blunder.
[ Black could have won with 36...Rh1+
37.Ke2 ( 37.Nxh1 Qg2#; or 37.Kf2
Rh2+ ends the game even faster )
, the computer prefers 37...Rh2+
( while 37...Qg2+ etc ) 38.Kd1 Rxb2
39.Rxg4 ( or 39.Nf5+ Kf8 ) 39...Qxb4
and now declares mate in ten. ]
EXERCISE: How can White now save
himself?
ANSWER: 37.Nf5+! gxf5
[ Draw agreed, because of 37...gxf5
38.Rxg4 fxg4 39.Qxg5+ Kf8
40.Qd8+ with perpetual check. 37
Nh5+! would also have done the
trick.
Despite letting this game get away,
Xiong went on to take the US Junior
title with 6½/9. ]
1/2
68
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B26
Ljubojevic,L
Miles,A
23: London 1982
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 b5!? This highly
provocative move is not nearly as bad
as its reputation.
QUESTION: It appears quite ridiculous,
not only does it look like Black is
hanging a pawn, there must be some
issues on the long light diagonal with
Black's knight and rook unprotected.
ANSWER: You would certainly think so.
I did a double take when I first saw this
move. Of course Miles did experiment
quite a bit in the opening, but he rarely
played moves that got him in a clearly
worse position from the outset.
[ Black has occasionally prepared ...b7-
b5 with 6...a6 as well, but that
doesn't seem part of a coherent plan;
e.g. 7.Qd2 b5 8.f4 Bb7 9.Nf3 Nf6
10.h3 e6 ( 10...0-0 11.0-0 b4
12.Nd1 a5 is more thematic ) 11.0-0
h5? , A.Csaba-T.Sleisz, Budapest
1995, and now 12.e5! dxe5 13.fxe5
Nd7 14.Ne4 would have been very
good for White. ]
[ If Black simply wants to develop, it's
possible to advance the b-pawn a
single square: 6...b6 7.Qd2 ( for 7.f4
see the notes to Game 51 in Chapter
Nine ) 7...Bb7 8.Nh3 ( White has
tried putting the knight on its other
squares too: 8.Nge2 Qd7 9.0-0 Nd4
10.Nd1 e6 11.Nc1 Nf6 12.c3 Nc6
13.Bh6 Bxh6 14.Qxh6 Qe7 15.Ne2
0-0-0 16.Qc1 d5 and Black is not
worse, A.Vella Ramirez-B.
Damljanovic, Lorca 2001; or 8.Nf3
Qd7 9.0-0 Nd4 10.Nh4 e6 11.Nd1
Ne7 12.c3 Ndc6 13.d4 cxd4
14.cxd4 0-0 15.Nc3 d5
with chances for both sides, E.
Kovalevskaya-T.Kosintseva,
Krasnoturinsk 2005 ) 8...Nf6 9.Bh6
Bxh6 10.Qxh6 e6 11.0-0-0 Qe7
12.Rhe1 0-0-0 13.Qd2 h5 14.f3 h4
15.g4 Nd4 16.g5 Nh5 17.f4 Kb8
with a quite obscure position, J.
Hjartarson-H.Olafsson, Reykjavik
1992. ]
7.e5 The critical response;
[ 7.Nxb5?! Rb8 is just bad for White.
]
[ Otherwise Black will just advance ...
b5-b4, though White can always allow
this and play for a2-a3. For example,
7.Qd2 b4 8.Nd1 e5!? ( 8...a5;
or indeed 8...Rb8
is more circumspect ) 9.a3 a5
10.axb4 cxb4 11.Ne2 Nf6 12.Bh6
Bxh6 13.Qxh6 b3!? 14.cxb3 ( 14.c3
looks better ) 14...Ba6 15.Qd2 Nb4
16.Nc1 Nd7 17.Ne3 Nc5 18.0-0
Nbxd3 19.Nxd3 Bxd3 20.Rfd1 0-0
21.Qc3 Bb5 and the computer says
equal, though I would prefer Black
here, R.Hawkes-S.Conquest, London
Lloyds Bank 1984. ]
[ 7.a3!? is possible too. ]
7...Bb7 This is the strongest move, in
my opinion.
[ In a later game, where Miles had the
chutzpah to repeat this line, he
switched to 7...Qd7 .
A) L.Ljubojevic-A.Miles, European
Team Championship, Plovdiv 1983,
continued 8.Nf3 Nh6 9.exd6 exd6
10.Ne4 Nf5 11.Bg5 0-0 12.0-0 f6
13.Bc1 Bb7 14.Bh3 Rae8 15.Nh4
Nce7 , when it is pretty clear that
Black has solved his opening
problems successfully. ( 15...-- );
B) Instead, 8.exd6 exd6 9.Bf4
( or 9.Nge2 Nf6 ) 9...Nge7
10.Nxb5 0-0? ( however, 10...Nf5!
69
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is a definite improvement, when
Black looks to have good
compensation for the pawn, as was
brutally demonstrated in M.
Gebigke-M.Womacka, Berlin
1994: 11.c3?! 0-0 12.Qd2? Bb7
13.Ne2?? Ne5! and White
resigned ) 11.Nxd6 Bxb2 12.Ne2!
( or 12.Rb1 Qe6+ 13.Ne2 Bc3+
14.Kf1 Bg7 15.Nb5 Qxa2
16.Nec3 Qe6 , G.Lebredo
Zarragoitia-R.Hernandez Onna,
Bayamo 1984, and now 17.h4!
with the better chances ) 12...Ba6
( 12...Bxa1 13.Qxa1 leaves Black
vulnerable on both long diagonals )
13.Rb1 Bg7 14.Ne4 Qf5 15.0-0
Rad8 16.Bd6 c4 17.Nf4 Rfe8
18.Bc7 gave White a big advantage
in Ma.Werner-D.Migl, German
League 1985. ]
[ The third option, 7...Bd7
, seems inferior; e.g. 8.exd6 exd6
9.Nge2 ( not yet 9.Nxb5? due to
Qb8! ) 9...Nge7 10.Nxb5 Nf5 ( now
10...Qb8 11.Nbc3 Qxb2?! 12.0-0
gets Black into trouble ) 11.Bc1
, G.Giorgadze-D.Verduga Zavala,
Linares 1999, and even after 0-0
12.0-0 Rb8 13.Nbc3 Ne5
, Black does not have full
compensation for the pawn. ]
8.exd6 exd6 9.Nxb5 Nge7
[ Another possibility is 9...Rb8!?
10.Nc3 ( or if 10.c4 Ne5 11.Bxb7
Rxb7 12.Rb1 , N.Yakubboev-D.Peng,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2016, then a6
13.Nc3 Qd7 ) 10...Nge7 ( or 10...Nd4
11.Bxb7 Rxb7 12.Rb1 Ne7 ) 11.Rb1
0-0 12.Nh3 Nf5 13.0-0 Re8
and Black's nearly ideally placed
pieces compensate for the sacrificed
pawn. ]
[ QUESTION: Wait a minute! Shouldn't
Black try to regain the pawn with
9...Qa5+ etc?
ANSWER: In this case, absolutely not.
Black has sacrificed a pawn to put
his pieces on active squares, and to
have open files and diagonals to work
with. Recapturing it at this point not
only destroys all that, it will also send
Black careening over the edge:
10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+
12.Bd2 and White is obviously better;
in fact Black has to play Qg7 13.Rb1
f6 just to stay in the game. ]
10.Nc3
[ The move given in the Encyclopaedia
is 10.Ne2 , and indicated as being
good for White. Interestingly, my
computer engines entirely disagree
with that evaluation, claiming that Rb8
11.Rb1 Ne5! 12.Bxb7 Rxb7
gives Black excellent compensation
for the pawn. One of White's main
issues is the weakness of the light
squares. This was put to a test in F.
Piccoli-C.Guizar, correspondence
2001, where White (rated over 2500)
could not get a good grip on the
position: 13.c4 0-0 14.0-0 Qd7
15.f4 Ng4 16.Bf2 Nf5 17.Qc1 Re8
( or 17...d5!? ) 18.Nbc3 Qc6 19.h3
Nge3 20.Bxe3 Rxe3 and Black is
clearly in complete control of the
game. ]
10...Qb6
[ Alternatively, 10...Rb8!? transposes
to the note with 9...Rb8 above. ]
11.Rb1?! It is hard to fault White for
playing this solid, normal-looking move,
but he is beginning to get himself into
trouble.
[ According to my trusty computer,
White should have sharpened the
game considerably with 11.Nf3!?
Qxb2 12.Ne4 0-0-0 ( 12...Qxa1
13.Qxa1 Bxa1 14.Nxd6+ Kf8 15.0-0
Bf6 16.Nxb7 Kg7 17.Nxc5
70
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
leaves White with two strong pawns
for the exchange and somewhat
better chances ) 13.Rb1 Qxa2
with fascinating complications which I
will not dare evaluate, except to say
that I would more likely choose the
black pieces in such a position. ]
EXERCISE: How should Black continue?
ANSWER: 11...Ne5! A simple and very
strong move. The key factor is that
White is weak on the light squares, not
having finished his development, while
his queen has to try and fulfil a
surprising number of defensive tasks.
12.Nf3? From being difficult, now things
really start spinning downwards and out
of control.
[ In order to stay in the game, White
should have played 12.Kf1 0-0 13.h4
, although Black clearly has ample
compensation for the pawn. ]
[ 12.Ne4 is met by Nd5! ,
( rather than 12...0-0?! 13.b4! . )]
12...Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3
The white queen is now overloaded.
14...Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxb1+ 16.Kd2 Qb8
17.Rb1?? And this seals the deal.
[ A rook down, White's only chance for
some swindling was to attack before
Black mobilizes his forces; for
instance, 17.Bg5! Kd7 18.Re1 Nf5
19.g4 h6 20.Bf4 Ne7 21.Bxd6 Qxd6
22.Qb7+ Kd8 23.Qxa8+ Nc8
, when White has regained the
exchange and a pawn, leaving him
with a couple of pawns for a knight.
Black is probably still winning, but at
least some work remains to be done. ]
17...Qd8 18.Bg5 f6! This should have
made White resign, but he keeps it
going a bit longer with a few more
pointless moves.
19.Bxf6 0-0 20.Rb7 Rc8! 21.Rxa7
Rc7 22.Ra6 Qd7 23.g4 Qe6 24.g5
Nd5 25.Qg3 Re8 . With mate and other
unpleasantries looming, Ljubojevic
finally decided to call it quits.
0-1
B26
Short,N
Stefansson,H
24: Reykjavik (5th matchgame) 2002
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Bd7 Black plays a
non-committal developing move,
defending the c6-knight, and waiting to
see how White intends to set up. 7.f4
The sharpest response.
[ White has not caused too many
problems with the solid and normal
7.Qd2 , after which Black has tried a
few different things:
A) 7...Qa5 (GM Gutman has tried
this a few times against lower-
rated opponents) 8.Nge2 Nd4
9.0-0 Rc8 ( 9...e6 10.Rab1 Ne7
11.a3 Nxe2+ 12.Nxe2 Qxd2
13.Bxd2 Rc8 14.Bc3 0-0
is just equal, J.Freiberger-L.
Gutman, Paderborn 2009 ) 10.f4 e6
11.Nc1 Ne7 12.Nb3 Qc7 13.Nd1
0-0 14.c3 Ndc6 15.Nf2 a5
16.Nc1 a4 17.Ne2 f5 with mutual
chances, even if Black looks to
have gained a move in all the
backwards and forwards, S.Herms-
L.Gutman, Goch 2010.;
B) 7...Qc8 (now if White develops
the g1-knight, the black bishop will
zoom to h3 to be exchanged, just
as White intends to do on h6 when
the g8-knight is developed) 8.h3
(preventing the bishop incursion at
h3, but it also means White will be
unable to castle any time soon) b5
9.Nge2 b4 10.Nd1 Rb8 11.a3 a5
71
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
12.axb4 axb4 13.f3!? (a rather
odd move) ( 13.f4 is more natural )
13...Nd4 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.Bf2 e6
16.b3 Ne7 and Black has
absolutely no problems, M.Narciso
Dublan-E.Romanov, Sitges 2014.;
C) 7...b5!? 8.f4 ( in my opinion,
White has more chances of an
advantage after 8.Nxb5 Bxb2
9.Rb1 Bg7 10.Nf3 ; for example,
Nf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Bxc5 0-0
13.0-0 and I prefer White's position
even if my computer calls this
equal ) 8...b4 9.Nd1 Rc8 10.Nf3
Qa5 11.0-0 Nf6 12.h3 c4 13.g4
(the battle lines have been drawn
up; Black attacks on the queenside
and has already made it pretty far,
whereas White will seek his fortune
on the kingside) c3 (it seems
logical to castle at this point, but
Black persists in postponing it)
14.bxc3 bxc3 15.Qf2 e5 16.f5
gxf5 17.exf5 Nd5 ( in view of
White's next, 17...h6!? might be
considered ) 18.Ng5 Nd4??
( 18...Nf6 keeps the battle going )
19.Bxd4 exd4 20.f6! (this is
undoubtedly what Black missed
when he played ...Nd4, and he is
now completely busted) Bxf6
21.Re1+ Kd8 ( or 21...Kf8
22.Bxd5 ) 22.Nxf7+ Kc7 23.Nxh8
Bxh8 24.Rb1 Qxa2? (a final
error).
EXERCISE: How should White
continue?
ANSWER: 25.Nxc3! dxc3 26.Ra1
(now the rook is protected and the
black queen is trapped) Qxa1
27.Rxa1 Be6 28.Qxa7+
1-0 D.Norwood-M.Hebden, London
1986. ]
7...b5!? QUESTION: It seems as if
Black can play this move almost at will
without any preparation; why does Black
then play ...Rb8 first in other lines?
ANSWER: That's a good question.
Firstly, Black may not want to give up
the b-pawn (as in Game 20), even when
it is acceptable to do so. Secondly, the
rook is usually well placed on b8, away
from tactics on the long diagonal (as in
the previous game), while helping to
carry the queenside attack forward.
As it happens, no one seems to have
repeated Stefansson's 7...b5.
[ Apart from standard set-ups similar
to those examined elsewhere, Black
has also tried:
a) 7...Qc8 (with ideas of ...Bh3
again) 8.h3 b5 9.Qd2 b4 10.Nd1
e5 11.g4 exf4 12.Bxf4 Ne5 13.Nf3
h5 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.g5 Ne7
16.Ne3 0-0 and Black has no
problems, G.Barenboim-I.Botvinnik,
Petah Tiqwa 1996. ]
[ b) 7...Rc8 8.Qd2 Nf6 9.h3 Qb6
10.Nge2 Nd4 11.Nd1 Nh5 12.Bf2
e5 with a good position for Black, O.
Herrmann-Tho.Koop, Vienna 2016,
since the intended 13.c3?
loses material after Nxe2 and 14...
exf4. ]
8.a3
[ Instead, 8.Qd2 transposes to 7 Qd2
b5!? 8 f4 above. ]
[ Taking the pawn is not an option
here: 8.Nxb5?! Rb8 ( 8...Qb8!?
is good too ) 9.Nc3 ( or 9.a4 a6 )
9...Rxb2 10.Nge2 Nd4 and Black
already has the better chances. ]
8...Nf6 After this move the game soon
begins to resemble those in Chapter
Eight (6 f4 Nf6).
[ Instead, 8...a5?! 9.Nxb5 Bxb2
10.Rb1 Bg7 11.Nf3 ]
[ and 8...b4?! 9.axb4 cxb4 10.Na4
are somewhat better for White; ]
[ but obviously 8...Rb8
72
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is reasonable. ]
9.Nf3 0-0
[ QUESTION: Can't Black play 9...Ng4
to mess with White's dark-squared
bishop?
ANSWER: He certainly can, but after
10.Bd2 and 11 h3, the black knight
will have to retreat again, when White
has essentially gained h2-h3 for
nothing. ]
10.h3 Rb8 Black decides there is
nothing better than to play ...Rb8
anyway.
[ If he tries 10...a5?! , White would
certainly take the b-pawn since the
knight can no longer be driven back
with ...a7-a6. ]
11.0-0 a5 12.g4 Getting straight on
with his own plans.
[ Another option is to challenge Black
on the queenside with 12.a4!? b4
13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Rb1 Nc7 15.c4
, which Short considers to give White
a slight edge. ]
12...Ne8 QUESTION: Why does Black
retreat the knight without it being
threatened?
ANSWER: This is standard plan for
Black. After ...b5-b4, the knight will head,
via c7 and b5, to the important d4-
square.
QUESTION: This is deep planning,
right?
ANSWER: In some way yes, but once
you have seen it a couple of times, this
type of manoeuvre will stick in your
memory. I'm sure you will not soon
forget it.
[ Furthermore, by playing 12...Ne8 first
with ...b5-b4 to follow, he restricts
White's options as to the defence of
the b2-pawn; whereas the direct
12...b4 13.axb4 axb4 14.Ne2 Ne8
might also be met by 15.c3
. On the other hand, Black is not
obliged to play 14...Ne8 at all in that
line and might prefer something else,
such as 14...Ra8!?. ]
13.Rb1 b4 14.axb4 axb4 15.Ne2 Nc7
QUESTION: It seems like Black has
made the most progress, having gotten
quite far on the queenside. Is Black
better here?
ANSWER: Not really; the chances are
split fairly evenly. White's attack on the
kingside is just about to start, though it
is not likely to tear Black's king shelter
apart in a split second. These types of
positions require precise play from both
sides. Nigel Short is very experienced in
the Closed Sicilian, as well as the
reversed set-up in the English Opening,
and he plays such positions very well.
Studying his way of handling them will
therefore pay dividends.
16.f5 Nb5
[ In the spirit of 12 a4!? above, Black
might also challenge White's kingside
initiative with 16...e6!? . ]
17.Qd2 Nbd4
[ QUESTION: I understand that this
was Black's plan, to put the knight on
d4, but what about the a-file? Can't
Black take control with 17...Ra8 - ?
ANSWER: That doesn't accomplish
much for Black as yet. Only when the
pawns are fixed should he concern
himself with the a-file. ]
18.Nexd4 Nxd4 19.Bh6 Nxf3+
20.Rxf3 Ra8 As just explained, the a-
file is not very significant at the moment,
though Black's move is hardly a mistake.
[ Nonetheless, in 'ChessBase
Magazine' Donev prefers 20...Qb6
21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Rbf1 f6
, which indeed looks quite equal. ]
21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.d4!
Having weakened the black king's cover
by exchanging the fianchettoed bishop,
White seeks to exploit the dark squares
73
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
by opening up the centre.
22...Qb6!? Black remains cool-headed.
[ Seeing that 22...cxd4 23.Qxd4+
and Qxb4 picks up a pawn; ]
[ while 22...f6? 23.dxc5 dxc5??
loses a piece after 24.Rd3 Ra7
25.Rd1 , he simply develops his
queen, while eyeing the white king at
the other end of the diagonal. ]
[ Another possibility is 22...Qc7
, and if 23.e5!? ( 23.Rf2!?
might be considered ) 23...dxe5
24.dxe5 , then Bc6 25.f6+ Kh8
and the attack comes to nothing. Note
that 26.fxe7?! ( while 26.Qh6?! Rg8
27.Rf4 Bxg2 28.g5 (threatening 29
Qxh7+! etc) fails to Bf3! ) , is met
simply by 26...Qxe7 . ]
[ As it happens, 22...cxd4!? 23.Qxd4+
f6 24.Qxb4 Ra4 doesn't look too bad
for Black, whose active pieces offer
decent compensation for the pawn; e.
g. 25.Qb7 Bc8 26.Qb8 Qa5 27.b4
Qe5 , but there's no real need to go in
for this. ]
23.e5! White keeps pushing forward.
Now Black must hurry to meet the threat
of f5-f6+, followed by Qh6.
23...dxe5 This is one solution.
[ The main alternative was 23...cxd4
24.f6+ exf6 25.exf6+ Kh8
, when Donev suggests 26.Qh6
( instead, Short gives simply 26.Rf2
, when he thought White might have a
little something ) 26...Rg8 27.g5
(threatening Rf4 and Qxh7+ again)
d3+ 28.Kh2 ( 28.Kh1?? dxc2
wins for Black ) 28...Qc5 ( 28...Qd4
29.Rxd3 Qe5+ 30.Kh1 Rac8
looks perfectly acceptable as well )
29.Re1 ( aiming for Re4, since 29.Rf4
Qe5 pins the rook ) , but Black should
be able to defend; e.g. 29...Qd4
30.cxd3 ( or 30.Rxd3 Qf4+ 31.Kh1
Ra4 ) 30...Bc6 31.Rfe3 Bxg2
32.Kxg2 Rac8 33.Re8 Rc2+ 34.Kh1
Rh2+! 35.Kxh2 Qf2+ with perpetual
check. ]
24.dxe5 Bc6? This natural move, which
was perfectly good in the 22...Qc7 line
above, is a critical mistake with the
queen on b6.
[ Black had to defend the bishop with
the rook: 24...Rad8 after which Short
gives 25.Qf2 ( or 25.f6+ exf6
26.exf6+ Kh8 27.Qh6 c4+ 28.Rf2
Rg8 ) 25...gxf5 ( while 25...Kg8
also seems safe enough; e.g. 26.Rd3
Bc6 27.Rbd1 Rxd3 28.Rxd3 Qb7
and Black should be fine ) 26.gxf5
Kh8 27.Kh1 as unclear in 'Chess
Informant'. ]
[ 24...c4+ 25.Kh2 Rad8 is okay too. ]
25.f6+! exf6 Black played ...Kh8 in the
22...Qc7 line, but here that just loses to
26 fxe7.
26.Rxf6! This is the clever point behind
the previous move. Rather than
attempting to mate Black now, White
utilizes the pins on the sixth rank and f-
file to tie him up completely.
26...c4+ 27.Kh2 Rac8 28.Rbf1
Threatening to win material with 29 Qd6.
[ Not yet 28.Qd6? due to Qe3!
29.Bxc6 Rxc6 30.Qxc6 Qxe5+
and Black comes out a pawn up. ]
28...Qc5 29.Qf4 Be8
[ Now if 29...Bxg2 then 30.Rxf7+
Rxf7 31.Qxf7+ Kh8 32.Qf6+ Kg8
33.Qe6+! Kh8 34.Rf7 wins. ]
[ After 29...Kh8 30.Bxc6 Rxc6 31.e6
g5 32.Qf5 Qd6+ ( while 32...Qxf5
33.R1xf5 Ra8 34.exf7 Rxf6 35.Rxf6
Kg7 36.f8Q+! leads to a winning
pawn endgame ) 33.Kh1 Rc5 34.Qf3
, White has a huge advantage. ]
30.h4! QUESTION: What is White trying
to accomplish by pushing the h-pawn
forward?
ANSWER: The pawn is heading for h6,
74
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
where it will assist in making the life of
the black king a lot less safe.
[ Instead, the tempting 30.e6?! allows
Qc7 , getting the queens off the board.
] Nc4 10.Qd3 Nxe3 11.Qxe3 Nh6
[ But there was a strong alternative in
30.Rd6! , followed by 31 Bd5, which
seems to win quite quickly. ]
30...Rd8 31.h5 Rd4 32.h6+ Kg8
33.Qe3 Rd5 34.Qxc5 Rxc5 35.e6
Re5 EXERCISE: Here Short finished the
game with a beautiful combination. Can
you find it?
ANSWER: 36.Bd5! Rxd5 37.e7 Re5
[ Black cannot save himself with
37...Rg5 on account of 38.Kg3
followed by Kh4. ]
38.Rxg6+!!
[ After 38.Rxg6+ hxg6 39.h7+
, one of the pawns will queen. ]
1-0
B26
Feller,S
Demuth,A
25: French League 2015
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Nh6!?
QUESTION: This seems very odd. It
doesn't look like the knight has much of
a future on h6, and can't White just
attack it with h2-h3 and Qd2 - ?
ANSWER: It does indeed look a bit
unusual, but the h6-square is only a
temporary stop; and while White
certainly can play the moves you
mention, Black has something in mind
for the knight.
[ Regarding which, Black has a not
too dissimilar idea in 6...f5 and then:
A) 7.Qd2 fxe4 8.dxe4 ( 8.Bxe4?!
Nf6 9.Bh6 0-0 10.Bxg7 Kxg7
11.Bg2 e5 12.h4 h6 13.Ne4 Bg4
14.c3 Qe7 is quite pleasant for
Black, J.Moreno Carnero-P.Glavina
Rossi, Linares 1997 ) 8...Ne5 9.f4
12.Nge2 0-0 13.h3 b5 14.g4 b4
15.Nd1 Bb7 16.0-0 Nf7
and Black has the better chances,
M.Loeffler-F.Ochoa de Echaguen,
French League 1998.;
B) 7.exf5 Bxf5 8.Nge2 Nf6 9.h3
e5 10.Qd2 Qd7 11.g4 Be6 12.f4
0-0 was agreed drawn in M.Narciso
Dublan-D.Garcia Ilundain,
Barcelona 1998, but there is
obviously still plenty left to play for.
One possibly continuation is
13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Nf4 Rae8
15.0-0-0 with a position I think is
more pleasant for White, though
that could be a matter of taste. ]
7.h3
[ There is no reason to allow – or force
– the knight to jump to g4 after
7.Qc1!? , though this was the choice
of both Smyslov and Pachman in a
couple of early games against
Bronstein. See the transposition 6...
Nf6 7 Qc1!? Ng4 in the notes to
Game 18. ]
7...f5 This is Black's idea, clearing a
retreat square for the knight, while at
the same time attacking the white
centre.
8.Qd2 Nf7 9.Nge2
[ The main alternative is 9.f4
, after which the game can turn very
sharp and messy; for example, 0-0
10.Nf3 Rb8 11.h4 ( or 11.0-0 e6
12.d4 fxe4 13.Nxe4 b6 14.Rad1 d5
15.Nf2 Nd6 16.c3 is roughly equal, L.
Yudasin-H.Nakamura, New York rapid
2002 ) 11...Qb6 12.Rb1 Nh6
(back again) 13.h5 Ng4 14.Bg1 Bd7
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Ng5 e6 17.exf5
75
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
gxf5 18.Nd5 Qd8 with chances for
both sides, V.Samolins-I.Starostits,
Cambados 2007. ]
9...0-0
[ Black can also play 9...Nd4
straight away, when 10 f4 0-0
transposes to the next note, but 10.h4
might instead be met by fxe4 11.dxe4
( or 11.Bxe4 Bg4 ) 11...Nxe2
12.Qxe2 Bxc3+!? 13.bxc3 Qa5
14.0-0 Ne5 and if 15.f4 then Bg4
with an unclear position. ]
10.h4
[ This is far more enterprising than
10.f4 Nd4 ( or 10...Bd7 11.0-0 Nd4
12.Nd1 Rb8 13.c3 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2
e6 15.Nf2 b5 , which is
approximately even, D.De Vreugt-Y.
Pelletier, Zug 2001 ) 11.0-0 e6
12.Nd1 Qc7 13.Kh2 Bd7 14.Ng1
Rae8 15.c3 Nc6 16.exf5 gxf5
17.Nf3 Ne7 with mutual chances, A.
Skripchenko-N.Benmesbah, French
Women's Championship, Saint
Quentin 2015. ]
10...Nd4 11.h5 Nxe2?! With the
pressure building against his kingside,
Black feels the need remove the white
knight before it can appear at f4, but it
fails to solve his problems entirely.
[ The computer prefers 11...fxe4!?
, and then 12.hxg6 hxg6 13.dxe4
( or 13.Nxe4 Nxe2 14.Qxe2 Bxb2
15.Rb1 Bg7; or 13.Bxe4 Bg4!
, though such lines perhaps require
nerves of silicon; and White might try
13.0-0-0!? as well ) 13...Nxe2
14.Qxe2 Ne5 . ]
12.Qxe2 e6 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.exf5
exf5 QUESTION: How should this
position be evaluated? On the surface it
appears that Black has more
weaknesses than White: the open h-file,
the g6-pawn, the d5-square, and so on.
Is that a fair assessment?
ANSWER: Absolutely; you are hitting on
all the sore points in Black's position.
Although none of them are easy to
exploit at the moment, they certainly do
contribute to the overall evaluation.
15.Nd5?! Very aggressive, quite
possibly overly so.
[ After the more mundane 15.Qd2
Re8 16.0-0-0 Qa5 17.d4
, White should have a comfortable
advantage. ]
15...Bxb2 16.Rb1 Bg7?
[ With 16...Be5 Black can keep the
balance. Now things go a little crazy. ]
17.Bxc5? With the idea of 17...dxc5??
18 Ne7+ and wins, but Black does not
have to take the bishop.
[ Therefore White should have played
17.Nf4 , and if Black guards the g-
pawn with Qf6 ( 17...g5?? 18.Qh5
wins at once ) , only then 18.Bxc5!
, since dxc5? ( while 18...Qc3+
19.Kf1 Qxc5 20.Nxg6 (threatening
Ne7 mate) Ne5 21.Bd5+! Rf7
22.Nf4 also wins for White ) 19.Nd5
is just as bad. ]
EXERCISE: Whether the bishop is taken
or not, White is still threatening Ne7+ etc.
How should Black deal with this?
ANSWER: 17...Be6! A clever resource.
[ If now 17...Be6 18.Qxe6
( while retreating with 18.Be3
drops a piece to Bxd5 19.Bxd5 Qa5+
etc ) , then 18...Re8 pins the queen to
the king. ]
18.Qxe6!? White takes the bishop
anyway!
[ There is nothing better; 18.Nf4 Bxa2
19.Rxb7 dxc5 20.Nxg6 Re8
21.Ne7+ Kf8 22.Ng6+ Kg8 23.Ne7+
leads to a draw by repetition. ]
18...Re8 19.Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 20.Be3
Rb8 21.Kf1 b6 Despite White having
only rook and bishop for the queen,
chances are more or less even, due to
76
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
his well-placed forces: rooks on open
files and minor pieces on active
squares.
22.g4!? White takes a bit of a gamble,
wanting to crack open Black's kingside.
22...Qa4?! Black is a little too willing to
settle for a draw, in which his opponent
is clearly not interested, given his
previous move.
[ Instead, 22...fxg4 23.Rb4 Qd7
24.Rc4 ( 24.Be4 g5 25.Bf5 Qb7!
26.Be4 Qd7 is another possible
draw ) 24...Rb7 leads to a complex
position where both sides have their
share of the chances ]
23.Ne7+ Kf8 24.Nxg6+ Kg8 25.Ne7+
Kf8 26.Ng6+ Kg8 27.Ne7+ Kf8
White repeats moves in order to gain
time on the clock and bring the time
control a little closer. 28.Nxf5 Qxc2
[ Not 28...Ne5?! since the removal of
Black's dark-squared bishop after
29.Bh6! Bxh6 30.Rxh6 leaves him in
difficulties; e.g. Qxc2 31.Rf6+ Nf7
32.Re1 Qxd3+ 33.Kg1 Qc3 34.Ree6
Re8 ( or 34...Rd8 35.Bd5 ) 35.Rxd6
Qa1+ 36.Kh2 Qe5+ 37.Kh3 Qc3+
38.Kh4 Qe5 39.f4! Qxf4 ( or
39...Qb2 40.Nh6 Re7 41.g5 etc )
40.Rxf7+! Kxf7 41.Bd5+ and White
wins. ]
29.Rc1 Qxd3+ 30.Kg1 Ne5??
[ Instead, Black should have played
30...Qe2 , when a possible
continuation is 31.Rh4 Bf6 32.g5
Nxg5 33.Bxg5 Bxg5 34.Rh8+ Kf7
35.Rc7+ Kg6 36.Rxb8 Qd1+ 37.Kh2
Kxf5 with a position neither side
should be able to win. ]
EXERCISE: Black's last move, which
looks completely logical and good, turns
out to be a blunder, which you now
know because I told you. With that
information in hand, can you determine
White's winning move? (Warning: it is
not easy to spot, though White did find
it in the game.)
ANSWER: 31.Rh3!! Why is this move
so good? First of all, it threatens to win
material with 32 Nxg7, which cannot be
recaptured due to 33 Bh6+ with a
discovered attack on the queen. But
most of all it demonstrates that Black's
pieces, despite looking active and
reasonably coordinated, are in fact
anything but that. The king is vulnerable,
the queen is loose, and the rook is
unprotected too.
31...Qe2
[ The magnitude of Black's problems is
well illustrated by the sequence
31...Nxg4 32.Nxg7 Nxe3 33.Rc7
Qd1+ 34.Kh2 , when Black will either
get mated or fall decisively behind
in material. ]
32.Nxg7 Kxg7 33.Rc7+ Nf7
[ If Black moves the king, we see how
well everything works out for White
tactically: 33...Kf6 34.Rh6+ Ng6
35.g5+ Ke5 36.Rxg6 Qd1+ 37.Kh2
Qh5+ (it seems like Black just turned
things around, but not so fast...)
38.Kg3 Qxg6 39.Re7+ (ouch, the
king has no escape squares) Qe6
40.f4+ Kf5 41.Bh3+ Ke4 42.Rxe6+
and White is winning easily; ]
[ or just 33...Kg8? 34.Bd5+ . ]
34.Bf3 Several moves win for White at
this juncture, but Feller has a specific
target in mind and this works perfectly.
34...Qxa2 EXERCISE: How should
White continue?
ANSWER: 35.Rh5! Targeting the knight
on f7 and Black's open king. The
immediate threat is 36 Bd5. 35...Re8
36.Bd5 Qb1+ 37.Kg2 Rxe3
Black is running out of moves and
counterplay.
[ The knight cannot be protected any
longer; e.g. 37...Rf8 38.Bh6+ ]
77
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ and 37...Qg6 38.Rg5 both win a
bucketload of material. ]
38.Rxf7+ Kg6 39.fxe3 Qd1 40.Rf3
With White having reached the time
control, Black's only hope is for a
perpetual check, but that is not likely to 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
happen. In fact, according to my silicon
friend, Black's king is actually getting
mated by force!
40...Qc2+ 41.Kg3
[ It doesn't really matter but 41.Kh3! Nd1 and c2-c3.
is more precise, after which Black
doesn't even have any checks; e.g.
Qb1 ( or 41...Qc1 42.Be4+ Kg7
43.Rg5+ and mates ) 42.Rf8
(note that both f1 and h1 are covered)
Qg1 ( or 42...Qd3 43.Kh4! ) 43.Rg8+
Kf6 44.Rf5+ Ke7 45.Rf7# . ]
41...Qb1 42.Rh1!? An entirely practical
continuation: if Black takes the rook
then 43 Rf6+ and 44 Bxh1 removes
even the slightest chances of a draw.
42...Qd3 43.Be6
[ Or 43.Bf7+ Kg7 44.g5 d5 45.g6
Kf8 46.Rh8+ Ke7 47.g7 and it is all
over. ]
43...Qc3 44.Bf5+ Kf6 45.Rh6+ Ke7
46.Rh7+ Kf6 47.Be4+ Ke6 48.Bd5+
Ke5
[ But 48...Kxd5 49.e4+ is hardly any
better. ]
49.Rh5#
1-0
B26
Short,N
Kasparov,G
26: Wijk aan Zee 2000
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 When Kasparov
has played 2 Nc3 as White, it has
virtually always been as a feint followed
up by 3 Nge2 and 4 d4, as in six games
against Kramnik.
[ As Black he has switched between
2...Nc6, 2...e6 and, as in the current
game, 2...d6 , which continued 3.g3
Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 . ]
Nd4 An interesting attempt to interfere
with White's normal schemes.
7.Qd2 White usually plays this way,
intending to kick the knight away with
[ Instead, 7.Nce2?! (cf. Games 59-60)
gives up a pawn for not very much
here: Nxe2 8.Nxe2 Bxb2 9.Rb1
Bg7 ; ]
[ while 7.Nd5!? e6 8.Nf4 Ne7 9.c3
Ndc6 10.h4 e5 11.Nfh3 h6
offers chances for both sides, H.
Bastian-M.Kr‫ن‬mer, German
Championship, Altenkirchen 2005. ]
7...Qa5!? The key move in Black's set-
up, preventing Nd1 on account of ...
Nxc2+.
[ Others will likely transpose
elsewhere; e.g. 7...e6 is Games
1-2; ]
[ 7...e5 is Game 9; ]
[ and 7...Nf6 8.h3 e5 is Game 21. ]
8.f4
[ Instead:
a) 8.Nf3?! runs into Bh3! ( 8...e6
transposes to Game 3 ) 9.Nxd4 Bxg2
10.Nb3 Qd8 11.Rg1 Bf3 ( or
11...Bh3 ) 12.g4 h5 13.g5 h4
and Black stands better, G.Feher-V.
Balogh, Budapest (rapid) 1996. ]
[ b) 8.Nge2 can be met by Bg4
( or just 8...Nxe2; but not 8...Bh3?
this time, as 9.Bxd4 cxd4 10.Bxh3
dxc3 11.Nxc3 wins a pawn ) 9.h3
Bxe2 10.Bxd4 Bxd4 11.Kxe2 e6
with about even chances. ]
[ c) 8.h3 has been played
occasionally, perhaps with an eye to
line 'b', though it's not a very useful
78
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
move here. For instance, after 8 f4 e6
9 Nf3 Ne7 in the main game, 10 h3
would not be anyone's choice. Or if e6
9.Nge2 Nxe2 not strictly necessary;
( 9...Ne7; and 9...Bd7 look perfectly
fine for Black ) 10.Kxe2 , again we
might question what h2-h3 was for.
Still, even in a level position, it's
always possible to outplay one's
opponent: Ne7 11.Bh6 0-0
( I would prefer 11...Bxh6!? 12.Qxh6
Bd7 , when 13.Qg7 0-0-0 14.Qxf7
Nc6 leaves Black with excellent
compensation for the pawn due to
White's somewhat vulnerable king
and the queen being on an adventure
far from home ) 12.h4 f5? (in light of
the coming attack against his king,
Black panics and overreacts badly)
( as we have seen in previous
chapters, 12...f6 is the usual defence
in such positions; e.g. 13.h5 g5
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.h6+ Kh8 16.f4
gxf4 17.gxf4 Bd7 18.Rag1 Ng6
and Black should be okay ) 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.h5 Bd7 15.hxg6 hxg6
16.Qh6+ Kf6 17.Qh4+ ( 17.f4!
is even stronger ) 17...Kf7 18.Qf4
Rh8 19.Qxd6 and White went on to
win, D.Gormally-I.Snape, Coulsdon
2005. ]
8...e6
[ The most common continuation,
though Black can and has tried others
too:
a) 8...Nf6 9.h3 0-0 10.Nge2 Nxe2
11.Nxe2 Qxd2+ 12.Bxd2 Bd7
13.Bc3 Bc6 with a very equal position;
it took a blunder deep in the endgame
before Black managed to win, W.
Paschall-E.Sutovsky, Port Erin 1999. ]
[ b) 8...Rb8 9.Nf3 b5 10.0-0 ( or
10.e5 b4 11.Ne4 f5 12.exf6 Nxf3+
13.Bxf3 Nxf6 14.d4 c4
, Mart.Hansen-M.Ulibin, Stockholm
2006 ) 10...b4 11.Nd1 Nh6 12.h3
Nxf3+ 13.Rxf3 f5 14.Rf1 0-0 15.c3
bxc3 16.bxc3 Ba6 17.Re1 e6
18.Rc1 Rfd8 19.Bf2 fxe4 20.dxe4
Kh8 21.Ne3 with mutual chances, M.
Marinkovic-R.Panjwani, Canadian
Junior Championship, Victoria 2009. ]
[ c) 8...Nh6!? (perhaps the most
interesting; compare this with Game
25) 9.h3 f5 10.Nf3 0-0 11.0-0 Bd7
( 11...Nf7 12.Rae1 e6 13.Qf2 Qb6
14.Nd1 Bd7 15.e5 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3
Bc6 17.exd6 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Nxd6
19.Bf2 Rfe8 20.Re2 Rac8 21.Rfe1
offered White a little something, O.
Romanishin-B.Golubovic, Pula 1994 )
12.Kh2 e6 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2
Qxd2 15.Bxd2 Rac8 16.Rac1 fxe4
17.Bxe4 Bc6 with a level position, M.
Narciso Dublan-B.Lalic, LLucmajor
2014. ]
9.Nf3
[ Another option is 9.Nh3
, not allowing the d4-knight to
exchange itself, but Black has done
quite well with ...f7-f5 ideas; for
example, Ne7 ( or immediately
9...f5!? 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nf2 0-0
12.Rab1 Nd7 13.Kh1 Rb8 14.a3 b5
15.Qd1 Qc7 and Black has equalized,
V.Petrienko-G.Serper, Russian
Team Championship 1994 ) 10.0-0 f5
( or 10...Bd7 11.Rae1 f5 , and if
12.e5?! , as in S.Conquest-O.Cvitan,
Forli 1992, then dxe5 13.fxe5 Nec6
looks good for Black ) 11.Kh1 Bd7
12.a3 Qc7 13.Rae1 0-0 14.Nd1
Rae8 15.c3 Ndc6 16.b4 b6
with chances for both sides, A.
Rodriguez Vila-J.Sunye Neto,
Pinamar 2002. ]
9...Ne7 10.0-0 Nec6
[ If Black routinely castles with 10...0-0
, White has the trick 11.Nd5
, which might be a bit annoying; e.g.
79
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qd8 ( or 11...Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 Qd8
13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.c3 with a tiny
edge ) 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Nh4 f5
( 13...Bd7 is more solid ) 14.c3 Nc6
15.exf5 gxf5 16.d4 cxd4 17.cxd4 d5
18.Nf3 Bd7 19.Ne5 and I prefer
White's position somewhat, although
the chances are probably pretty even,
A.Krapivin-I.Khairullin, Zvenigorod
2008. ]
11.e5!? As we will see in several other
games, this move is a standard idea in
the Closed Sicilian.
[ The alternatives are not that
convincing:
a) 11.Ne1 0-0 12.Nd1 Qa6 13.Kh1
( not 13.c3? Nb3 ) 13...f5 14.Qc1 e5
15.c3 Ne6 ( 15...exf4! 16.gxf4 Ne6
is more pleasant for Black ) 16.exf5
gxf5 ( and here 16...Rxf5!? 17.fxe5
Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1 Nxe5 appears to
improve ) 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Bh6
and Black's set-up now looks a bit
loose, A.Krapivin-S.Savitskiy, Moscow
2012. ]
[ b) 11.Qf2 0-0
A) 12.e5 dxe5 ( but Black might
prefer 12...Nf5! here ) 13.Nxe5
transposes to 13 Qf2 in the main
game.;
B) 12.Nd1 Bd7 13.Nd2 Qa4
14.c3 Nc2 15.Rc1 Nxe3 16.Nxe3
was V.Ronin-A.Kabatianski,
Russian Team Championship 1989,
and here Qa6 17.Nec4 Ne7
18.a4 Rad8 looks like the best way
to equalize. ]
[ c) 11.Nh4 f5!? (Black takes the
threat of f4-f5 very seriously and
hurries to blockade it) ( although
11...0-0 should be fine ) 12.exf5 gxf5
13.Qf2 Bd7 14.Rfc1 b5 ( instead,
14...Bf6 15.a3 Bxh4 16.b4 Qc7
17.gxh4 Rg8 looks quite pleasant for
Black; who might even consider
14...0-0-0!? ) 15.Nd1 b4 16.c3 bxc3
17.bxc3 Nb5 18.Bd2 Qa6 19.Bf1
Na3 20.d4 c4 21.d5 (now Black has
to be very careful because the king is
fending for himself and his pieces are
not particularly well coordinated) exd5
22.Qe2+ Kf8 23.Qh5 Ne7 24.Bh3
Be8?! ( 24...d4! is better, creating
some active counterplay and allow
connection between the two wings )
25.Qf3 Bg6 26.Ne3 Qc8 27.Kh1
Bf6?! 28.Nxd5 Bxh4 29.Bg2 Qc6??
( 29...Rb8 30.gxh4 is good for White,
but the text loses at once ) 30.Nxe7
Qxf3 31.Nxg6+ hxg6 32.Bxf3 Bxg3
33.Kg2! 1-0 A.Strikovic-V.Gallego
Jimenez, Saragossa 1996. ]
11...dxe5
[ QUESTION: Doesn't Black just win a
pawn with 11...Nxf3+ etc?
ANSWER: Only temporarily, as after
12.Bxf3 dxe5 13.Bxc6+ bxc6
14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Qf2
, White recovers the pawn with a
positionally superior position. ]
[ QUESTION: Okay, so how about
closing the centre with 11...d5 then?
ANSWER: 11...d5?! is met effectively
by 12.a3! , intending b2-b4, when
Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 0-0 ( 13...d4?
14.Bxc6+ bxc6 15.Ne4 is terrible for
Black ) 14.b4 cxb4 15.axb4 Qxb4
16.Rfb1 Qe7 17.Qf2 left the 427-
point rating underdog pressing for the
win, H.Lang-Y.Dembo, Khanty-
Mansiysk Olympiad 2010. ]
12.Nxe5 0-0
[ QUESTION: How about now? Can't
Black win a pawn with 12...Nxe5!?
13.fxe5 Bxe5 here?
ANSWER: This sequence may well
be playable for Black, but it doesn't
win material: 14.Qf2!
A) not 14...f5? 15.Ne4! Qc7
16.c3! fxe4 ( or 16...Nc6 17.Nxc5
80
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bd6 18.d4 ) 17.cxd4 cxd4
18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Qb6
20.Qxb6 axb6 21.Bxe4
and having regained the pawn,
White is firmly in control of the
game;
B) 14...0-0 15.Ne4 Nf5! ( still not
15...f5? 16.c3! Bg7 17.Nd6 Nc6
18.Bxc5 with an obvious advantage
for White, J.Houska-S.Vajda,
European Team Championship,
Plovdiv 2013 ) 16.Bxc5 b6!
( 16...Qxc5 17.Qxc5 Bd4+
18.Qxd4 Nxd4 19.Rf2 offers White
a small edge thanks to his more
active pieces ) 17.Bxf8 Bd4
18.Qxd4 Nxd4 19.Bd6 f5!
20.Nf6+ Kg7 21.Ne8+ Kf7
22.Bxa8 Kxe8 and after all that
material is roughly balanced with
two rooks for a queen. This was
seen in an old game, I.Rohacek-C.
Kottnauer, Czech Championship,
Bratislava 1948, which continued
23.c3 Nc2 ( 23...Kd7
is also possible ) 24.Rac1 Ne3
25.Rfe1 Ng4 26.h3 Nf6 27.Bc6+
Kf7 28.a3?? b5! (whoops) 29.Re5
Qb6+ 30.Rc5 Nd7 31.Bxd7 Bxd7
and White resigned. ]
13.Rae1
[ More recently, White has preferred
13.Qf2 ; for example, Ne7?!
(losing control of the game) ( instead,
13...Bxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qf4 f6
16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.Qxd4 restricts
White to a far smaller edge; while
13...Nxe5! 14.fxe5 Bxe5 returns to
the previous note ) 14.Ne4 Nd5
15.Bd2 Qb6 16.c3 Nc6 17.Nc4
( 17.Nxc5 may be even stronger )
17...Qd8 18.Nxc5 b6 19.Ne4
and White is simply a pawn up, U.
Arat-Zhai Mo, Albena 2015. ]
13...f5?! Kasparov deemed it necessary
to gain control over the e4-square; the
price is that it leaves the e6-pawn and
the e5-square as long-term
weaknesses.
[ This time it was definitely best to take
the pawn: 13...Nxe5! 14.fxe5 Bxe5
15.Bh6 ( here 15.Qf2 Bg7 16.Ne4 f5
is not very convincing for White; e.g.
17.Nd6 Qc7 18.Nc4 e5 19.c3 Ne6 )
15...Bg7 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qf2
A) and now in 'Chess Informant'
Short gives 17...f5 18.Ne4 Nxc2
( 18...Bd7 allows 19.Nd6
and 20 Nxb7 ) 19.Rc1 Nd4
20.Nxc5 with compensation,
though it's unclear whether White
has any more than that.;
B) Alternatively, in 'ChessBase
Magazine' Donev suggests 17...f6
18.Ne4 e5! , when 19.c3 ( not
19.Nxf6? on account of Qd8 )
19...Ne6 20.h4 again offers no
more than adequate compensation
for the pawn. ]
14.Bxc6 Nxc6 15.Nxc6
[ Much better than 15.Nc4?!
, which wins a pawn but is otherwise
wholly unambitious. After Qa6
16.Bxc5 Rd8 (threatening ...Qxc4)
17.Ne5 ( not 17.Qg2?! b5! 18.Nd6?
Rxd6! 19.Bxd6 Bb7 and White is in
serious trouble ) 17...Nxe5 18.fxe5
b5 ]
15...bxc6 QUESTION: This looks quite
promising for White. Black has doubled
c-pawns and that bishop on c8 is pretty
ugly. Is this a fair assessment?
ANSWER: Indeed it is. White has a
definite positional advantage.
EXERCISE: How should White best try
to exploit his positional trumps?
ANSWER: 16.Nd1! Exactly like this.
Black is now forced to make a decision
regarding his queen. 16...Qxa2
[ Black cannot allow himself to swap
81
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
queens, as his position after
16...Qxd2? 17.Bxd2 Rb8 18.b3
, while not immediately losing, is
quite unpleasant. In particular, he
risks ending up in a good knight vs.
bad bishop endgame. ]
17.Bxc5 QUESTION: Why would White
want to give up his a-pawn for one of
Black's c-pawns?
ANSWER: This is a common theme in
chess: you trade one advantage for
another. Ideally, White would have liked
to keep his a-pawn and then start
applying pressure against the weak
pawns, but the situation on the board
did not allow that to happen; i.e. with a
black rook coming quickly to the b-file.
The result of the previous moves is that
Black's queen is now a little offside, his
position is disjointed, and counterplay is
not immediately apparent. I can't
imagine that Kasparov was happy with
the outcome of the opening. On the
other hand, if there is counterplay to be
had, you can trust Kasparov to find it.
17...Rd8 18.b3 Rb8 Threatening ...
Rxb3. 19.Rf2 Qa6 20.Nc3 Heading for
a4 to put a clamp on Black's position.
20...Rxb3! My computer is not a great
fan of this drastic move, but it seems
100% logical to me. Rather than
struggling through a lengthy and
depressing defence, Black alters the
nature of the game completely, creating
active counterplay.
21.cxb3 Rxd3 22.Qa2 Rxc3!
[ As Short notes, the tempting
sequence 22...Bxc3 23.Qxa6 Bxa6
24.Rxe6 Rd1+ 25.Kg2 Bd3
is refuted by 26.Rf3! Bg7 ( or
26...Be4 27.Rxe4 ) 27.Rd6
, forcing a pair of rooks off and
making White's task considerably
easier. ]
23.b4 Ra3 24.Qc2! Rd3
[ After 24...Rc3 25.Qd1 Rd3
, White can choose between 26.Rd2
( and 26.Qe2 , followed by Rd1 )
26...Rd5 27.Rxd5 cxd5 28.Bd4
. In either case he is clearly having
the better of it. ]
25.Rd2
[ Or 25.Qe2 again, as in the previous
note. ]
25...Rd5 26.Rxd5? Short's first mistake
of the game.
[ He should have played 26.Bf2!
first, forcing Black to put his light-
squared bishop on the less active d7-
square. Then after Bd7 27.Rxd5
cxd5 ( or 27...exd5 28.Qd2
, followed by Bd4 ) 28.Qc7! Qa4
29.Rc1 h5 30.Qxa7 , the win seems
fairly straightforward. Whereas now
Kasparov claws his way back into the
game ]
26...cxd5 27.Bf2 Bb7! 28.Qc7?!
This doesn't work without the black
bishop being en prise.
[ The last chance for White is 28.Qe2!
Kf7 29.Qxa6 ( or 29.b5!? Qd6
30.Bxa7 Bf6 ) 29...Bxa6 30.Rc1 ( or
30.Bxa7 Bc3 31.Rb1 Bd3 32.Rb3
d4 ) 30...Bc4 31.Bxa7 , although this
would be by no means easy to win,
since the rook is struggling to become
active. ]
[ 28.Qc5?! d4! 29.Bxd4? Qc6! ]
28...d4! After this simple move, opening
up the diagonal for the long-dormant
light-squared bishop, Black is fully in
the game again. In view of the potential
threat of mate on g2, White's options
are rather limited. Note that 28 Qc5?!
would have been met the same way:
28...d4!, and if 29 Bxd4? then 29...Qc6!.
29.Qd8+
[ Or 29.Qd7 Bd5 30.Qe8+ Bf8
31.Bxd4 Qa2 32.Bf2 Qc2
and White is unable to make any
82
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
progress. ]
29...Bf8 30.Qf6 d3! 31.Bc5
[ Now White can't even take on e6,
since 31.Qxe6+?? Qxe6 32.Rxe6
d2 wins for Black. ]
[ Or 31.Bd4 d2 and White has to take
perpetual check. ]
31...Bxc5+ 32.bxc5 d2 33.Qd8+ Kg7
34.Qe7+
[ Short decides to take the draw,
since 34.Qxd2 Qc6 with penetration
on h1 gives Black fully adequate
counterplay. ]
1/2
B25
Bachmann Schiavo,A
Bu Xiangzhi
27: Calvia Olympiad 2004
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Bu started with 2...g6 , after which
the game took a roundabout route to
the position at move nine: 3.g3 Bg7
4.Bg2 Nc6 5.Nge2 d6 6.d3 h5 7.h3
e5 8.Be3 Nge7 9.Qd2 . ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3
h5!? This provocative thrust was
endorsed by John Emms in 'Dangerous
Weapons: Anti-Sicilians'.
QUESTION: What's the purpose behind
this move? Is Black starting a kingside
attack before White has castled?
ANSWER: Well, if White castles
kingside and furthermore is a bit
careless then, yes, Black can get a
kingside attack going, but that's not the
real point of the move.
QUESTION: So what is the point then?
ANSWER: Since the standard plan with
Bh6 has at least temporarily – perhaps
permanently – been prevented, it is
reasonable to expect White to play f2-f4
instead, and that's when the idea behind
...h7-h5 comes into play: Black can
follow up with ...h5-h4 and attack White
on the dark squares. This usually
involves inserting ...e7-e5 as well.
QUESTION: So should White play h2-h4
to prevent Black's plan?
ANSWER: Preferably not, since it
weakens the g4-square, especially if
White follows up with a later f2-f4.
7.h3
[ There are various other options to
consider:
a) 7.h4?! is met by Nf6 , heading
straight for g4; e.g. 8.Nh3 ( or 8.f3
d5! 9.Bxc5 d4! 10.Nd5 Nxd5
11.exd5 Qxd5 12.Ba3 Bh6
and Black is clearly better, R.Hassler-
K.U.Schmidt, Dortmund 2012 ) 8...Ng4
9.Bd2 Nge5 10.f3 Rb8 11.Nd5 e6
12.Ne3 d5 13.0-0 d4 14.Nc4 Nxc4
15.dxc4 b5 16.cxb5 Rxb5 17.Rb1
e5 and Black is certainly for
preference, K.Zamit-M.Chatzidakis,
Anogia 2012. ]
[ b) 7.Nge2?! is too passive: h4! 8.0-0
( after 8.d4 , Emms' suggestion Bg4
9.dxc5 h3 10.Bf1 Bxc3+! 11.bxc3
Nf6 looks very good for Black ) 8...Nd4
( Emms notes that 8...Nf6
may be even better ) 9.Qd2 hxg3
10.hxg3?! ( 10.fxg3 Nxe2+ 11.Qxe2
Nf6 is playable for White, though
obviously quite comfortable for Black )
10...Bh3! 11.f3 Qd7 12.Nf4?! Bxg2
13.Qxg2?? g5! and White decided
he'd had enough, 0-1 V.Amarger-N.
Miezis, Thorigny 2005. ]
[ c) 7.Nh3 h4 8.Nf4 Nd4 9.h3 hxg3
10.fxg3 g5!? 11.Nh5 and here Black
should probably opt for Rxh5
( rather than 11...Nxc2+ 12.Qxc2
Rxh5 13.g4 Rh8 14.Bxg5
and White was okay, J.Vesin-V.Milov,
Geneva 2003 ) 12.Qxh5 Nxc2+
83
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
13.Kd2 Nxa1 14.Rxa1 Qb6 ( or
14...g4!? 15.hxg4 Nf6 16.Qg5 Kf8 )
15.Kc2 Be6 16.Qxg5 Kf8
, though it's not entirely clear ]
[ d) 7.Nf3!? is another way to prevent
...h5-h4. Emms suggests Nd4 8.Qd2
( 8.h3 Bd7 9.0-0 Qc8 10.Kh2?
Nxf3+! won a pawn in H.Müller-N.
Stanec, Linz 1997, since 11.Qxf3??
runs into Bg4! ) 8...e5 9.0-0 ( 9.Nd5
Bh3! works out well for Black )
9...Ne7 ( or 9...Nxf3+ 10.Bxf3 Ne7
, but at least White has spoiled
Black's fun and can play for either f2-
f4 or b2-b4. )]
7...e5 Interestingly, 6...h5 was played
twice by Henry Bird in a match against
Emanuel Lasker.
[ Here Bird went for 7...Bd7 8.Qd2
Nd4 9.Nd1 e5 and drew both games;
e.g. 10.c3 Ne6 11.Ne2 Bc6 12.d4!?
d5 with a very messy position where
Black is no worse, Em.Lasker-H.Bird,
Liverpool (4th matchgame) 1890. ]
8.Qd2
[ White has also tried:
a) 8.Nge2 Be6 ( 8...Nge7 9.Qd2
transposes below ) 9.Qd2 Qd7 10.f4
Nd4 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.0-0-0 Ne7
13.Rdf1 f6 14.Kb1 0-0-0 left White
struggling to find a plan in E.
Bolshakov-V.Korchnoi, Frunze 1956. ]
[ b) 8.f4 Nge7 9.Nf3 Nd4 10.0-0
f6!? 11.Ne2 ( 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Qd2
Be6 13.Kh2 Qd7 is fine for Black, F.
Egeland-N.Miezis, Oslo 2003; or if
11.Nh4 , Emms suggests exf4
12.gxf4 f5! ) 11...Be6 12.c3 Nxf3+
13.Rxf3 Qd7 14.Kh2?! ( 14.fxe5
fxe5 15.d4 cxd4 16.cxd4 d5
keeps things equal ) 14...h4 15.g4 f5!
16.g5 Rc8 ( or 16...0-0-0 ) 17.Rf1 d5
and Black seizes the initiative, C.
Stevens-S.K.Williams, French League
2008 ]
[ c) 8.Nd5 Nce7 ( 8...Be6
is also playable; e.g. 9.Ne2 Bxd5
10.exd5 Nce7 11.c3 Nf5 12.Bd2
Bh6 13.0-0 , B.Golubovic-V.Lukov,
Marostica 1993, and now Bxd2
14.Qxd2 Nf6 15.f4 Qb6 16.c4 Nd7
should not be any worse for Black )
9.Nxe7 Nxe7 10.c3 Be6 11.f4 h4
12.g4 exf4 13.Bxf4 Be5 and Black
has equalized, C.Blodig-C.Koepke,
Erbendorf 2009. ]
8...Nge7 9.Nge2
[ The immediate 9.f4 , without Nge2,
is examined in the next game. ]
9...Nd4 10.f4
[ Instead, 10.Nd1?! is well met by d5!
(Black's pieces are better placed so
opening up the position should favour
him) 11.c3 Ne6 12.Qc2 d4 13.Bd2
h4! 14.g4 Nc6 15.f4 exf4 16.Nxf4
Nxf4 17.Bxf4 Be5 18.0-0 Qd6
19.Bg5 f6 20.Bd2 g5 and Black has
a huge grip on the dark squares in M.
Nabuurs-T.Bus, Maastricht 2007. ]
10...Be6 11.0-0
[ White seems already to be on the
back foot:
a) 11.0-0-0 Qa5 12.a3 b5
gives Black a promising attack, since
13.f5? gxf5! 14.exf5 Nexf5 15.Bxa8
( or 15.Bg5 Rc8 ) 15...Nxe3
is devastating for White. ]
[ b) 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nxe2
13.Qxe2 exf4 ( 13...Nf5 is good too )
14.Bxf4 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Bc3+ 16.Kd1
Qd7 and Black appears to be a pawn
up for nothing. ]
[ c) 11.Nd1 is again answered by d5!
12.c3 ( or if 12.fxe5 then dxe4
13.Bxe4 Nxe2 14.Qxe2 Bxe5
looks attractive for Black ) 12...Nxe2
13.Qxe2 d4 14.Bd2 Qd7 15.cxd4
( Finkel's 15.c4!? improves
somewhat, though only Black can be
better here ) 15...cxd4 16.Nf2 Rc8
84
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.Qd1 Qb5 18.b3 h4! and again
Black takes over the dark squares, G.
Soppe-G.Needleman, Buenos Aires
2005. ]
11...Qd7 12.Kh2 0-0 13.Nd1?!
This meets with the same response as
before.
[ 13.Rf2 ]
[ or 13.Rae1 is preferable, though as
Emms indicates, Black is perfectly
fine and can play for either ...b7-b5 or
...f7-f5. ]
13...d5! 14.Nec3 f5 Black is now
completely in charge of the game. He
has a solid space advantage and all of
his pieces are well placed. In contrast,
White's pieces are relatively placed
which leads him to seek exchanges, but
it fails to solve his problems.
15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Nc3
Bc6 18.h4 Rfe8 19.fxe5 Bxe5 20.Bf4
Bxf4 21.Rxf4 Re6 Since we took stock
at move 14, White has managed to
remove a fair bit of wood from the board,
but of the pieces remaining Black's are
still clearly superior, and he is now in
firm control of the e-file as well.
22.Raf1 Rae8 23.R4f2 Bxg2 24.Rxg2
Re1 25.Rgf2 Rxf1?! Exchanging a pair
of rooks reduces the pressure a little.
[ 25...R1e3 , followed by 26...Qd6,
looks much stronger. ]
26.Rxf1 Qc6 27.Kh3 b5 EXERCISE:
Black threatens to win immediately with
...b5-b4 and ...Re2. How should White
respond?
28.Qg2? This is a certain loser, which
allows Black to reduce to a winning
endgame and vacuum up a bunch of
pawns, so I suspect White must have
been in time trouble at this point.
[ ANSWER: The best chance was
28.Qh6! ,
A) the point of which is seen after
28...b4? 29.Nd5! , when White
suddenly has a whole heap of
counterplay; e.g. or 29...Qxd5 ( or
29...Re2 30.Nf4 Rxc2 31.Qg5
Rxb2 32.Qe7 Rxa2 33.Re1 )
30.Qxg6+ Kf8 31.Qf6+ Qf7
32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qe5+ Kd7 ( or
33...Ne6 34.Rxf5 ) 34.Qxc5
and so on.;
B) 28...Nxc2? 29.Nd5 Nd4 30.Nf4
is even worse for Black, as his
kingside is now falling apart.;
C) Instead, Black would have to
find something like 28...Re5!
(28...Re7 and 28...Re6 are also
possible) 29.Qf4 ( or 29.Ne4 Nxc2
30.Ng5 Re7 ) 29...Qe6 30.Rf2 ( or
30.a3 Nxc2 31.Nxb5 Ne3 32.Re1
Qd5! ) 30...b4 31.Nb1 Ne2!
32.Qc4 Qxc4 33.dxc4 Re3
, but at least such a sequence is
not immediately obvious. ]
28...Qxg2+ 29.Kxg2 Nxc2 30.Rc1?!
Ne1+ 31.Kf1 Nxd3 32.Rd1 Nxb2
And this is the third. White should have
resigned by now. 33.Rd7 a6 34.Nd5
Re6 35.Nf4 Rc6 36.Nd5 Kf8
. Either White finally gave up the ghost
or else lost on time.
0-1
B26
Barbeau,S
Zugic,I
28: Montreal 2001
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 h5!? 7.h3 e5
8.Qd2 Nge7 9.f4
[ Deviating from 9.Nge2 as in the
previous game. ]
QUESTION: If Black's strategy is to play
on the dark squares, doesn't this move
help Black in that regard? I mean, after
85
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
...h5-h4, White will be forced to play g3-
g4 and then all the kingside dark
squares look weak.
ANSWER: You are absolutely right, it
does seem counterintuitive to 'play into'
Black's plans. On the other hand, White
has to do something active. Normally
'the rule' is to counter a premature flank
attack with action in the centre, but that
is not easily accomplished; it would
require moving the c3-knight to follow
up with c2-c3 and d3-d4, and even that
wouldn't be terrible productive. Nor can
White start anything relevant on the
queenside. Thus he presumably
concluded that f2-f4 was the only way to
go.
9...Nd4 10.Nd1 Now that Black has
committed a knight to d4, White does
not hesitate to proceed with the
standard eviction plan, a plan that could
include the central pawn break with c2-
c3 and d3-d4 we just mentioned.
[ 10.Nge2 is Game 27 again. ]
[ In subsequent games, White has
given preference to another knight
move: 10.Nf3 Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 Be6
( here 11...h4?! 12.g4 exf4 13.Bxf4
is in White's favour; e.g. Be5 14.0-0
Be6 15.Rab1 Qd7 16.Nd5 Bxd5
17.exd5 f6 18.b4 and White is in
charge on all parts of the board, as
there is no opportunity for Black to
exploit the slightly open kingside, D.
Viana-E.Barbosa, Mar del Plata
2012 ) 12.Ne2 ( playing for d3-d4 is
not particularly effective, but Black
has no issues after 12.0-0-0 Qa5
13.a3 0-0-0 with roughly equal
chances ) 12...Qd7 ( or 12...Qb6!? )
13.c3?! ( White should still castle:
13.0-0-0 , when Bxh3? runs into
14.Rxh3! Qxh3 15.f5 and the black
queen in in trouble ) 13...Bxh3 14.fxe5
Bxe5 15.d4 cxd4 16.cxd4 Bg7
17.0-0-0 , A.Krapivin-D.Kryakvin,
Vladimir 2006, and now after d5!
, it is clear that Black has the upper
hand. ]
10...h4 QUESTION: In the previous
game when White played Nd1, Black
struck in the centre with ...d6-d5. Can't
he do that here too?
ANSWER: Yes, and it actually looks
quite promising for Black; but the text is
consistent with his plan of fighting for
the dark squares, and he can always
play ...d6-d5 later on.
11.g4 exf4 12.Bxf4 Ne6
[ QUESTION: Why does Black chose
to retreat his knight from the d4-
square? Isn't it perfectly placed?
ANSWER: The text is a continuation
of his strategy, threatening to remove
White's dark-squared bishop.
However, there is no rush to do this,
and White might yet play c2-c3, so
12...Nec6 looks like a good alternative
with a pleasant game for Black. ]
13.Bh2
[ In S.Glinert-J.Fedorowicz, Toronto
2000, White left the bishop where it
was, playing 13.Ne2?! , after which
the grandmaster surprisingly declined
to take it at once, preferring to press
in the centre: d5!? 14.Ndc3?!
I don't like this move, ( instead, 14.0-0
d4 15.Bh2 Nc6 16.Nf4
looks playable, if still quite
comfortable for Black ) 14...d4 15.Nd5
Nxd5 16.exd5 Nxf4 17.Qxf4 Qa5+
18.Kf2 0-0 and Black is clearly on
top. ]
13...Be5!? You can run and hide, but I
will find you. Now the bishops come off
the board, rendering White's dark
squares permanently vulnerable, which
may count in the long term. In the
meantime Black is falling behind in
development.
86
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ Emms suggests 13...Nc6 14.Nf3
Ned4 here, though in that case Black
might have played 12...Nec6 at
once. ]
14.Nf3 Bxh2 15.Rxh2 d5 16.Nc3?
This is definitely wrong, as it only helps
Black execute his plan.
[ White should seize the opportunity to
open the position with 16.exd5 Nxd5
17.Nc3 ( or 17.Ne3 Ndf4 18.0-0-0
, when his lead in development and
reasonably well-placed pieces give
him the edge. )]
16...d4! 17.Ne2 Nc6 Although my
computer assesses this position as
equal, I think Black has the better
chances. The dark squares count in his
favour, and his light-squared bishop is
now considerably stronger than its
colleague on g2 which is merely
enjoying the view of its own pawns.
White's only assets are the half-open f-
file (supposing he can ever get his rooks
on it) and the d5-square, so he sends
his knight in that direction straight away.
18.Nf4 Qd6 19.Nd5 Nc7?
QUESTION: Why don't you like this
move? It seems sensible to remove
White's strong knight.
ANSWER: The question is what
happens if White just lets it be taken:
after 20...Nxd5 21 exd5, White frees his
bishop and gets the open e-file for a
rook. At the moment Black is playing a
strategy of containment, aiming to
exploit his superiority on the dark
squares when good and ready, and ...
Nc7 is inconsistent with this plan.
[ Instead, 19...Qg3+ 20.Qf2 Bd7 ( or
20...Nb4!? looks reasonable. )]
20.Nxc7+? White seems quite happy to
follow along with his opponent, and I
really don't understand why.
[ As just explained, he should leave
the knight where it is and try to utilize
his lead in development after
20.0-0-0! .
A) Taking the pawn is then very
risky for Black: 20...Nxd5?!
21.exd5 Qxd5 22.Re1+ Be6
23.b3 Qd6 24.Ng5 0-0-0 25.Bxc6
Qxc6 26.Nxe6 fxe6 27.Qg5
and White will easily regain it with a
much better position; ( 27.-- );
B) while after 20...Be6 21.Nf6+
Kf8 22.Re1 Ne5 ( or 22...Bxa2
23.e5 Qe7 24.Qf2 ) 23.Bh1 Kg7
24.Rf2 , White keeps the initiative
and is certainly not worse. ]
20...Qxc7 21.Qg5?! Now White
decides to invite an exchange of queens
when it can only be in Black's favour. If
White hopes that the many exchanges
will steer the game towards a draw, he
is going to be disappointed.
21...Qe7 22.Qxe7+ Kxe7 23.Kd2 Be6
24.a3?! White does seem to be taking
the game rather casually.
[ 24.e5 was the move to play here,
after which his light-squared bishop
comes to life and, more importantly,
the black king is not allowed into e5. ]
24...Kd6! 25.Rf1?! It is getting near
now or never time. Despite his
suboptimal play so far, White is not yet
really worse, but he needs to find some
counterplay quickly before Black
consolidates his grip on the position.
[ To this end 25.b4! suggests itself; e.
g. cxb4 ( or 25...Rac8 26.e5+ Nxe5
27.bxc5+ Rxc5 28.Nxd4 ) 26.axb4
a6 27.Rhh1 , followed by Rhb1, and
White is very much in the game. ]
25...Ne5 Incredibly, my computer still
gives a smudge of preference for White,
even though the game is clearly heading
in Black's favour. 26.c3 It seems that
White is finally waking up to the fact
that Black will slowly squeeze the life
out of him if he lets him. 26...Nxf3+
87
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
27.Bxf3 Ke5! The king is now in
complete control of the events on the
board. White has constantly to worry
about the possibility of ...Kf4-g3, and at
the same time, Black can build up an
initiative on the queenside.
28.g5!? White plays another active
move, allowing the exchange of light-
squared bishops with Bg4, which will
remove the guardian of Black's f7-pawn.
However, if this doesn't work out, then
White has just weakened the kingside
further and tied the h2-rook to the
passive defence of a pawn.
28...Rad8 29.c4?! I don't know what is
up with White in this game: he starts an
active plan and then immediately
abandons it and plays passively.
[ He should have continued with
29.Bg4 Bxg4 30.hxg4 Rh7
. It certainly isn't much fun for White,
but he looks to have more chances of
holding here than after game
continuation. ]
29...b5! With all of White's pieces sitting
passively on the kingside, Black opens
up a second flank on the queenside.
The foundation for this stems from the
fact that his king is well placed on e5,
his bishop on e6 equally so,
participating on both wings, and finally
the mobility of his rooks. It is quite
instructive.
30.cxb5
[ White cannot hold the queenside
with 30.b3 because of Rb8! 31.Bd1
( or 31.Rb1 bxc4 32.dxc4 Bxc4 )
31...a5 32.Kc1 a4 and the defence
crumbles. ]
30...Rb8 31.a4 a6! This was the idea
behind 29...b5. Allowing the black rook
to capture on b2 is out of the question,
so White belatedly has to find a way to
develop some counterplay.
32.Rc1?
[ The last chance was 32.Bg4 axb5
33.a5 , trying to keep the queenside
closed; e.g. Ra8 34.Bxe6 fxe6
35.Rf6 Rhg8 and although White is
definitely worse, at least he is still
fighting. ]
32...axb5 33.Rxc5+ Kf4 With one rook
gone from the kingside, the black king
is able to make his entrance on the
weak dark squares. 34.Bg4?!
Tantamount to resigning the game;
[ although after 34.Rf2 Kg3 35.Ke1
Bxh3 36.axb5 Rhc8 , Black would
win for in any case. ]
34...Bxg4 35.hxg4 h3 36.Ke1 Kg3
37.Rcc2 bxa4 38.Kf1 a3! 39.Kg1
axb2 40.Rxb2 Rhc8 . White cannot
stop a black rook from appearing on the
back rank and ending the game.
0-1
B25
Savon,V
Bondarchuk,S
29: Nikolaev 2001
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4
[ The two times it arose in his games
he started with 1.g3 , and the current
one only transposed at move eight
after c5 2.Bg2 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.f4
Bg7 5.Nf3 e6 6.e4 d6 7.0-0 Nge7
8.Nc3 . ]
1...c5 2.Nc3 As it happens, Savon
never played the Closed Sicilian as
White, or at least not directly. 2...Nc6
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6
7.Nf3 The logical square for the knight;
[ though White has also played:
a) 7.Nge2 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3
( there's no mileage in 9.g4 f5!
10.gxf5 exf5 11.Ng3 Nd4 12.Nce2
fxe4 13.dxe4 Bg4 14.c3 Nxe2+
88
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
15.Nxe2 Qd7 and Black is better, R.
Hoen-D.Byrne, Tel Aviv Olympiad
1964 ) 9...Nd4 10.Qd2 is seen via 6
Nge2 in the notes to Game 55. ]
[ b) 7.Nh3 doesn't really fit with this
pawn configuration (unlike after 6...e5
– see the next chapter); e.g. Nge7
8.Be3 ( or 8.0-0 0-0 9.Kh1 Rb8
10.Ne2 f5 11.a4 b6 12.c3 Qd7
13.Be3 , J.Granda Zuniga-G.Barbero,
Benasque 1998, and now fxe4
14.dxe4 d5 is good for Black ) 8...b6
9.0-0 0-0 10.Kh1 Qd7 11.Bg1 Bb7
12.Qd2 Rae8 13.Rae1 f5 14.Ng5
Nd4 15.Nf3 (more or less admitting
that the knight was misplaced on h3)
Nec6 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Ne2 e5
and Black is better, H.Nakamura-K.
Sasikiran, World Team Championship,
Bursa 2010. ]
[ c) 7.Be3 is mostly just
transpositional: Nge7 8.Nf3 ( 8.Qd2
0-0 9.Nf3 Nd4 10.0-0 is Game 33 )
8...Nd4 9.0-0 , since there's little
point in Black delaying castling; e.g.
Rb8!? ( 9...0-0 reaches the main line
of Games 30-36 ) 10.Bf2 Nec6
( 10...0-0 is seen in the notes to
Game 34 ) 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.e5
dxe5 13.fxe5 Bxe5 14.Ne4 b6
15.c3 Nf5
A) 16.Qa4+ Bd7 17.Qxa7 0-0
led to a quick draw in B.Abramovic-
J.Diaz, Vrnjacka Banja 1988;
( 17...-- );
B) but White might try 16.d4!?
cxd4 17.g4 dxc3 ( or 17...Nh4
18.cxd4 Bc7 19.Be3 ) 18.Qxd8+
Kxd8 19.gxf5 gxf5 ( or 19...cxb2
20.Rad1+ ) 20.Nxc3 Rg8 21.Kh1
and the piece looks better than the
pawns. ]
7...Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.g4 QUESTION:
This seems somewhat premature, or am
I missing something?
ANSWER: No, it is premature – and
more than that, it's ineffective. Without
some mistakes from the opponent,
White cannot hope to achieve anything
with this sort of attack, since Black's
entire set-up is designed to neutralize it.
[ In the rest of the chapter we'll
concentrate on the main line with
9.Be3 . ]
[ However, White does have a few
other options available which are
tried occasionally:
a) 9.Ne2 prepares to take control of
the d4-square with c2-c3, but this set-
up is too quiet to cause Black any
problems; e.g. b6 ( naturally 9...b5
is good too; or 9...Rb8 followed by ...
b7-b5; the central breaks with 9...d5;
and 9...f5 are also perfectly playable;
or if Black is determined to exchange
a pair of knights, then even 9...Nd4
is possible ) 10.c3 Ba6 11.Rb1 Qd7
12.b4 Nd8 13.Be3 Rc8 14.a4 f5
15.b5 Bb7 16.Nd2 Nf7 ( 16...c4!?
comes into consideration ) 17.Qb3
fxe4 18.dxe4 d5 with mutual
chances, J.Cori-V.Hamitevici, Tromsّ
Olympiad 2014. ]
[ b) 9.Kh1 is not especially useful here,
and Black should reach a pleasant
position with normal development; e.g.
b6 ( or 9...Rb8 ) 10.Be3 d5
( 10...Bb7 11.d4 d5 led to mass
exchanges and a quick draw in J.
Polgar-V.Kramnik, Paris (rapid) 1994:
12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 cxd4
14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd5
16.Bxg7 Bxg2+ 17.Kxg2 Kxg7
18.Qxd8 Rfxd8 ½-½ ) 11.Bg1 dxe4
12.dxe4 Ba6 13.Rf2 Qxd1 14.Rxd1
Bxc3 15.bxc3 Rad8 and Black is
certainly not worse, N.Minev-K.
Langeweg, Varna Olympiad 1962. ]
[ c) 9.Bd2 aims to reinforce the
queenside against the plan of ...b7-b5-
89
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
b4, though Black has no reason to
desist: Rb8 ( there is nothing wrong
with 9...b6 either ) 10.Rb1 b5 11.a3
Qd7 ( White's ideas can be seen
after 11...a5 12.a4 b4 13.Nb5 d5
14.c4 bxc3 15.bxc3 c4 16.Be3 cxd3
17.e5 Ba6 18.Qxd3 , B.Spassky-Be.
Larsen, 3rd matchgame, Malmo
1968; or 11...Ba6 12.b4 Qb6 13.Kh1
cxb4 14.axb4 Rfc8 15.Ne2 d5
16.Nc1 Rd8 17.Qe2 dxe4 18.dxe4
, B.Spassky-J.Timman, Hamburg
1982, where White has the better
chances and went on to win in both
cases; while if 11...c4 12.Be3 d5
13.Bc5 Re8 , E.Simon Padros-R.
Jose Abril, Spanish League 1999,
then 14.d4!? looks interesting;
but simply 11...b4 12.axb4 cxb4
13.Ne2 Qb6+ 14.Kh1 a5 15.b3 Na7
, followed by ...Nb5, looks fine for
Black, T.Casper-L.Ftacnik, Zinnowitz
1976 ) 12.Kh1 a5 13.a4 b4 14.Nb5
Na7! 15.Nxa7 ( now 15.c4 bxc3
16.bxc3 just loses a pawn ) 15...Qxa7
16.Be3 d5 17.e5 d4 18.Bd2 b3
and Black took over the initiative, B.
Spassky-J.Polgar, Monte Carlo
1994. ]
[ d) 9.Rb1 has the same ideas as line
'c', and Rb8 ( or 9...b6 again ) 10.Bd2
just transposes, ( while 10.Be3
is seen via 9 Be3 Rb8 10 Rb1 in the
notes to Game 30. )]
9...f5 This is Black's normal response,
killing any danger right from the get-go.
10.gxf5
[ Other continuations pose no
problems either:
a) 10.exf5 exf5 11.g5 gives up on
the kingside play at once; after d5
12.Ne2 d4 13.c4 dxc3 14.bxc3 Be6
15.d4 cxd4 16.cxd4 Bc4
, Black already stands better, B.
Saacke-U.Markmann, Paderborn
1977. ]
[ b) 10.h3 (White sometimes plays
this move before g3-g4) b6 ( or
10...Rb8 11.Ne2 b5 12.Ng3 b4
13.Qe1 Nd4 14.Qf2 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3
Nc6 16.g5?! Nd4 17.Qd1 e5
and Black is better, A.Moshovakis-A.
Kharitonov, Malevizi 2016 ) 11.Qe1
Qd7 12.Ne2 Ba6 13.Qh4 Rae8
( 13...fxe4 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nxe4 Nb4
looks good too ) 14.Ng3 Nd4
15.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 16.Kh2 Bf6 17.g5
Bg7 and with the kingside now closed,
Black can dictate events in the centre,
A.Zamudio Diaz-M.Illescas Cordoba,
Dos Hermanas 2002. ]
10...exf5
[ More solid than capturing with the g-
pawn; e.g. 10...gxf5 11.Kh1 ( after
11.Ne2 Rb8 12.Ng3 b6 13.Kh1 Bb7
14.c3 Qd7 15.Qc2 Ng6 16.exf5
exf5 17.Bd2 Rbe8 , chances are
about even, M.Hennigan-A.Muir,
British Championship, Swansea
1987 ) 11...Ng6 12.exf5 Rxf5!? ( or
12...exf5 13.Ng5 Nge7 14.Re1 h6
15.Ne6 Bxe6 16.Rxe6 , when I
would prefer playing White in this
position ) 13.Bh3 Rxf4 14.Bxf4 Nxf4
and Black probably does not have
quite enough for the exchange, Y.
Lialin-L.Erogov, Pskov 1998. ]
11.Be3
[ There is little chance of breaking
Black's hold on f5; for example,
11.Ne2 Kh8 ( or 11...Qd7 12.c3 b6
13.Ng3 Bb7 14.Bh3 Rae8 15.Be3
Nd8 16.Qd2 Qc7 17.Rae1 Bc8
18.Bg2 Ne6 with chances for both
sides, S.Kosanski-S.Videki, Croatian
League 1999 ) 12.Ng3 Be6 13.c3
Qd7 14.Ng5 Bg8 15.Bh3 Rae8
16.exf5 Nxf5 17.Nxf5 gxf5 18.Bd2
, A.Maljush-D.Kryakvin, European
Rapid Championship, Minsk 2015,
90
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and now Ne7 followed by ...Nd5
gives Black a pleasant position. ]
11...Rb8
[ Another option is 11...Kh8
, when I.Manor-B.Gelfand, Israeli
League 1999, continued 12.Kh1 Be6
13.Qd2 Qd7 14.Rae1 b6 15.Ng5
Bg8 (this retreat was the point of
moving the king) 16.Nd5 h6 17.Nxe7
Nxe7 18.Nf3 Rad8
with a comfortable game for Black. ]
12.a4 b6 13.Qd2 Nb4
[ The normal 13...Nd4 seems to
favour White slightly after 14.Rae1
Bb7 15.Bxd4 cxd4 16.Nb5
, as in M.Hennigan-P.Manoj Kumar,
Oakham 1986; but there is no
particular need to send the knight on
an adventure just yet. ]
[ Simply 13...Bb7 , followed by ...Qd7,
gives Black a pleasant position. ]
14.Bf2 fxe4
[ Again, 14...Bb7 and 15...Qd7 comes
into consideration. ]
15.dxe4 d5 16.Bh4 d4?! Planless play
can ruin any position.
[ Instead, after 16...dxe4 17.Qxd8
Rxd8 18.Nxe4 ( not 18.Bxe7? exf3
19.Bxd8 Bd4+ 20.Kh1? fxg2+
21.Kxg2 Bb7+ and wins ) 18...Kf8
19.c3 Nc2 20.Rac1 Ne3 21.Rfe1
N3f5 , I would still prefer Black,
though it probably is quite equal. ]
17.Nb5 a6? Now Black falls for a cheap
trick.
[ He should have opted for 17...Rb7
18.e5 Nbd5 19.Nd6 Rd7 , intending
20.Qd3 ( or 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.Nxd4
Nxf4 22.Rxf4 Bxe5 23.Rxf8+ Qxf8
24.N4b5 Bxd6 25.Bd5+ Kh8 26.Rf1
Qg7 27.Be6 Be5 28.Bxd7 Bxd7
, when Black's bishop pair and extra
pawn provide decent compensation
for the exchange ) 20...Rxd6 21.exd6
Qxd6 . ]
18.Nbxd4 Re8 19.c3 cxd4 20.cxb4
Bg4 21.Qd3 Qd7 22.f5?
[ Instead, 22.h3 would keep a big
advantage, but White's attempt at a
quick knockout proves remarkably
successful. ]
22...Bxf3?? A dramatic blunder that
basically loses the game on the spot.
Presumably Black envisaged nasty
things happening after Qc4+ and so
rushed to eliminate the white knight, but
the f-pawn is far more dangerous.
[ He should have played 22...gxf5
23.Qc4+ Kh8 24.Qf7 ( or 24.Ng5 h6
25.Nf7+ Kh7 ) 24...Qc6
A) 25.Ng5 Qf6 and Black is still in
the game; ( 25...-- );
B) not 25.Bxe7? Qc7;
C) or if 25.Bg3 then 25...Bxf3
26.Bxf3 f4! 27.Qxf4 ( or 27.Bxf4?
Rf8 28.Qxe7 Rxf4 ) 27...Rbd8
, when the passed d-pawn
providing a measure of
compensation for White's extra
doubleton. ]
23.Rxf3 . There is no good answer to f5-
f6 etc, so Black resigned.
1-0
B25
Arakhamia Grant,K
Wojtaszek,R
30: Gibraltar 2016
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Wojtaszek repeated his 2...d6 3.g3
Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 move order
from Game 6, while Arakhamia later
played 8 Be3 and 9 0-0, which makes
no difference. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6
7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3
So we reach the main line. The most
91
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
popular response here is 9...Nd4, which
we will examine in Games 33-36. 9...b6
Black continues to develop while
securing his position against central
action with d3-d4 or e4-e5.
[ Another option is the standard
9...Rb8 , removing the rook from the
long diagonal and preparing ...b7-b5.
Here White has tried:
A) 10.a4?! is misconceived, since
the white rook generally does not
belong on the a-file in these lines;
for example, b6 (a logical
response, claiming that a2-a4 is
less than useful for White here)
( naturally, 10...a6 and 11...b5 is
possible too; while 10...Nd4 11.Qd2
is covered in the notes to Game
33 ) 11.Bf2 e5!? ( 11...Qd7
12.Qd2 Bb7 is also fine, V.Hort-M.
Stean, Teesside 1975 ) 12.fxe5
dxe5 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Nb4
15.c4 a5 16.Be1 Qd6 17.Qe2
Bd7 18.Bc3 Rbe8 19.Bxb4 cxb4
20.Qc2 f5 and Black has the better
chances, V.Samolins-A.Zhigalko,
Warsaw (rapid) 2008.;
B) 10.e5?! Nf5 ( both 10...b6; and
10...dxe5 are also fine ) 11.Bf2 b6
( or again 11...dxe5 , intending
12.Bxc5?! exf4! 13.Bxf8? Qb6+
14.Kh1 Kxf8 with a big advantage
for Black ) 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.Ne4
Qc7 14.c3 Ba6 15.Qc2 Rfd8
16.Rad1 Rd7 17.Rfe1 Rbd8
with a good position for Black, W.
Walz-R.J.Fischer, Montreal 1956.;
C) 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qb6
C1) 12.Nce2 Qxb2 13.Qd3
(covering a3) ( both 13.Qd2
Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bd7; and 13.Rb1
Qxa2 are good for Black )
13...Qb4 14.Rab1 Qa5 15.Nxc6
Nxc6 16.e5 ( improving on
16.Qxd6 Rd8 17.Qc5 Qxc5
18.Bxc5 e5 and Black stood
better in B.Rogulj-G.Timoscenko,
Oberwart 1995 ) 16...d5 17.c4
b6 18.cxd5 Ba6 19.Qd1 exd5
20.Rf2 with some compensation
for the pawn, B.Rogulj-A.Brkic,
Bizovac 2004, though even here
I would prefer Black.;
C2) 12.Na4 can be met by
either 12...Qa5 ( or 12...Bxd4!?
13.Nxb6 Bxe3+ 14.Kh1 Bxb6
15.Qxd6 Rd8 16.Qa3 e5
with interesting play );
D) 10.Rb1 b5 11.a3 Qb6!?
( 11...a5 12.a4 bxa4 13.Nxa4
Nd4 is quite equal and was agreed
drawn right here in B.Spassky-K.
Robatsch, Munich 1979; while
11...Nd4 12.Bf2 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 e5
14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Bg2 also leads to
balanced chances, B.Spassky-Zsu.
Polgar, Monte Carlo 1994 ) 12.Bf2
Bb7 13.Qd2 Nd4 14.Nxd4 Bxd4
15.Bxd4 cxd4 16.Ne2 Rbc8
17.Kh1 ( not 17.f5 exf5 18.exf5?
Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Nd5! ) 17...d5
18.g4 dxe4 19.dxe4 Rcd8 20.f5
f6 21.Nf4 exf5 22.gxf5?! ( 22.exf5
is safer and equal ) 22...gxf5
23.Rbe1 Kh8 and White's attack
came to nothing in B.Spassky-J.
Polgar, Prague 1995.;
E) 10.Qd2 b5 ( 10...Nd4
transposes to Game 33 ) 11.d4 ( or
11.a3 Nd4 12.Rab1 a5 13.Ne2
Nec6 14.c3 Nb3 15.Qd1 a4
16.Nd2 , V.Krapivin-G.Gutman,
Pardubice 2009, and now after
Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Na5 , Black is
certainly not worse ) 11...b4
( 11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Bxd4
Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qb6 is sufficient for
equality ) 12.Ne2 Ba6 13.Rfd1
Qb6 14.dxc5 dxc5 15.e5 f6
16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Rab1 Rbd8
92
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
18.Qe1 Rxd1 19.Qxd1 Rd8
20.Qe1 Nf5 21.Bf2 Qb5 22.Nc1
Qc4 23.Nb3 Ncd4 24.Nbxd4 cxd4
with chances for both sides, J.
Alonso Moyano-A.Zhigalko,
Spanish League 2013. ]
[ QUESTION: In some previous
positions Black was able to play 9...b5
without any preparation. Is that
possible here?
ANSWER: In this case it rather plays
into White's hands: 10.e5! b4 ( not
10...Rb8? 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Ne4
and White is already much better, e.g.
Qd8 13.Bxc5 Bxb2 14.Rb1 Bg7
15.d4 , B.Rogulj-M.Bender, Zadar
1995; or 10...Nd5 11.Bf2 Bb7?
12.Ne4 dxe5 13.Nxc5 Qc7 14.fxe5
and White is a clear pawn up, I.
Starostits-J.Groh, Teplice 2009 )
11.Ne4 Nd5 ( 11...dxe5 12.fxe5
Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Bxc5 Bxb2
is probably the best try ) 12.Bf2 dxe5
13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5
15.Bxc5 Re8 , S.Wiecker-Nic.Nielsen,
Esbjerg 2005, and here simply 16.d4
Bg7 17.Nd6 Re7 18.a3! is very good
for White. ]
10.d4 Seeing as Black has not
prevented it, White takes the chance to
break in the centre. This is the most
common continuation, though whether it
is actually best is a good question; I'm
not certain.
[ White has also tried:
a) 10.Rb1 d5 ( or 10...Bb7 11.Ne2
Qd7 12.g4?! f5 13.h3 d5 14.Ng3
Rad8 15.e5 d4 16.Bd2 Nb4 17.a3
Nbd5 with a very pleasant position for
Black, G.Gasser-I.Ibragimov, Bled
1995 ) 11.Bd2 dxe4 12.dxe4 Bb7
13.Qe1 Nd4 14.Rc1 Qd7 15.Nxd4
cxd4 16.Nd1 Rac8 and Black is in
charge, Jen.Kristiansen-J.Pinter,
Copenhagen 1985. ]
[ b) 10.Qd2 d5 ( or 10...Bb7 11.Rab1
f5 12.Ng5 Qd7 13.Bf2 Rae8
14.Rfe1 Nd4 15.Ne2 h6 16.Nf3 e5
17.Nfxd4 cxd4 with chances for both
sides, M.Grigoriv-Y.Vovk, Ukrainian
League 2008 ) 11.Bf2 dxe4 ( 11...d4
12.Nb1 e5 13.a4 Bh6 14.Nh4 Qc7
15.Be1 f5 16.exf5 Bxf5 also seems
promising for Black, I.Starostits-Y.
Solodovnichenko, Poznan 2003 )
12.dxe4 Qxd2 13.Nxd2 e5 14.Nf3
Ba6 15.Rfd1 Rad8 16.Be3 Nb4
and despite the queens having come
off the board, Black has a definitive
initiative in the middlegame, P.Tishin-
A.Zaitsev, Chern 2012. ]
[ c) 10.Bf2
A) 10...Qd7 11.Qd2 Ba6 ( or
11...Bb7 12.Rae1 f5 13.h3 Nd4
14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.Ne2 e5 16.exf5
Bxg2 17.Kxg2 gxf5 18.c3 dxc3
19.Nxc3 Nd5 20.Kh2 Nxc3
21.bxc3 Rae8 and although I
prefer Black's position, the chances
are probably about even, B.Tiller-M.
Turner, Davos 2007 ) 12.Rfe1 Nd4
( or 12...Rac8 13.g4 Rce8 14.d4
cxd4 15.Nxd4 Na5 , I.Starostits-K.
Kulaots, Tallinn 2006, and now
16.Rad1 Nc4 17.Qc1 looks fairly
equal ) 13.Nh4 Bb7 14.Nd1 f5
15.c3 Ndc6 16.Nf3?! ( 16.Ne3
is still level ) 16...e5 17.Be3 Rae8
18.Qc2 exf4 19.Bxf4 Ne5
20.Nxe5 dxe5 , followed by ...f5-f4
and Black takes complete control
of the game, B.Rogulj-G.Grecescu,
Bizovac 2008.;
B) or 10...Ba6 first;
C) whereas 10...d5 can now be
met by 11.e5 ; ( or else 11.exd5
exd5 12.d4 which transposes to 11
exd5 exd5 12 Bf2 in the main
game. )]
10...d5
93
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ We will examine 10...Ba6
in the next two games. ]
11.e5 Closing the centre in the style of
a Classical French does not pose Black
any problems.
[ Therefore White should probably
prefer 11.exd5 and then:
A) 11...exd5 12.Bf2 ( 12.dxc5
can be met by Nf5 13.Nxd5 Be6
14.g4 Nxe3 15.Nxe3 Bxb2
, which seems roughly equal )
A1) 12...Qd6 13.Re1 Bg4
14.dxc5 bxc5 15.Ne4 Qb8
16.Nxc5 Qxb2 17.Nb3 Rfe8
18.h3 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Qa3
with chances for both sides, M.
Meinhardt-G.Beikert, German
League 2007; ( 19...-- );
A2) or 12...Bg4 13.dxc5 d4
14.Ne4 Qd5 ( 14...Rb8
with compensation ) 15.h3 Bxf3?
16.Bxf3 ( and 16.Qxf3
may be even better ) 16...Qf5
17.cxb6 axb6 18.Re1 Rfd8
, as in B.Rogulj-M.Cebalo,
Zagreb 1993, when 19.Qd3
Qxh3 20.Ng5 Qc8 21.Qb3
grabs the initiative;
B) 11...Nf5 12.Bf2 Ncxd4
and now:
B1) 13.dxe6?! (activating the
black bishop seems wrong, even
if White does open the long
diagonal) Bxe6 14.Ng5 ( after
14.g4 Ne7 15.h3 Rc8 16.Re1
Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Nc6 18.Ne4
Nd4 19.Qd1 Bc4 20.c3 Ne2+
21.Kh1?! Nxf4 22.Nd6 Nd3!
23.Bg3 Nxe1 24.Qxe1 Be6
25.Nxc8 Qxc8 , Black is a pawn
up, M.Lazic-G.Todorovic,
Yugoslav League 1999; while
14.Re1 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Rc8
followed by ...Nd4 is just good
for Black ) 14...Bc4 15.Re1 Rb8
16.g4 Ne7 17.Bg3 Qd7 18.Nf3
Nec6 19.Nd2 Ba6 20.Nd5
Rbe8 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Ne4
Rxe4! 23.Bxe4 Be2 24.Qd2
, D.Novitzkij-M.Erdogdu, St
Petersburg 2006, and now Ne7!
25.Nc3 Bxg4 gives Black
excellent compensation for the
exchange, in view of his far more
very active pieces.;
B2) 13.Nxd4
B2a) 13...Nxd4 14.Re1
( after 14.dxe6?! Bxe6
15.Ne4 Bc4 16.Re1 Ne2+
17.Kh1 Bxb2 , Black is well
on the way to winning, F.
Fernandez Barrera-C.
Matamoros Franco, Mancha
Real 1998 ) 14...Ba6 15.Rb1
exd5 16.Nxd5 Bc4 17.Nc3?!
( 17.Ne3 is correct ) 17...Rc8
18.h3 Rc7 19.b3 Be6
and White is struggling badly
with both weaknesses and
piece coordination, V.
Saravanan-D.Prasad, Indian
Championship, Nagpur
2002.;
B2b) or 13...cxd4!? 14.Ne2
Ne3 15.Bxe3 dxe3
, when White should prefer
16.c3 ( with a fairly even
position to 16.dxe6?! Bxe6
, as in A.Pinchetti-Ch.Bauer,
Geneva rapid 2016, where
Black is clearly better; picking
up the exchange on a8 is
quite unattractive because as
it leaves permanent light-
square weaknesses around
the white king. );
B3) 13.Ne5 exd5 14.Nxd5 Be6
15.c4 Rc8 ( or 15...b5!? 16.b3
bxc4 17.bxc4 Rb8 18.Qa4 Ne7
19.Bxd4 cxd4 20.Qxa7 Nxd5
94
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
21.cxd5 Bxd5 22.Qxd4 Bxg2
23.Qxd8 Rfxd8 24.Kxg2 Bxe5
25.fxe5 Rd5 26.Rfe1 Ra5
27.Re2 Rba8 and ½-½ in J.
Radulski-S.Cvetkovic, Belgrade
2007, since White has no way of
making progress ) 16.a4
( instead, 16.Rc1 Re8 17.Re1
b5 18.b3 bxc4 19.bxc4 Qa5
20.Rb1 Nd6 21.Rc1 Qa3
22.Bxd4 cxd4 23.Qxd4 Qxa2
was complicated but probably
level, V.Krapivin-M.Oleksienko,
Pardubice 2005; whereas 16.b4
b5 17.g4?! bxc4 18.Nc3 Ne7
19.bxc5 Nec6 20.Nxc6 Nxc6
21.Rc1 Qxd1 22.Rfxd1 Bxg4
23.Rd6 Nb4 left Black with the
initiative, V.Krapivin-D.Fernando,
Pardubice 2013 ) 16...Re8
17.Re1 Qd6 18.g4 Ne7
19.Bxd4 cxd4 20.Qxd4 Nxd5
( after 20...Bxg4 , Black is
certainly no worse ) 21.Bxd5 g5
22.Rad1 gxf4?! 23.Qxf4 Bxd5
24.Rxd5 Qc7 25.Re4
gave White the better chances,
D.Larino Nieto-A.Franco Alonso,
Elgoibar 2009. ]
11...Nf5 12.Bf2 Ba6 13.Re1
[ My computer actually wants to give
up the exchange here with 13.dxc5!?
Bxf1 14.Bxf1 , though it hardly looks
as if White has sufficient
compensation. ]
13...cxd4
[ Or 13...Ncxd4 14.Nxd4 cxd4
15.Ne2 ( rather than 15.Bxd4 Nxd4
16.Qxd4 , transposing to the game )
15...Bxe2 ( but not 15...Ne3 16.Bxe3
Bxe2?! , as in S.Glinert-A.Moiseenko,
Toronto 2003, due to 17.Rxe2 dxe3
18.c4! and White grabs the initiative )
16.Rxe2 Rc8 and the position is
roughly equal. ]
14.Nxd4
[ Here too 14.Ne2 seems preferable;
e.g. Ne3 ( or if 14...d3 15.cxd3 Qd7
, as in B.Spassky-S.Stoeri, Zürich
simul 2009, then 16.Qd2 ) 15.Bxe3
dxe3 16.Ned4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 e2
18.Qd2 Re8 19.Bf3 Bf8 with mutual
chances, H.Bastian-D.Riegler,
German Championship, Altenkirchen
1999. ]
14...Nfxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4
Qe7 17.Qa4 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Bb7
[ Black can consider 18...Qa5!?
19.Qxa5 bxa5 . Taking on doubled
pawns may look odd, but the open b-
and c-files more than compensate; e.
g. 20.Bf1 Bxf1 21.Rxf1 Rfc8 22.Rf2
Rab8 23.Na4 f6 24.exf6 Bxf6 25.c3
, B.Gonzalez Acosta-M.Roeder,
Santa Clara 2000, and Rc4!? 26.b3
Bxc3 27.Rc1 Bd4 28.bxc4 Bxf2
29.cxd5 exd5 promises Black
excellent chances. ]
19.Ne2 b5 20.Qb3 a5 QUESTION:
This looks like trouble for White. Is that
a fair assessment?
ANSWER: White is in some trouble, yes,
since Black has every chance of
breaking through on the queenside.
White must hope to keep the knight on
d4 to minimize the damage, but even
that much is difficult.
21.Qd3
[ Also unsatisfactory is 21.a4 b4
( Black might even improve with
21...bxa4 22.Qxa4 Bc6 , when White
is already struggling to stay in the
game ) 22.c3 Ba6 23.cxb4 axb4
24.Rac1 Qb6 25.Qd1 Rfc8
with a large advantage for Black, I.
Johannesson-Si.Lund, Reykjavik
2007. ]
21...Rfc8 22.Nd4 b4 23.a4 Qb6
24.Rad1 Rc4 25.b3 Rc3 This is an
important step forward for Black, who
95
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
now has a fantastic platform from which
he can truly make White's life miserable.
A further issue is that White has no
counterplay, and unless she can find
some somewhere, the game is only
going one way and that is down.
26.Qd2 Rac8 27.g4?! It is hard to fault
White for wanting to shake things up,
but ultimately more weaknesses only
mean one thing: a quicker death.
[ Sitting tight with 27.Rc1 was better. ]
27...Bh6 28.Rf1?! This only helps Black.
[ 28.Rc1 was still the best option. ]
28...Ba6! Seizing the diagonal now that
White cannot answer with Bf1. 29.Rf3
Rxf3 30.Nxf3 Normally we would say
that exchanges favours the defender,
but here Black is ready to plug the next
rook into the c3-platform, and White's
weaknesses are not going away – they
only become more and more
pronounced.
30...Rc3 31.Re1 Qc5 32.Nd4
EXERCISE: If White manages to
maintain the knight on d4, she has good
chances of surviving for some time, but
Black has an elegant way of removing it.
Can you find Black's best move?
ANSWER: 32...Bd3! 33.Ne2 Forced.
[ After 33.cxd3?? Qxd4 , White's
pawns on f4, e5, d3 and b3 are ripe
and ready to be picked off by
Black's perfectly placed pieces. ]
33...Bxe2 34.Rxe2 EXERCISE:
Pinpoint White's critical weaknesses
and outline a plan for Black to take
advantage of them?
ANSWER: The dark squares in White's
position are very weak. In order to
exploit them Black needs to bring his
bishop back into the game.
34...Qe7? This attempt to infiltrate at h4
merely wastes time.
[ The best way to proceed was with
34...Qc7! , when White is unable to
set up a defence; e.g. 35.Rf2 ( or
35.Bf1 Rf3 ) 35...Bf8 36.Bf1 Bc5
37.Re2 ( or 37.Rg2 Be3 ) 37...Qb6
, followed by ...Be3 and Black should
win. ]
35.g5 Bf8 36.Re3? Missing her chance.
If White can get the bishop to d3
without anything untoward happening,
she should be able to hang on.
[ The correct move was 36.Bf1!
, intending Qc5 ( or 36...Qa7 37.Re1
Bc5 38.Bd3; Black can try and disrupt
this plan with 36...h6!? , but it is
unclear whether he can make
progress after 37.Re1 hxg5 38.fxg5
, despite White's vulnerable-looking e-
and g-pawns ) 37.Rf2 and 38 Bd3. ]
36...Qc5! 37.Re2 Exchanging rooks is
equally hopeless for White. 37...Qb6
Now the black bishop comes round.
38.Qd1 Bc5 39.Qe1 Be3 40.Qf1 Qd4
41.f5 gxf5
1-0
B25
Lapshun,Y
Le Quang,L
31: Budapest 2006
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ This game followed the previous
one's move order in every degree,
with Black playing 2...d6 3.g3 Nc6
4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 , and White
inserting 8 Be3 before castling. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6
7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 b6
10.d4 Ba6
[ Instead of breaking in the centre
with 10...d5 , Black develops the c8-
bishop with tempo, hitting the f1-rook.
Pushing the d-pawn remains an
option in any case. ]
96
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
11.Rf2?! While this allows White to
swing the rook across to the d-file, the
potential drawback is that e3-bishop
often desires the f2-square too.
[ We will discuss 11.Re1 in the next
game. ]
11...Qc7 Rather than commit himself to
any specific action, Black continues
simply to develop.
[ Other moves:
a) 11...cxd4?! only helps White:
12.Nxd4 Na5 ( or 12...Nxd4 13.Bxd4
e5 14.Be3 Qc7 15.f5 f6 16.g4
Rad8 17.Rd2 Rd7 18.Bf1 Bxf1
19.Qxf1 Qc6 20.Rad1 with a clear
advantage for White, M.Khademi-E.
Ghaem Maghami, Rasht 2014 ) 13.f5
Nc4 14.Bc1 exf5 15.exf5 Nxf5
16.Rxf5 gxf5 17.Nxf5 Ne5??
( my computer bravely suggests
17...Bxc3 18.bxc3 Qf6 19.Qg4+ Kh8
20.Bxa8 Qxc3 21.Rb1 Rxa8 22.Bg5
, when White is only clearly better )
18.Qh5 Rc8 19.Bh6 Bh8 20.Bg5
Bf6 21.Ne4 and facing heavy
material losses, Black resigned, I.
Starostits-A.Kovacevic, Geneva
2007. ]
[ b) 11...Na5 12.Bf1 ( or 12.b3 Rc8 )
12...Bxf1 13.Qxf1 d5 14.Rd1 Rc8
15.dxc5 bxc5 16.exd5 exd5 17.Na4
d4 18.Bd2 Nb7 19.c3 Nd6 20.cxd4
cxd4 gave Black a comfortable
position in J.Radulski-V.Topalov,
Bulgarian Championship, Sofia
1992. ]
[ c) 11...d5! looks like the critical reply;
e.g. 12.Rd2 ( obviously 12.exd5; or
12.e5 is met by Nf5 , when 13 Bf2 is
impossible; while if 12.dxc5 d4
13.Rd2 bxc5 14.Bf2 , as in J.
Claesen-Y.Pelletier, World Junior
Championship, Matinhos 1994, then
Qa5 15.Ne2 Rab8 is good for Black )
12...Na5! ( 12...dxe4 13.Nxe4
is equal ) 13.b3 Qc7 14.Ne5?
heading down a slippery slope;
( White should settle for 14.e5 Nf5
15.Bf2 cxd4 16.Ne2 Ne3 17.Qb1
Rfc8 18.Nexd4 Nxg2 19.Kxg2 Bf6
, when Black is only slightly better )
14...Bxe5 15.dxe5?? and this just
loses material; ( 15.fxe5 cxd4
16.Bxd4 Nac6 17.exd5 Nxd4 18.d6
keeps White in the game ) 15...d4
16.Bf2 dxc3 17.Rd7 Qc8 and since
18.Rxe7 fails to Rd8 and 19...Nc6,
White was just a piece down and
soon resigned in K.Jakubowski-D.
Raznikov, Porto Mannu Palau 2016. ]
12.a4 Probably best, preparing to send
the c3-knight to b5. If Black takes it off
then White gains the half-open a-file.
[ The alternative is 12.Rd2 Rad8 ( or
12...Rfd8 13.Bf1 Bxf1 14.Qxf1 Nxd4
15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.Bxd4 cxd4
17.Rxd4 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5
Qc5 20.Qc4 Rxd5 21.Qxc5 Rxc5
with a completely even rook ending, B.
Rogulj-D.Rosandic, Croatian
Championship, Zagreb 1993 ) 13.Bf1
Bb7!? 14.Nb5 Qb8 15.dxc5 dxc5
16.c3 Rxd2 17.Nxd2 a6 18.Na3 e5
19.Qe2 exf4 20.gxf4 Re8
and Black has the initiative, S.Nikolov-
G.Cabrilo, Dubrovnik 2008. ]
12...Rad8
[ Here too 12...d5 comes into
consideration. ]
13.Nb5 Bxb5
[ Instead, 13...Qb8 14.c3 Bb7
15.Re2 a6 16.Na3 Qc7 17.Bf2
is about equal according to my
computer, but I would rather play
White now that the centre is more
secure; e.g. d5 18.e5 c4 19.g4
( 19.b4 cxb3 20.Qxb3 Na5
is comfortable for Black ) 19...Na5
20.Nd2 Bc6 21.Nc2 b5 ( or
21...Qd7!? 22.Nb4 Bb7 23.Bh4 f6
97
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
24.exf6 Bxf6 25.Qe1 ) 22.axb5 axb5
23.Ne3 and White has the somewhat
better chances, B.Abramovic-A.Haik,
Paris 1988. ]
14.axb5 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Bxd4
e5 17.Bc3
[ Here 17.Be3 improves for White,
though probably not enough to secure
any advantage: exf4
A) if 18.gxf4?! , I.Starostits-M.
Roeder, Cutro 2002, then Bxb2
19.Ra2 Bc3 looks good for Black;
e.g. 20.Qd3 ( or similarly 20.f5 d5!
21.fxg6 Nf5 ) 20...d5 21.exd5
Nf5;
B) 18.Bxf4 Bxb2 19.Bh6
( 19.Ra4!? could be a better try )
19...Bg7 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Qd4+
Kg8 22.Qa4 Nc8 23.Bh3 Rde8
( 23...d5!? is possible ) 24.Bxc8
Rxc8 25.Qxa7 Qxa7 26.Rxa7
Rc5 with a level rook endgame, M.
Bilalic-J,Hopkins, British League
2004. ]
17...exf4 18.gxf4
[ Instead, 18.Bxg7 is met by fxg3!
19.hxg3 Kxg7 20.Qd4+ f6 21.c4
Rf7 and it is unclear whether White's
compensation for the pawn is quite
enough; e.g. 22.b4 ( or if 22.Bh3
, B.Rogulj-E.Kengis, German League
1999, then d5! ) 22...Nc8 23.Rd1
( 23.Bh3 runs into d5! again )
23...Re8 24.Qc3 Re5 25.Rc2
was J.Landaw-M.Casella, Los
Angeles 2005, and now Qd7
more looks pleasant for Black. ]
18...Bxc3 19.bxc3 d5 20.exd5?!
[ Rather than grab material, 20.e5
Qxc3 21.Rxa7 looks safer, when
White should be okay. ]
20...Qxc3
[ Or 20...Nf5 21.Qd2 Rfe8 22.Kh1?!
( even 22.Ra4!? Re7 23.Be4 Nd6
leaves Black with more than
adequate compensation, due to
White's weak pawns, poor bishop and
open king ) 22...Re3 23.Rf3 Rde8
24.Rxe3 Rxe3 25.d6 Qxd6 26.Qxd6
Nxd6 27.Bc6 Rxc3 28.Rxa7 Rxc2
29.Ra6 Nc4 and now Black is a pawn
up, which he had no issue converting
to a full point, I.Starostits-M.Thesing,
Triesen 2007. ]
21.Rxa7 QUESTION: White has won a
pawn and in fact has a protected passed
pawn on d5, so he should be happy,
right?
ANSWER: Hardly; he is actually in
serious trouble. We will see why very
shortly.
21...Qc5 22.c4 Rfe8
[ Here 22...Nf5! may be even stronger,
when White has holes all over his
position; e.g. 23.Bh3 Ne3 24.Qd3
Nxc4 25.Ra4 Ne3 ( or 25...Nb2 )
26.Rd4 Rxd5 27.Rxd5 Nxd5 28.Kg2
Re8 and Black is winning, O.Hartvig-
E.Mortensen, Copenhagen 1997. ]
23.d6 White tries to bring his bishop to
life before Black blockades the d-pawn,
[ but it was probably better to defend
with 23.Bf1 , even if Nc8 , followed
by ...Nd6, still looks pretty ugly for
White. ]
23...Rxd6 24.Qe2?
[ White should have tried 24.Qa1
, although Qxc4 25.Qe5 Re6 26.Bf1
Qc1 27.Qb2 Qc5 is obviously very
good for Black as well. ]
24...Re6 25.Qd3 Re1+ 26.Bf1 Nf5
27.Rd7 Ne3 28.Qd4 Qf5 . With no
good defence to ...Qg4+, White
resigned.
0-1
98
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25
Tischbierek,R
Avrukh,B
32: Biel 2004
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7
8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 b6 10.d4 Ba6
11.Re1
[ In view of the problems with 11.Rf2
d5! in the notes to the previous game,
White probably has to put the rook on
this square. ]
11...Rc8
[ Black has several reasonable
alternatives:
a) 11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 Rc8 ( or
12...Na5 13.f5 e5 14.Ndb5 d5 15.f6
Bxf6 16.exd5 Nf5 17.Bc1 Qd7
18.a4 Bg7 19.b3 Rac8 20.Ba3 Rfd8
with a level if complicated position,
H.Logdahl-R.Sagit, Swedish
Championship, Uppsala 2016 ) 13.a4
( not 13.Nb3?! d5 14.exd5 Bxc3!
15.bxc3 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 exd5
and Black has stands better )
13...Nxd4 ( or again 13...Na5
14.Ncb5 e5 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Nb3
Qxd1 17.Rexd1 Rxc2 18.Nxa5 bxa5
and the chances are about even, B.
Rogulj-M.Ulibin, Zagreb 2010 )
14.Bxd4 e5 15.fxe5 Nc6 16.Be3
Bxe5 17.Bh6 Re8 18.Bh3 Rb8
looks messy but somewhat easier for
Black to play, in view of White's open
king and somewhat disorganized
pieces, V.Krapivin-V.Zakhartsov,
Pardubice (rapid) 2016. ]
[ b) 11...Na5 12.Bf2 ( or 12.b3 Rc8
13.Ne2 cxd4 14.Bxd4 e5 15.Bb2
Nac6 16.a4 , B.Rogulj-R.Ekstrِm,
Dresden 1998, and now Qc7 17.c4
Nb4 18.Kh1 Qc5 offers both sides a
fair share of the chances ) 12...Rc8
13.a4 Nc4!? ( 13...Nec6 is solid and
equal ) 14.b3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 e5
16.Ndb5 Na5 17.fxe5?! ( 17.f5!?
looks better ) 17...Bxe5 18.Bd4 Bxb5
19.Nxb5 a6 20.Na3 Nec6 21.Bxe5
dxe5 and Black has at least equalized
in view of White's poorly coordinated
pieces, H.Bastian-I.Farago, Saarlouis
1999. ]
[ c) 11...Qc7 12.a4 ( or 12.Bf2 Rad8
13.d5 exd5 14.exd5 Na5 15.Rb1
Rfe8 16.g4 Nc4 and Black has
already taken control of the game, M.
Turner-U.Nielsen, Aarhus 1994 )
12...Rad8 13.Nb5 Bxb5 14.axb5
Nxd4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Bxd4 e5
is identical to the previous game,
except for the position of the white
rook on e1. After 17.Bc3 d5 ( even
17...exf4 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qd4+
Kg8 20.gxf4 d5! 21.exd5 Nf5
seems okay for Black, M.Fortier-M.
Larochelle, Quebec 2004 ) 18.fxe5
( or 18.Bxe5 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 dxe4
20.Qe2 f6 21.Bc3 f5 22.Bxg7 Kxg7
23.Rxa7 Ra8! with sufficient
counterplay, B.Gonzalez Acosta-R.
Vera Gonzalez Quevedo, Ubeda
2001 ) 18...dxe4 19.Qe2 Nd5
20.Qxe4 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Qxc3
22.Rxa7 Rde8 23.Rf1 Rxe5 24.Qc6
Rc5 25.Qf3 Qxf3 26.Bxf3 Rxb5
and Black is now a pawn up, though
the game should realistically end in a
draw, V.Krapivin-M.Turov, Salekhard
2008. ]
12.a4 Again enabling Nb5 to block the
a6-bishop.
[ White has also tried:
a) 12.Qd2 Na5 13.b3 Qc7 14.dxc5
, as in O.Alkaersig-J.Kjeldsen,
Norresundby 1992, and now Rfd8!
15.Red1 dxc5 16.Qe1 Nac6
leaves Black with the better position.
]
99
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ b) 12.Bf2 Nxd4 ( or 12...cxd4
13.Nxd4 Na5 14.f5 , O.Gesing-V.
Nevednichy, Nice 2002, when Nc4
15.fxg6 hxg6 looks quite pleasant for
Black ) 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Bxd4 e5
15.Bf2 Qd7 16.Qd2 Rfd8 17.Rad1
Bc4 18.h3 Qe6 19.a4 Qd7 20.Re3
Nc6 and the position seems more or
less equal, M.Meinhardt-U.Bِnsch,
German League 2007. ]
12...d5 As we have already seen several
times, this is a standard move in this
particular variation.
[ Another option is 12...Bb7
, when V.Neimer-G.Kacheishvili,
Arlington 2013, continued 13.Nb5?!
this looks a bit odd here, ( but
13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qe2 Nd4
is unproblematic for Black ) 13...a6
14.Na3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4
16.Bxd4 e5 17.fxe5 Nc6 18.Bh3
Rb8 19.Nc4 Nxd4 20.Qxd4 Bxe5
21.Nxe5 dxe5 22.Qxe5 Re8 23.Qc3
Rxe4 and while the computer
evaluation is close to equal, Black
certainly has the better practical
chances in view of White's open king
position. ]
13.exd5
[ Not 13.e5?! Nf5 14.Bf2 Nfxd4
15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 cxd4
and Black has a favourable version of
Game 30. ]
13...exd5 14.Bf2 Nf5 15.dxc5 d4
QUESTION: It does seem like Black is
always leading the charge for the
initiative in this line. Should White not
play more aggressively to take over this
role?
ANSWER: Having played d3-d4 and
Re1, White has been fighting for the
initiative, but he must find a good
balance. Going too aggressive also
means weakening the position, and we
will soon see what that entails, just as
we did in the previous game.
16.Ne4?
[ Avrukh pinpoints this move as a
mistake in 'Chess Informant', and
says that 16.Nb5 bxc5 17.c3!
would keep the game level, which
looks like a fair assessment and is
certainly more consistent with White's
12th move. ]
16...Nb4 17.Qd2
[ Instead, 17.Ne5 bxc5 18.c3 dxc3?!
( but Black can improve on this with
18...Nd5 19.Qd2 Nde3 20.Bf3 Nc4
21.Nxc4 Bxc4 , when it seems to me
that Black is just better ) 19.bxc3
Qxd1 20.Rexd1 Bxe5 21.fxe5 Nd3
22.g4 Ne7 was B.Rogulj-O.Jovanic,
Zagreb 2008, and now 23.Bg3
would have left White with a clear
advantage. ]
17...bxc5 18.Nxc5? After this further
error, White's game is soon beyond
repair.
[ He should have played 18.Rad1
, and if Nd5 ( all the same, 18...Qc7!
should offer Black a little something )
, only then 19.Nxc5! Rxc5 20.Nxd4
Bxd4 21.Bxd4 Rc8 22.Qf2
(Avrukh) and White comes out okay;
e.g. Nxd4 23.Rxd4 Qb6 24.Bxd5
Rxc2! 25.Qe3 Qxb2 26.Bxf7+ Rxf7
27.Qe8+ Kg7 28.Qe5+ Kh6
with perpetual check. ]
18...Rxc5!
[ Much stronger than 18...Qb6? 19.c3
( 19.Nxa6 Nxc2 20.Qe2 Nxa1
21.Rxa1 is also good ) 19...Qxc5
20.cxb4 Qc2 21.b5 Bb7 , as in V.
Slovineanu-M.Marin, Rumanian
League 2000, when 22.Qxc2 Rxc2
23.Rac1 Rxb2 ( or 23...d3 24.Ne5 )
24.Rc7 looks very promising for
White. ]
19.Qxb4 Rxc2 Now the passed d-pawn
is very dangerous. 20.Ne5 d3 21.Be4
100
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bxe5
[ Or 21...Re8 22.Bxd3 Bxd3 23.Nxd3
Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Nd4 25.Re3 Qa8!
26.Qe7 Nf3+ and Black is winning,
but the game continuation is even
more straightforward. ]
22.fxe5 Re8 23.Rad1 Nothing else
was any better;
[ if 23.b3 Rxe5 24.Bxa7 , then Nd6!
wins. ]
23...Rxe5 24.Bxd3
[ Or 24.b3 Rxf2! 25.Kxf2 Nd4
with decisive threats of ...Nc2 and ...
Qf6+; e.g. 26.Rd2 Nc2 27.Rxc2
dxc2 28.Bxc2 Qf6+ 29.Qf4 Qb6+
30.Re3 Re6 and wins. ]
24...Rxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Bxd3 26.Qf1
EXERCISE: At a quick glance it looks as
if White has somehow escaped the
worst. How did Black end the game in
one move?
ANSWER: 26...Rc1!
0-1
B25
Castro Rojas,O
Escobar Forero,A
33: Columbian Ch, Cartagena de Indias
[Carsten Hansen]
10...Rb8
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6
[ The players took a long way round to
the game position below: 5...Rb8 6.f4
d6 7.Nf3 e6 8.0-0 Nge7 9.Be3 Nd4
10.Qd2 0-0 . ]
6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3
Nd4 This is Black's primary response,
occupying the outpost at once and
blockading the white d-pawn. 10.Qd2
Opting to complete development before
undertaking concrete action.
[ We will look at 10.Bf2 in the next
game; ]
[ while 10.e5 is examined in Games
35 and 36. ]
[ Another idea is 10.Rb1 , planning to
regain control of the d4-square after
Ne2 and c2-c3 without dropping the
b2-pawn, but this is too cautious to
pose Black any problems; for
example, d5!? (by no means
obligatory) ( 10...b6 11.Ne2 Nxf3+
12.Bxf3 Bb7 13.c3 Qd7 , as in H.
Bastian-An.Karpov, Hanover 1983, is
more than okay for Black; as are
10...Bd7; and 10...Rb8 ) 11.Ne2
Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 d4 13.Bf2 e5 14.a3
( or 14.fxe5 Nc6 15.Nf4 Nxe5 16.c3
Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 f5 and Black has the
better chances, A.Winkelmann-R.
Hِrstmann, German League 1998;
while after 14.b4 b6 15.bxc5 bxc5
16.f5 gxf5 17.exf5 Bxf5 18.g4 Be6
, K.Hِnnekes-L.Maugg, German
League 1998, and now 19.Bxa8
Qxa8 20.Ng3 Ng6 , Black has more
than enough compensation for the
exchange ) 14...Bh3 15.Re1 Qd7
16.fxe5 Nc6 17.Nf4 Nxe5 18.Nxh3
Qxh3 19.Bg2 Qd7 and Black's knight
is better than either of White's
bishops, T.Casper-I.Glek, German
League 1993. ]
[ Another idea is to reinforce the d4-
knight with 10...Nec6 11.Ne1
preparing Nd1 and c2-c3;
( if White starts with 11.Nd1
, Black can just play Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3
b6 13.c3 Ba6 14.Nf2 Rc8 15.Bg2
, Sang Cao-Vinh Bui, Vietnamese
League 2013, and now Qd7
with a perfectly good position )
11...Qa5 12.Nd1 ( not 12.Qc1?
Qxc3! ) 12...Qa6 13.Kh1 ( and not
13.c3? due to Nb3!; while after 13.Nf2
b5 14.c3?! Nb3 15.axb3 Qxa1
16.e5 Bb7 , White still does not have
101
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
enough for the exchange, A.D.Martin-
G.Serper, Hastings 1990/91 ) 13...f5
14.Qc1 e5 15.c3 (White has finally
arranged to drive the knight away, but
it clearly taken a lot of time)
A) here 15...exf4! 16.Bxf4 ( or
16.gxf4 Ne6 ) 16...Ne2 seems fine
for Black;
B) 15...Ne6 16.exf5 gxf5 17.fxe5
dxe5 18.Bh6 Ne7 19.Bxg7 Nxg7
20.Qe3 Qd6 21.Nf3 Ng6 22.Nf2
Bd7 23.Qh6 Rf6?? ( 23...Ne6
is still okay for Black ) 24.Ne4! fxe4
25.Ng5 Nf5 26.Qxh7+ Kf8
27.Nxe4 Qe7 28.Nxf6
1-0 A.Krapivin-S.Savitskiy, Moscow
2012. ]
[ Alternatively, Black can challenge
directly in the centre with 10...d5
, threatening ...Nxf3+ and ...d5-d4.
For example, 11.Ne1 ( after 11.Bf2
Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 d4 13.Ne2 e5 14.c3
Nc6 15.cxd4 cxd4 16.b4 a6 17.a4
Be6 18.b5 Na5 , Black has no
reason to complain, A.Rodriguez Vila-
R.Felgaer, Ayamonte 2004 ) 11...b6
( 11...Nxc2 12.Nxc2 d4 13.e5
is good for White ) 12.e5
(now threatening 13 Bxd4 cxd4 14
Nb5 etc) f6 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Nd1
Ndf5 , but now Black misplayed his
position: 15.c3 Rb8 ( 15...Bb7
, followed by ...Qd7 and ...Rae8, looks
a better set-up ) 16.Bf2 e5?! 17.fxe5
Bxe5 18.Nf3 Bg7 19.g4 Nd6 20.h3
h6 21.Bg3 g5 22.Ne3 Be6 23.Rae1
and White had the better chances, L.
Roos-D.Levacic, French
Championship, Puteaux 1980. ]
11.Rae1
[ White has a whole bevy of
possibilities at this point:
a) 11.a4?! does not really fit with
White's system; e.g. b6 12.Bxd4 ( or
12.Nb5 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 a6 14.Nc3
d5 and I prefer Black's position
already, Ga.Horvath-B.Martini,
Hungarian League 2006 ) 12...cxd4
13.Nb5 Nc6 14.c3 dxc3 15.bxc3 a6
16.Na3 b5 ( or 16...Qc7 17.Nc2 Na5
with a pleasant Hedgehog position )
17.Nc2 b4 18.d4 a5 19.g4
, S.Bücker-J.M.Hodgson, Krefeld
1983, and now e5! 20.fxe5 dxe5
21.d5 bxc3 22.Qxc3 Nd4
looks very good for Black. ]
[ b) 11.Nd1 b5 12.c3 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3
b4 14.d4 ( instead, 14.c4 is basically
saying that White is happy with a
draw, and after Nc6 15.Bg2 Nd4
16.Bf2 a5 17.Ne3 , Black was okay
with that too: ½-½ G.Guseinov-S.
Zhigalko, Nakhchivan 2013 ) 14...Ba6
( the position after 14...bxc3 15.bxc3
features in Game 14; see 12 c3 etc in
note 'd1' to Black's ninth move )
15.Rf2 bxc3 16.Nxc3? ( 16.bxc3
is still correct ) 16...cxd4 17.Bxd4
Rxb2! 18.Qxb2 Bxd4 19.Rd1 Bxf2+
20.Kxf2 Qa5 21.Kg2 Nc8
and Black has won a pawn, V.Podinic-
Vu.Djordjevic, Serbian League 2016. ]
[ c) 11.Nh4 b5 ( 11...f5 12.Nd1 b6
13.c3 Ndc6 is a solid alternative; e.g.
14.exf5 exf5 15.d4 cxd4 16.cxd4
Na5 17.b3 Bb7 18.Nc3 Bxg2
19.Qxg2 Qd7 20.Rac1 Rbc8
is quite level, Y.Stepak-M.Matulovic,
Tel Aviv Olympiad 1964 ) 12.Nd1 b4
13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 Ndc6 15.f5
exf5?! ( 15...f6! is correct here )
16.exf5 gxf5 17.Bh6 Ne5 18.Bxg7
Kxg7 19.Ne3 and Black is in some
trouble, V.Chekhov-E.Ovod,
Serpukhov 2003. ]
[ d) 11.Rab1 b6 ( naturally 11...b5
is possible too ) 12.Bf2 Bb7 13.Nxd4
cxd4 14.Ne2 e5 15.g4 exf4
( Black should prefer 15...Qd7 16.g5
Rbc8 17.Bg3 Rc5 with the initiative )
102
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
16.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 17.Nxd4 g5 18.h4
Ng6 19.Nf5 Bc8 20.hxg5 Qxg5
was P.Lyrberg-V.Loginov, Kecskemet
1992, and now 21.d4 Rd8 22.Rbe1
looks more promising for White. ]
[ e) 11.Bf2 Nxf3+ ( or 11...Nec6
12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Nd1 b6 14.c3
Nc6 15.Ne3 Ba6 16.g4 b5 17.a3
Na5 18.Qc2 Bb7 19.b4 Nc6
20.Rab1 Ba8 and although White has
more space, Black's position is very
resilient, D.Roos-R.Edouard, French
League 2011 ) 12.Bxf3 Nc6 13.Bg2
b6 ( or 13...Qa5 14.a3 Bd7 15.g4
Nd4 16.f5 exf5 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.Bg3
, P.Lyrberg-A.Kharlov, Gausdal 1992,
and now Qb6 19.Rab1 Be6
is fairly level ) 14.Rae1 Bb7 15.Ne2
Qd7 16.g4 f5 17.gxf5 exf5 18.Ng3
Ne7 19.c4 b5 20.d4 cxd4 21.Bxd4
Bxd4+ 22.Qxd4 bxc4 23.Qxc4+ Rf7
and the chances are about even, T.
Thorhallsson-Y.Kuzubov, Icelandic
League 2008. ]
[ f) 11.Qf2 Nec6 ( or 11...Nxf3+
12.Bxf3 b5 13.a3 a5 14.d4 cxd4
15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.Qxd4 b4 17.axb4
axb4 18.Na4 Nc6 19.Qc4 Na5
20.Qd3 Qc7 with chances for both
sides, S.Zablotsky-A.Stukopin,
Vladimir 2008 ) 12.Rae1 b5 ( 12...b6
is safer ) 13.e5! dxe5 14.Nxe5
Nxe5?! ( here 14...Nb4!? 15.Rc1 f6
16.Nf3 f5 looks better ) 15.fxe5 Bxe5
16.Ne4 Bg7?? ( 16...Nf5 17.Bxc5
Bd4 keeps Black in the game ) 17.c3
e5? 18.cxd4 and Black soon
resigned, M.Ashley-L.Remlinger, New
York 1995. ]
11...b5 QUESTION: Are there any
guidelines for when Black should prefer
...b7-b5 over ...b7-b6 or vice versa?
ANSWER: Not really; in most situations
both moves are available, as we have
seen in the notes above. However, in
my opinion Black should only play ...b7-
b6 if there are specific reasons for
holding the pawn back; in particular, if it
seems more important to reinforce its
colleague on c5. Otherwise, pushing it
pawn all the way forward to b5, initiating
queenside counterplay, is the more
logical approach.
[ Here 11...b6 seems unnecessarily
prudent; e.g. 12.Nh4 ( White does
not achieve anything with 12.Bxd4
cxd4 13.Nb5 Nc6 14.e5 dxe5
15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.fxe5 Bb7
, since the outpost on d6 is not
secure ) 12...Bb7 13.Nd1 f5
( 13...d5!? is a possibility ) 14.c3 Nb5
15.exf5 exf5 16.Nf3 Re8 17.c4 Nc7
18.d4 Nc6 ( 18...Be4!? might be
considered ) 19.d5 Ne7 20.a4 Qd7
21.b3 and while Black's position is not
as bad as it looks (he can reorganize
with ...Kh8 and ...Ng8-f6), White's
space advantage certainly offers him
the better chances, K.Sasikiran-T.
Rahman, Sri Lanka 2001. ]
12.e5!?
[ This attempt to force the pace should
not give White any advantage, but
playing more slowly with 12.Nd1 b4
13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3
does not offer anything either; e.g.
Qa5 16.g4 f5 17.gxf5 ( or 17.Re2
fxg4 18.Bxg4 d5 ) 17...exf5 18.e5
dxe5 19.Qf2 , O.Krylova-Z.Lanka,
Algarve 1997, and now Rd8 20.fxe5
( or 20.Bxc5 Nd5 ) 20...Rxd3 21.Be2
Ba6 22.Bxc5 Nc6 looks good for
Black. ]
12...Nef5
[ A simple solution is 12...dxe5
13.Nxe5 ( or 13.fxe5 Bb7 ) 13...f6
14.Nf3 Nef5 15.Bf2 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3
Nd4 17.Bg2 Bb7 and Black has
obviously solved his opening
problems, M.Meinhardt-A.Naumann,
103
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bad Wiessee 2005. ]
13.Bf2 Nxf3+
[ Black does not have to exchange
knights at once:
a) 13...Qc7 14.Ng5 Bb7 15.Nce4
h6 16.Nh3 dxe5 17.c3 exf4 18.cxd4
fxg3 19.hxg3 , S.Bücker-U.Bِnsch,
German Championship, Bad
Neuenahr 1991, and now Bxe4
20.Rxe4 ( or 20.dxe4 Bxd4 )
20...Nxg3 should give Black sufficient
compensation with three pawns for
the piece. ]
[ b) 13...Bb7 14.Ne4 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3
Qc7 16.exd6?! ( 16.g4 Nd4 17.Bxd4
Bxe4 18.dxe4 cxd4 19.exd6 Qxd6
20.e5 is roughly equal ) 16...Nxd6
17.c3 Rfd8 18.Qe3 Bxe4 19.Bxe4
Rbc8 20.a3 a5 21.Bg2 b4 22.axb4
axb4 23.cxb4 cxb4 and Black has a
positional advantage thanks to his
superior pawn structure and better
coordinated pieces, S.Bücker-P.
Schlosser, German League 1991. ]
14.Bxf3 Nd4 15.Bg2 Although this
position is probably about equal,
statistics very much favour White, which
indicates that Black needs to exercise
some care.
15...dxe5
[ Not 15...b4?! 16.Ne4 dxe5 17.c3
bxc3 18.bxc3 Nb5 19.Bxc5 Re8?
20.fxe5 Bxe5 21.d4 Bg7 22.Rxf7
Kxf7 23.Qf4+ and White is winning.
O.Castro Rojas-A.Tzoumbas, Manila
Olympiad 1992. ]
[ Or 15...Bb7 16.Bxb7 Rxb7 17.Bxd4
cxd4 18.Ne4 d5?! 19.Nc5 Rc7
20.Nb3 Qb8 21.Nxd4 and while
Black has some compensation for the
pawn, it is clear that White is the one
with the chances, M.Tosic-D.Lekic,
Serbian League 2005. ]
16.fxe5 Qc7
[ Here 16...Bb7 17.Ne4 b4
is a possible improvement; e.g. 18.c3
bxc3 19.bxc3 Bxe4 20.Rxe4
, O.Castro Rojas-Liang Jinrong,
Manila Olympiad 1992, and now
Liang presumably played Qa5
, which promises Black decent
counterplay ( rather than 20...Qg5??
as given in the database. )]
17.Ne4 Bxe5 18.c3 Nf5 19.Bxc5
[ White can also capture with the
knight: 19.Nxc5!?
A) not 19...a5?? 20.Rxe5! Qxe5
21.g4 Ne7 ( or 21...Ng7 22.Ne4
Ne8 23.Bg3 ) 22.Bd4 Qc7 23.Bf6!
Qxc5+ 24.d4 and wins;
B) 19...h5!? 20.b4 Bd6 21.Ne4
Be7 22.Bc5 Bb7 23.d4
, when I think White's position
leaves the better impression, even
if the computer does assess this as
close to equal. ]
19...Rd8 20.d4 b4
[ Another game saw 20...Bb7 21.Qf2
Bxe4 22.Rxe4 Bg7?! ( 22...Bd6
is preferable ) 23.g4 Nd6 24.Re2
with a comfortable plus for White, V.
Zhelnin-V.Kedrov, Kaluga 2013. ]
21.Qg5?! Too direct;
[ instead, 21.Qf2 Bg7 22.g4 Ba6 ( or
22...Nh6 23.Qh4 ) 23.gxf5 Bxf1
24.Bxf1 exf5 25.Ng5 leaves White
with the somewhat better chances. ]
21...h6 22.Qc1 Bg7 23.g4 bxc3
24.bxc3 Nh4 25.Bh1
[ Here White should have limited
himself to 25.Nf6+ Bxf6 26.Rxf6
Nxg2 27.Kxg2 , when the game
should lead to a draw; e.g. Rb5 ( or
27...Bb7+ 28.Kh3 h5 29.gxh5 Rd5
30.Kg4 Qxh2 etc ) 28.Qxh6 Rb2+
29.Kg1 Bb7 30.Rexe6! Rg2+ 31.Kf1
Rxg4 32.Re7 Qb8 33.Rexf7 Bg2+
( or 33...Ba6+ ) 34.Ke1 Qb1+
with perpetual check. ]
25...f5 26.Ng5!? An optimistic sacrifice,
104
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
which is not 100% correct, but White
probably felt he was losing control of
the game and wanted to change its
direction.
[ For example, after 26.gxf5 gxf5
27.Ng3 Rb5 28.Qe3 Ng6 29.Bf3
Kh7 ( better than the wonderfully
messy 29...Nf4 30.Nh5 Nxh5
31.Bxh5 Rd5 32.c4 Rdxc5 33.cxb5
f4 34.Qh3 Bxd4+ 35.Kh1 e5
36.Qb3+ Rc4 37.Re2 Be6
, which is equal according to my
computer; I'm sure it has found a
move repetition somewhere ) 30.Bh5
Ne5! 31.Rd1 Bb7 , Black is the one
with all the chances. ]
26...e5! Analysis seems to indicate that
White is okay if the piece is taken.
[ One line runs 26...hxg5 27.Qxg5
Rb5 28.Qxh4 Rxc5! (making the
white king more vulnerable) 29.dxc5
Bxc3 30.Bg2! (giving the king a
hiding place) Bxe1 31.Rxe1 Qxc5+
32.Kh1 Qd4 33.Qg5 Kf7 34.gxf5
gxf5 35.Qh5+ (now the black king
has nowhere to hide) Kf6 ( or 35...Kf8
36.Bf3 Qf6 37.Rg1 , threatening
Rg6 ) 36.Qh6+ Ke7 37.Qh7+ Kd6
38.Bf3 Rh8 39.Qf7 Rxh2+ 40.Kxh2
Qf2+ 41.Bg2 Qh4+ 42.Bh3 Qxe1
43.Qf8+ and White will give perpetual
check. Such a long and convoluted
variation is very much open to
improvement, but it does at least
illustrate White's possibilities after
26...hxg5. ]
27.gxf5 exd4?? This is a hideous
blunder which could have lost the game
in a few moves.
[ He should have played 27...Nxf5
28.Ne4 Rb5 29.Bg2 exd4 30.cxd4
Nxd4 and Black is simply a pawn up
without a shade of compensation for
White; e.g. 31.Nf6+ ( or 31.a4 Ra5 )
31...Bxf6 32.Rxf6 Rxc5 33.Rxg6+
Kh8 34.Rxh6+ ( or 34.Qxh6+ Qh7 )
34...Kg7 35.Qe3 Qe5! and Black
emerges with an extra piece. ]
EXERCISE (combination alert): What is
White's best move?
28.cxd4 The text move does win but
White has something much better.
[ ANSWER: 28.Bd5+!! Kh8
( 28...Rxd5 leads to a pretty pawn
mate: 29.Re8+ Bf8 30.Rxf8+ Kg7
31.f6# ) 29.f6 Qxc5 30.fxg7+ Kxg7 .
EXERCISE (combination alert): And
what is White's best move now?
A) ANSWER: 31.Qa3!! Qxa3
32.Rf7+ Kg8 33.Rd7+ Kf8 ( or
33...Kh8 34.Rh7# ) 34.Nh7# .;
B) A decoy sacrifice to rule out
31.Rf7+ Kg8 32.Rd7+ ( or indeed
32.c4 ) 32...Qxd5! , even though
White would win anyway after
33.Rxd5 Rxd5 34.Re8+ Kg7
35.Ne4 . ]
28...Bxf5?
[ Recapturing with the knight was
relatively best: 28...Nxf5 29.Qc4+
Kh8 30.Qf7 Qd7 31.Qxd7 Bxd7
( not 31...Rxd7? 32.Re8+ ) 32.Nf7+
Kg8 33.Nxd8 Rxd8 , when White is
up an exchange and should be
winning without too much trouble, but
at least there is still some work to
do. ]
29.Qc4+ Kh8 30.Nf7+ Kh7 31.Nxd8
Rxd8 32.Re7 Rxd4? A final error that
loses on the spot, but Black was losing
anyway;
[ e.g. 32...Rd7 33.Re8 h5 34.Qg8+
Kh6 35.Qb3 Kh7 36.Qg3
(beautiful geometry with the queen)
Bf6 ( or 36...Qxg3+ 37.hxg3 ) 37.Rf8
and White wins material. ]
33.Rxg7+
1-0
105
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25
Tischbierek,R
Kritz,L
34: Biel 2004
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6
[ Black actually played 5...e6
first, but then after 6.f4 Nge7 7.Nf3
, he restrained himself to d6 ;
( rather than 7...d5 (which we will
look at in Chapter Eleven). )]
6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3
Nd4 10.Bf2 A prophylactic retreat,
which gives White the option of
exchanging on d4 now that ...c5xd4
won't fork two pieces, as well as playing
e4-e5 without a subsequent ...Nf5
disturbing the bishop.
[ As we will see, this can lead to the
same positions as after 10.e5
, but there are some other
possibilities along the way. ]
10...Nec6
[ Supporting the d4-knight is the most
popular option, but not the only one:
a) 10...Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 Nc6 12.e5
( 12.Bg2 b6 13.Qd2 Bb7 14.Rae1
Qd7 is fine for Black, M.Todorcevic-M.
Matulovic, Cuprija 1986 ) 12...dxe5
( but if Black doesn't want to sacrifice
then 12...Nd4 13.Bg2 is another
route to our main line ) 13.Bxc5 exf4!
14.Bxf8 ( or 14.Bxc6 Bd4+ ) 14...Kxf8
offers perfectly good compensation
for the exchange, D.Larino Nieto-R.
Felgaer, Ourense 2007. ]
[ Otherwise, Black will have to
recapture on d4 with the c-pawn,
which leads to a different type of
position. For example:
b) 10...Rb8 11.Nxd4 ( 11.Qd2
was seen in the notes to Game 33 )
11...cxd4 12.Ne2
A) 12...Nc6 13.c3 dxc3 14.bxc3
Bd7 15.Qd2 ( or 15.Qb3 b5 16.a3
a5 17.Rab1 b4 18.cxb4 axb4
19.axb4 Rxb4 20.Qa3 Qb8
21.Rxb4 Qxb4 22.Qxb4 Nxb4
, which is almost completely equal,
although Black's position maybe a
little easier to play, D.Roos-B.Ivkov,
Torremolinos 1983 ) 15...b5
16.Rac1 Qe7 17.Be3 f5 18.Nd4
Rfc8 19.Rfe1 Qf7 20.Qf2 a5
, D.Larino Nieto-E.Rodriguez
Guerrero, Salobrena 2009, and
now 21.exf5 gxf5 22.c4!?
would leave White with the
initiative.;
B) Instead, 12...e5 13.c3 dxc3
14.Nxc3 Nc6 ( but 14...b6 15.d4
exf4 16.gxf4 Bb7 is reasonable for
Black, S.Johannessen-J.Rotstein,
Dresden 2006 ) 15.f5 gxf5 16.exf5
Bxf5 17.Bxa7 Ra8 18.Rxf5 Rxa7
19.Be4 Ne7 20.Qf3 gives White a
strong attack, M.Todorcevic-F.Van
Seters, Brussels 1971. ]
[ c) 10...Bd7 11.Nxd4 ( here 11.e5
is met by Bc6! ) 11...cxd4 ( even
11...Bxd4 is possible; e.g. 12.Bxd4
cxd4 13.Ne2 Qb6 14.Qd2 d5
and Black already has no cause for
complaint, B.Spassky-P.Cramling,
Prague 1985 ) 12.Ne2 Nc6 13.c3
dxc3 14.bxc3 ( 14.Nxc3 allows Nd4
again ) 14...f5 ( for 14...Rb8
see 10...Rb8 above ) 15.Rb1 b6
16.exf5 gxf5 17.d4 d5 , and now
White should play 18.c4 ( after
18.Nc1 Na5 19.g4?! Rc8 20.gxf5
Rxf5 , Black has the upper hand since
White has some structural issues to
deal with, D.Roos-J.Benjamin, New
York 1984 ) 18...Ne7 ( or 18...dxc4
19.d5 ) 19.cxd5 Nxd5 20.Bxd5 exd5
21.Nc1 (Benjamin) with chances for
both sides. ]
106
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
11.Nxd4
[ Alternatively, 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5
Nxe5 13.fxe5 transposes below. ]
[ 11.Rb1 , with the idea of 12 Ne2,
doesn't cause Black any problems;
for example, Rb8 ( or 11...b6 12.Ne2
Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Bb7 14.c3 d5
15.exd5 Ne7 16.c4 exd5 17.d4 Rb8
18.dxc5 dxc4 19.Bxb7 Rxb7
20.cxb6 axb6 is about equal, V.
Saravanan-R.Sherbakov, Kolkata
1996 ) 12.Ne2 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Nd4
14.Bg2 Qa5 15.Nc1 Qa4 16.c3
Qxd1 17.Rxd1 Nc6 18.Ne2 e5
19.Rd2 Bg4 20.h3 Be6 is also more
or less equal, and with the queens
off things are decidedly less exciting,
V.Saravanan-S.Roy Chowdhury,
Indian Championship, Mumbai 2003. ]
11...Nxd4 Capturing with the pawn is a
little inconsistent but remains perfectly
playable.
[ Indeed, 11...cxd4 12.Ne2
A) 12...Rb8;
B) or 12...Bd7 transposes to the
notes with 10...Rb8 and 10...Bd7
above;
C) as does 12...f5 13.c3 dxc3
14.bxc3 Bd7 . ( 14...-- );
D) Black has also tried 12...e5
13.Qd2 ( or if 13.c3 dxc3 14.bxc3
exf4 15.gxf4 , as in B.Roselli
Mailhe-O.Panno, Vicente Lopez
2002, then Bg4!? is quite
interesting ) 13...Be6 14.c3 dxc3
15.bxc3 Qa5 16.Rab1 Bg4
17.Rb3 Nd4 18.Nxd4 exd4
19.Qc2?! ( 19.f5! gxf5 20.h3 fxe4
21.hxg4 e3 22.Bxe3 dxe3
23.Qxe3 Rae8 24.Qd2 b6
is fairly equal ) 19...Rac8 20.c4 b5
21.f5 was J.Radulski-M.Savic,
Bijeljina Dvorovi 2000, and now
bxc4 22.dxc4 d5! leaves Black
with a clear advantage. ]
12.e5 Reaching the same position as
after 10 e5 Nef5 11 Bf2 Nxf3+ 12 Qxf3
Nd4 13 Qd1, but with a move less for
each side.
[ Again, 12.Rb1 shouldn't trouble
Black, though it is always possible to
outplay one's opponent; e.g. Bd7
( after 12...b6 13.Ne2 Bb7 14.c4 f5
15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.exf5 Bxg2
17.Kxg2 Rxf5 18.Qf3 e5 19.g4!?
Rxf4 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.Bg3
, White's wonderfully centralized
queen gives him compensation for the
pawn but no more than that, P.
Simacek-M.Kolosowski, Polanica
Zdroj 2011 ) 13.Ne2 Ba4 14.b3 Bc6
15.c4 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Qd7?!
( 16...Qc7 keeps the game level )
17.Rbd1 Qe7 18.Qd2! f5?!
( and here 18...b6 is preferable )
19.Rfe1 e5 20.exf5 Bxg2 21.Kxg2
Rxf5 22.d4! cxd4 23.Qxd4
left White with a nice plus in the top
flight game, Mi.Adams-J.Lautier,
Tilburg 1996. ]
12...dxe5
[ Closing the centre with 12...d5?!
fails to secure Black's position:
13.Na4! b6 14.b4 Bd7 ( or 14...f6
15.bxc5 fxe5 16.fxe5 Bxe5 17.c3
with advantage to White, M.Chan-N.
Mariano, Yangon 1998 ) 15.bxc5
( Donev's suggestion of 15.c4! Bxa4
16.Qxa4 dxc4 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.dxc4
may be even stronger ) 15...Bxa4
16.Bxd4
A) after 16...Rc8 17.cxb6 Bxc2
( or 17...Rxc2 18.Rf2! ) 18.Qd2
axb6 19.Rfc1 , White obviously
has all the chances;
B) 16...Qc7 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rf2
Rfc8 19.Rc1 Bf8 , and now
20.g4!? Ba3 21.f5! Bxc1 22.Qxc1
Bxc2 23.Qh6 f6?? ( Black had to
find 23...Qe7 24.Bxd5! Ra4!
107
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
25.Bxe6! Rxd4 26.fxg6 fxe6
27.Rf7 Rxg4+ 28.Kh1 Rg1+!
29.Kxg1 Qc5+ and draws ) 24.fxe6
Bxd3 25.Bxd5 and White won in I.
Starostits-C.Michel Yunis, Dos
Hermanas (blitz) 2004. ]
[ Nor is 12...f5?! very attractive, since
it surrenders the initiative: 13.exf6
Qxf6 14.Ne4 Qe7 15.c3 Nc6
16.Qd2 e5 17.Rae1 Bf5 18.fxe5
Nxe5 19.d4! and White has the upper
hand as his pieces are just that much
better placed than their black
counterparts, Y.Balashov-J.Arnason,
Reykjavik 1989. ]
13.fxe5 Bxe5
[ Declining the pawn with 13...Rb8
leaves White with a free hand: 14.Ne4
b6 15.c3 ( not yet 15.Nf6+ Bxf6
16.exf6 Bb7 and Black defends )
15...Nf5 16.g4 ( and here 16.Nf6+?!
Bxf6 17.exf6 h5! 18.h3 Qxf6 19.g4?
hxg4 20.hxg4 Qg5 21.gxf5? Bb7
even wins for Black ) 16...Nh4
( 16...Ne7?! 17.Nf6+ Kh8 transposes
to B.Rogulj-D.Paunovic, Belgrade
1987, where 18.Qf3 Bb7 19.Qh3
Bxf6 20.exf6 Ng8 21.Bg3 Bxg2
22.Qxg2 Rc8 23.Qe4 Qd7 24.Be5
gave White a big advantage ) 17.Bh1
Bb7 ( or 17...Ba6 18.Bg3; and not
17...Bxe5?! 18.Qe1 ) 18.Bg3 g5
19.d4 leaves White with the better
chances. ]
14.Ne4 QUESTION: How should one
evaluate this type of position? If White
picks up the c5-pawn, he will have c-
and d-pawns vs. e- and f-pawns for
Black.
ANSWER: By themselves the difference
would be a significant one, but the real
issue is what to do with the pieces
around the pawns. Right now, White's
pieces are well placed, pointing in the
direction of the black queenside, but the
position is a dynamic one and a nice
appearance can soon disappear if White
is unable to turn it into something more
tangible.
14...Rb8?
[ This standard-looking move is
actually a serious error, and all the
more so because Black can play ...b7-
b6 in any case without worrying
about tactics on the long diagonal.
For example, 14...Nc6 15.c3 ( or
15.Bxc5 Bd4+ 16.Bxd4 Qxd4+
17.Rf2 f5 18.c3 Qd8 19.Nc5 Qe7
20.b4 a5 21.a3 axb4 22.axb4 Rxa1
23.Qxa1 e5 with chances for both
sides, A.Villavicencio Martinez-J.C.
Diaz, Las Palmas 1989 ) 15...b6
16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Bxc6 Rb8 18.Bxc5
Qc7 ( 18...Rxb2 19.Bxf8 Qb6+
20.d4 Qxc6 21.Qf3 Qd7 22.dxe5
Bb7 looks fine too ) 19.Qf3 Bd7
20.Bxd7 Qxc5+ 21.Qf2 Qd5 22.Ba4
Qxd3 with a roughly even position, J.
Ciruk-Z.Jasnikowski, Polish League
1999. ]
[ Or 14...Nf5 15.c3 b6 16.Nf6+ Bxf6
17.Bxa8 Bg7 18.Qc2 h5 19.Rad1
e5 20.Bg2 Be6 21.a3 Qe7 22.b4
cxb4 23.axb4 Rc8 with decent play
for the exchange, R.Amarasinghe-
Thien Hai Dao, Asian Team
Championship, Singapore 1995. ]
[ Nevertheless, Black mostly prefers
14...f5 , which is examined in the next
main game. ]
15.c3 Nb5 Now the drawback to ...Rb8
is clearly seen, as Black has to worry
about the undefended a7-pawn.
[ After 15...Nf5 16.Bxc5 Re8
17.Bxa7 Ra8 18.Bf2 , White is just a
clear pawn up, R.Camarena Gimenez-
D.Kanovsky, Olomouc 2005; ]
[ while 15...Nc6 16.Bxc5 Re8 17.d4
f5 ( or 17...Bg7 18.Nd6 ) 18.dxe5
fxe4 19.Qxd8 Rxd8 20.Bd6 Ra8
108
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
21.Bxe4 is even worse, as White is
virtually winning already, B.Rogulj-F.
Cirkvencic, Bled 1992. ]
16.Bxc5 Re8 17.d4 Bg7 18.a4 b6
19.axb5 bxc5 20.dxc5 White has more
than one valid continuation here.
[ 20.Rxa7 Re7 21.Rxe7 Qxe7
22.dxc5 Rxb5 23.b4 is good too; ]
[ or else 20.Nxc5 Re7 21.Bc6 f5
22.Qe2 , as seen in T.Dovramadjiev-
A.Babev, Bulgarian League 1995. ]
20...Qe7
[ Or if 20...Rxb5 then 21.b4 Rb7
22.Nd6 looks simplest. ]
21.Qa4 I'm not sure why Black isn't
resigning, since the a-pawn is now
certain to drop as well. 21...Be5
22.Qxa7 Rb7 23.Nf6+ Bxf6 24.Bxb7
Bxb7 25.c6 Ra8 26.cxb7 . Perhaps
Black wished merely to escape being on
the losing end of a miniature; having
done so, he finally resigned.
1-0
B25
Rodriguez Vila,A
Matsuura,E
35: Sao Paulo 2004
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Only a slight detour for this game:
White played d2-d3 before Bg2. 4...Bg7
5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0
0-0 9.Be3 Nd4 10.e5 With this
aggressive move, White seeks to open
lines in the centre and undermine
Black's presence there, even if it means
giving up both the e- and f-pawns in the
process.
10...Nef5 The main response, gaining a
tempo on the bishop. We will look at
Black's numerous, though less played,
alternatives in the final game of this
chapter.
11.Bf2 Nxf3+ Black is not obliged to
exchange at once.
[ Another option is 11...Bd7 12.Ne4
and then:
A) 12...Bc6
A1) 13.exd6 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 b6
is fine for Black; ( who might
even consider 14...Bxb2!? );
A2) 13.c3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 dxe5
15.fxe5 Bxe4? ( Black should
have played 15...Qc7 16.Nxc5
Bxe5 17.Bxc6 Qxc6 18.Ne4
, when the chances are fairly
even ) 16.dxe4! Ne7 17.Bxc5
Nc6 18.Bxf8 Qb6+ 19.Kh1
Bxf8 20.Qb3 and White is
clearly better, N.Short-G.Rechlis,
European Championship, Ohrid
2001.;
B) 12...Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Bc6 ( after
13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Nxc5
Bc6 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.c3 a5
18.Qf3 Ne7 19.Rae1 Bg7 20.g4
Qd5 21.Ne4 Qxa2 22.Nf6+
, White has built up a strong
initiative, I.Starostits-D.Stets,
Schw‫ن‬bisch Gmünd 2012 ) 14.g4!?
( 14.c3 is line 'a' ) 14...Bxe4 ( or
14...Nd4 15.Bg2 dxe5 16.fxe5
Bxe5 17.c3 Nb5 18.Nxc5 Bxg2
19.Kxg2 b6 with a level position, I.
Starostits-N.Jactel, Le Touquet
2007 ) 15.dxe4 Nd4 16.Bxd4
( White should consider 16.c3
Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Qe7 18.exd6
Qxd6 19.Rad1 Qc6 20.Bh4 f6
21.Qe2 but is at best only
marginally better ) 16...cxd4
17.Qxd4 Qc8 18.Qxd6 Rd8
19.Qb4 Qxc2 20.Rac1 Qd3
21.Qc3 Qa6 22.a3 and it looks
like White should have the better
chances with the extra pawn, V.
Samolins-B.Grachev, Jurmala
109
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
(rapid) 2012, but after g5! 23.f5
Qb5 24.f6 Bf8 , the pawn is
meaningless and Black is fine. ]
12.Qxf3
[ The game actually saw 12.Bxf3
A) 12...Nd4 13.Bg2 , transposing
below; ( 13.-- );
B) but this move order allows Black
a more straightforward solution in
12...dxe5! 13.fxe5 ( grabbing the
exchange with 13.Bxc5? exf4!
14.Bxf8? Kxf8 leaves White in all
sorts of trouble ) 13...Bxe5 14.Bxc5
Bd4+ 15.Bxd4 Nxd4 16.Bg2 Qb6
17.Rf2 ( or 17.Na4 Qc7 ) 17...Bd7
18.Ne4 f5 , and now after
19.Ng5?! f4! 20.gxf4 Rxf4
21.Rxf4 Ne2+ 22.Kh1 Nxf4
, Black was clearly better, M.
Aveholt-N.Engsner, Vaxjo 1992. ]
12...Nd4
[ Here 12...dxe5 13.Bxc5 exf4 ( or
13...Re8 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Rae1 )
14.Bxf8 Kxf8 15.Qxf4 is rather less
appealing for Black. ]
[ But there is another playable option
in 12...Bd7!? 13.Qxb7 Rb8 14.Qxa7
Rxb2 ; for example, 15.Rac1 ( or
15.Ne4 Rxc2 ) 15...dxe5 16.Qa3 ( if
16.Bxc5 exf4; or 16.fxe5 Bxe5
17.Ne4 Nd4 ) 16...Rb8 17.Bxc5 ( or
17.fxe5 Bxe5 18.Bxc5 Rc8 )
17...exf4 18.Rxf4 Qc7 19.Rc4 Rfc8
20.Bf2 Qd8 21.Rb1 , D.Novitskij-J.
Zezulkin, USSR 1991, and now Rxc4
22.Rxb8 ( or 22.dxc4 Rxb1+
23.Nxb1 Bd4 ) 22...Rc8 23.Rxc8
Qxc8 24.Ne4 Qxc2 25.Qa8+ Bc8
gives Black sufficient counterplay. ]
13.Qd1 We have now reached the same
position as in the previous game, with
each side taking an extra move to get
here.
13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Ne4 f5
Forcing White to take the c-pawn with
the knight. The alternatives were
discussed in our previous main game.
16.Nxc5 Qc7 The most popular move,
hitting the white knight while defending
the bishop and c7-pawn, but whether it
is actually best is open to question.
[ Black has a couple of significant
alternatives that need to be
discussed:
a) 16...Qd6 17.b4 ( if 17.Nb3 Nxb3
18.axb3 Bxb2 19.Ra5 Bc3 20.Ra4
b5 21.Rxa7 Rxa7 22.Bxa7
, as in A.Miles-M.Marin, Manila
Interzonal 1990, then Rf7 23.Be3 e5
leaves Black with the better position )
17...Nc6 ( after 17...Rb8 18.c3 Nb5
19.d4 Bf6 20.Qb3 b6 21.Nd3
, White has a pleasant edge, B.
Spassky-E.Gufeld, Wellington 1988 )
18.Rb1 Bd4
A) 19.Qd2
A1) after 19...Bxf2+ 20.Rxf2
Rb8 21.Qf4 e5 ( or 21...Qxf4
22.Rxf4 g5 23.Rf2 Nd8 24.Re1
b6 25.Nb3 Bb7 26.Nd4
, White's chances are definitely
preferable, I.Starostits-P.
Dukaczewski, Palma de Mallorca
2015 ) 22.Qc4+ Kg7 23.Re1
, B.Rogulj-S.Rezan, Croatian
League 1999;
A2) 19...a5! 20.c3 Bxf2+
21.Qxf2 ( here 21.Rxf2 axb4
22.cxb4 Nd4 is fine for Black, S.
Himanshu-S.Narayanan,
Mumbai 2009 ) 21...axb4
22.cxb4 Ra3 23.Qb2 Qd4+
24.Rf2 Qxb2 25.Rbxb2
was played in I.Starostits-Zhai
Mo, Albena 2015, and now Black
could have activated all his
pieces with Nd4 26.Bxb7 Bxb7
27.Nxb7 Rb8 28.Nc5 Kf7
, when he has adequate
counterplay for the pawn.;
110
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B) 19.Qe1 should also be met by
19...a5 ; ( rather than 19...Rb8
20.Bxd4 Nxd4 21.c3 b6 22.cxd4
Qxd4+ 23.Qf2 Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2
bxc5 25.bxc5 and White has the
better chances in the endgame on
account of the passed c-pawn, A.
Muzychuk-A.L'Ami, European
Women's Championship, Rijeka
2010. )]
[ b) 16...f4!? is the sharpest option:
A) 17.c3 f3 18.cxd4 ( or 18.Bh3
Ne2+ 19.Kh1 Qg5 , B.Rogulj-F.
Ljubicic, Croatian League, when
the forcing line 20.Qb3 Qh6
21.Nxe6 Bxg3 22.Be3 Qxh3
23.Nf4+ Be6 24.Nxh3 Bxb3
25.axb3 Rad8 26.hxg3 Nxg3+
27.Kg1 Nxf1 28.Kxf1 Rxd3
leaves a fascinating endgame that I
have a hard time evaluating
accurately ) 18...fxg2 19.Kxg2
Bxd4 20.Bxd4 Rxf1 21.Qxf1 Qxd4
22.Qf2 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 b6 24.Ne4
Ba6 and this endgame seems quite
equal, J.R.Koch-J.Lautier, French
Championship, Besancon 1999.;
B) 17.gxf4 Bxf4 18.c3 Nf5
19.Qb3!? ( 19.Qe2 Qd6 20.h3
Bh2+ 21.Kh1 Bg3 22.Ne4 Bxf2
23.Rxf2 Qe7 is approximately
equal, I.Starostits-A.Zozulia,
Condom 2004 ) 19...Qd6?!
( 19...Qc7 is better ) 20.Rae1
Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 , and now Black
collapsed quickly: Ng3+? 22.Bxg3
Bxg3 23.Ne4 Qxd3? 24.Rxf8+
Kxf8 25.Qb4+ 1-0 I.Starostits-Jo.
Ivanov, Mondariz 2007. ]
17.b4 Qg7 The idea of switching the
battery to the long diagonal is not the
best.
[ Black has a large number of
alternatives here:
a) 17...a5 18.c3 Nb5 19.d4 Bg7
20.Qd3 Nd6 21.b5 Bd7 22.b6 Qc8
23.Rfe1 and it should be clear that
White is in charge, P.Shvydkin-G.
Nagibin, Moscow 2010. ]
[ b) 17...Rb8 18.c3 Nb5 ( 18...Nc6
19.d4 is even worse ) 19.d4 Bg7
20.Qb3 Qf7? ( 20...b6 limits White's
advantage after 21.Nxe6 Bxe6
22.Qxe6+ Kh8 23.Rac1 Nxc3
24.Rfe1 ) 21.d5! Nxc3 22.dxe6 Qe7
, M.Muzychuk-A.Savina, European
Junior Championships, Herceg Novi
2004, and now 23.Rfe1 is very good
for White. ]
[ c) 17...Nb5 18.d4 Rd8 19.c3! Nxc3
20.Qf3 Rxd4 21.Rac1 Ne4 22.Nxe4
fxe4 23.Qe2 Qd6 24.Bxd4 Bxd4+
25.Kh1 and Black has insufficient
compensation for the exchange, N.
Zhukova-M.Lomineishvili, European
Women's Championship, Dresden
2004. ]
[ d) 17...Nc6 18.d4 Bf6 ( or 18...Rd8
19.c3 , followed by 20 Qb3, and White
is much better ) 19.c3 Rb8 20.Qb3
Nd8 21.Be3 Kg7 22.Bf4 e5 23.dxe5
Bxe5 24.Bxe5+ Qxe5 25.Rfe1 Qc7
, B.Abramovic-A.Rodriguez Cespedes,
New York Open 1988, and now
simply 26.Rad1! b6 27.Nd3
gives White a very promising
position according to Abramovic. ]
[ e) 17...Bg7 18.c3 Nb5 19.Rc1
( 19.Qb3 Nxc3 20.Rae1 Kh8
21.Nxe6 Bxe6 22.Rxe6 Rad8
23.Bc5 Rfe8 24.Rfe1 Qd7
offers Black reasonable counterplay,
J.Landaw-L.Van Wely, Las Vegas
2010 ) 19...Nxc3 20.Qd2 Qe5
21.Rfe1 Qf6 22.Nb3 Nd5??
( 22...Nb5 improves, when 23.a4 Nd6
24.Bd4 Qe7 25.Bxg7 Qxg7 26.b5
is only somewhat better for White )
23.Bxd5 exd5 24.Rc7 Qb2 25.Ree7
Bf6 26.Qh6 and Black resigned, D.
111
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Larino Nieto-J.Santaclara Rodriguez,
Mondariz 2007. ]
[ f) 17...f4! is probably critical: 18.c3
( 18.gxf4 Rxf4! 19.c3 Nf5 20.d4
Rxf2 21.Rxf2 Bxh2+ 22.Kh1 Bg3
gives Black good play for the
exchange, and 23.Rf1 Qg7 24.Qg4
was agreed drawn in D.Larino Nieto-A.
Vazquez Torres, La Roda 2010 )
18...Nf5 19.g4 f3! 20.Bxf3 Bxh2+
21.Kg2 Ng7 ( 21...Ne3+?? 22.Bxe3
Qg3+ 23.Kh1 Qh4 24.Bg5 Qxg5
25.Kxh2 is completely winning for
White, D.Flores-O.Zambrana, Santa
Clara 2004 ) 22.Rh1 Bf4 23.d4 Rb8
( not 23...Bd7?! , as in O.Stjazhkina-I.
Polovodin, St Petersburg 1999, since
after 24.Bxb7 Bc6+ 25.Bxc6 Qxc6+
26.Kg1 , Black probably does not
have enough for the pawn ) 24.Qd3
b6 25.Ne4 Bb7 with a complicated
position where White has more space
but Black should be fine, taking
White's open king into account; e.g.
26.Rh3 Rf7 27.Rah1 Ne8
, S.Chowdhury-S.Himanshu, New
Delhi 2008, and now 28.c4 Rd8
29.b5 Nd6 30.Rxh7 Bxe4 31.Rh8+
Kg7 32.R8h7+ Kg8 33.Rh8+
is a draw by perpetual check. ]
18.Rc1 f4
[ Instead, 18...Nb5 19.a4 Nc3
accomplishes nothing for Black. After
20.Qd2 Bd4 21.Rce1 a5 22.b5 e5
23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Qf4 , White was in
complete control and won quite
quickly, C.Schrِder-A.Vlasov,
correspondence 2009. ]
19.c3 f3 This forcing move only lands
Black in a inferior endgame;
[ but staying in the middlegame with
19...Nf5 is unappealing too; e.g.
20.Qe1 Re8 21.d4 Bc7 22.Rd1
and White clearly has the upper
hand. ]
20.cxd4 fxg2 21.Kxg2 Bxd4 22.Bxd4
Rxf1 23.Bxg7 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Kxg7
25.Rc1 Kf6?? This routine move,
centralizing the king, merely helps White
to reorganize his pieces more effectively.
[ 25...b6 26.Ne4 Ba6 27.Rc7+ Kf8
28.Rxh7 Bxd3 does not solve Black's
problems either: after 29.Kf3
( of course not 29.Rh8+? Kg7
30.Rxa8?? Bxe4+ ) 29...Rd8 30.Rxa7
Rd4 31.Nf2 e5 32.a3 , White has
excellent winning chances. ]
[ Instead, the computer suggests the
ridiculous-looking 25...Kh6!
, intending to play ...b7-b6 without
running into the seventh rank rook
check. Then 26.Kf3 ( 26.Ne4 allows
Bd7 ) 26...b6 27.Ne4 Bb7 28.Rc7
Bd5 29.a4 is still good for White, but
at least Black has reasonable
chances of defending himself. ]
26.Ne4+ Ke5 27.Rc7! Now Black has a
hard time getting his pieces into play at
all without losing pawns. 27...b6 28.Kf3
Kd4 29.Nd6 Ba6 30.b5 Kd5 31.bxa6
White swaps off into an easily winning
rook endgame.
[ Alternatively, he might have played
31.Ne4! , when Rf8+ ( 31...Bxb5
loses a piece to 32.Nc3+ ) 32.Ke3
Bc8 33.Rxa7 leaves Black unable to
do anything at all. The attempt to
develop the bishop with e5 34.Rc7
Bf5 just leads to a mating net after
35.Rc6 . ]
31...Kxd6 32.Rxh7 Rc8 33.Rxa7
Rc2? 34.Ra8!
[ Black resigned in view of 34.Ra8
Rxa2 35.a7 Kc7 ( or 35...Ke5
36.d4+ and the king has to expose
itself to a rook check ) 36.Rh8 Rxa7
( or 36...Kb7 37.a8Q+ etc ) 37.Rh7+
Kb8 38.Rxa7 Kxa7 39.h4
and h-pawn promotes after g3-g4, h4-
h5 etc, whereas the white king king
112
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is within the square of the black b-
pawn. ]
1-0
B25
Balashov,Y
Kiselev,S
36: Moscow 1989
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6
[ Kiselev also opted for 5...e6
here, after which 6.Be3 d6 7.f4
Nge7 8.Nf3 Nd4 9.0-0 0-0
transposed below. ]
6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3
Nd4 10.e5 Qb6
[ In the previous two games we looked
at the main line with 10...Nef5
. In this one, we cover some of the
less frequently seen options for Black
on the 10th move, the text being one
of them. ]
[ Some of the other choices are:
a) 10...Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3 Nf5 12.Bf2
Nd4 13.Qd1 returns to Game 35. ]
[ b) 10...Bd7 11.Ne4 Nef5 12.Bf2
transposes to the note with 10...Nef5
11 Bd2 Bd7 12 Ne4 in the same
game. ]
[ c) 10...Nec6 11.Ne4 ( 11.exd6 Rb8!
12.Ne4 b6 seems okay for Black )
11...dxe5? a clear inaccuracy since
White saves a move with the bishop;
( 11...Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 dxe5 13.Bxc5
f5! might be a way of justifying this
variation ) 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.fxe5
Bxe5 14.c3 Nf5 15.Bxc5 Re8 ( not
15...Bd6?? 16.Rxf5 exf5 17.Nxd6
and White is winning already, B.
Rogulj-Sla.Milosevic, Croatian
League 1992 ) 16.Qf3 h5 17.d4 Bg7
( or if 17...Bc7 18.Rad1 b6
, J.Furhoff-T.Hellborg, Swedish
League 2002, then 19.Bd6! Bxd6
20.Nxd6 Qxd6 21.Qxa8 Ne3
22.Qxa7 will leave White a pawn up )
18.Rad1 Bd7 19.Nd6 Bc6 20.d5!
Bxd5 21.Rxd5 exd5 22.Nxf5 gxf5
23.Qxf5 Qc7 24.Bd4 Bxd4+ 25.cxd4
and White has a strong attack, J.
Claesen-A.Dgebuadze, World
Student Team Championship, Leon
1996. ]
[ d) 10...f5 is typically a move Black
needs to be careful playing, even if it
is often seen in the Closed Sicilian.
Here it risks weakening Black's
control of the dark squares; e.g.
11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Ne5 Rb8 ( after
12...Bxe5 13.fxe5 Qxe5 14.Bf4
, White has good compensation for
the pawn ) 13.a4 a5 14.Nc4 Qd8
15.Nb1 Nd5 16.Bd2 b6 17.Nba3
Bb7 18.c3 Nc6 19.Qb3 and White
has a nice dynamic plus, I.Starostits-
M.Ivanov, Leutersdorf 2001. ]
[ e) 10...dxe5 was recommended by
Gallagher in 'Beating the Anti-
Sicilians', together with continuations
that do not just transpose to the main
line:
A) 11.fxe5 Nef5 ( or 11...Nec6
12.Ne4 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Nxe5
14.Qe2 f5! 15.Nxc5 Ng4 16.c3
Nxe3 17.Qxe3 e5 and Black is
fine, E.Hidegh-J.Pasztorcsik,
Hungarian League 2008 ) 12.Bf2
Rb8 ( 12...Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Nd4
14.Qd1 is the main line again )
13.Ne4 Nxf3+ ( Gallagher
preferred 13...b6 here ) 14.Qxf3
Bxe5 15.Bxc5 Bxb2 , D.Larino
Nieto-A.Franco Alonso, Elgoibar
2010, and now 16.Rae1 Bd4+
17.Bxd4 Qxd4+ 18.Rf2 h5 19.Qf4
gives White has excellent
compensation for the pawn in view
113
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
of his far more active pieces.;
B) 11.Nxe5 Rb8 12.Ne4 b6
B1) 13.Bf2 Bb7 14.c3 Ndc6
( if now 14...Ndf5 then 15.Qa4!
poses some problems ) 15.Nc4
Qc7 16.Qe2 Rbd8 17.a4 Nd5
18.Ng5 Nf6 19.a5 Rfe8
( taking the pawn is safe enough,
since 19...Nxa5 20.Nxa5 Bxg2
21.Kxg2 bxa5 offers White no
more than equality ) 20.axb6
axb6 21.g4!? Qxf4??
(this time picking up a pawn is
punished in brutal fashion)
( Black should play 21...b5
22.Ne5 Nd5 23.Bg3 f6
24.Nxc6 Qxc6 25.Nf3
and the chances are fairly level )
22.Nxf7 Kxf7 , A.Neiksans-L.
Rogule, Jurmala (rapid) 2014,
and now the simplest line is
23.Bxc5 Qb8 24.g5 bxc5
25.Bxc6 , when White is
completely winning.;
B2) or 13.c3 Ndc6 ( Gallagher's
line 13...Ndf5 14.Bf2 Qc7
, intending 15.g4 Nd5!
, looks good too ) 14.Nc4 Qc7
15.Qe2 Ba6 16.Rad1
and ½-½ in Y.Balashov-O.Cvitan,
Warsaw 1990, which of course is
wildly premature but Black has in
fact equalized. ]
11.Rb1
[ Spassky has tried 11.Ne4
, but it probably isn't the most testing
move: Nef5 ( Adorjan and Vegh also
suggest 11...dxe5!? 12.Nxe5 Qxb2
13.Rb1 Qxa2 14.c3 Ne2+ 15.Kh1
f5! with a complete mess ) 12.Bf2
Qxb2 ( not now 12...dxe5?! 13.c3
Nxf3+ 14.Qxf3 and White is better;
while 12...d5? 13.Nxc5! Qxc5
14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.c3 is even worse,
M.Turner-D.James, London Lloyds
Bank 1994 ) 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.g4
Ne3 15.Bxe3 dxe3 16.Nxd6
A) 16...f6 17.Qe2 fxe5 18.Nc4
Qd4 19.fxe5 Rf2 20.Qxe3 Rxf1+
21.Rxf1 Bxe5 22.Qxd4 Bxd4+
23.Kh1 Rb8 24.Rb1 , when it was
clear that Black had no issues and
hence ½-½ B.Spassky-Jo.Horvath,
European Cup, Rotterdam 1988.
( 24.-- );
B) or 16...g5!? , intending 17.Qe2
( or 17.d4 e2! 18.Qxe2 Qxd4+ )
17...gxf4 18.Nc4 Qd4 19.Rac1
Rd8 with a perfectly good position
for Black. ]
11...Nef5 12.Bf2 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3
[ Instead, 13.Bxf3 dxe5 14.fxe5 Bxe5
A) not 15.Na4?! Qc7 16.Nxc5
( while after 16.Bxc5? Bd7
17.Bxf8 , B.Abramovic-M.Cebalo,
Yugoslav Championship 1989, and
Bxa4 , White is pretty much losing )
16...Nd4! and Black is immediately
in charge, I.Donev-O.Gschnitzer,
Dornbirn 1990;
B) 15.Ne4 Bd4 ( or 15...Qc7
16.c3 Rd8 17.Nxc5 Rb8 ) 16.Qe2
Bxf2+ 17.Qxf2 c4?! ( but 17...e5
looks solid enough ) 18.dxc4 Qxf2+
19.Rxf2 Rd8 20.c5 gave White a
little something in Y.Balashov-I.
Stohl, Albena 1989. ]
13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Ne4!
So we have reached a position similar to
the main lines after all. It remains to be
seen which side the inclusion of Rb1
and ...Qb6 will favour.
15...Bd7? When challenged a little
Black immediately goes wrong.
[ Therefore, the alternatives need to
be examined carefully:
a) 15...Nd4 16.Qd1 f5 17.Nd2
Qc7!? trying to keep the pawn by
avoiding ideas of b2-b4; ( otherwise
17...Bf6 18.c3 Nc6 19.b4 Qc7
114
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Bxc5 Rd8 is nothing for Black to
worry about, O.Panjkov-M.Pashinsky,
St Petersburg 2009 ) 18.c3 Nb5
19.Qe2 a6?! ( Black should prefer
19...Bf6 20.d4 Nd6 21.dxc5 Nf7
22.Nc4 e5 23.Bd5 Kg7 24.Rbd1
, even if White has regained the pawn
with a slight initiative, K.Rasmussen-K.
Berg, Danish Championship, Lyngby
1991 ) 20.a4 Na7 21.Nc4 Bf6
and now 22.b4 was good for White in
Y.Balashov-E.Pigusov, USSR Team
Championship 1990; ( while 22.Qe3!
may be even stronger; e.g. Be7
23.b4 cxb4 24.Nb6 Rb8 25.Nxc8
Nxc8 26.Qxe6+ Kg7 27.Rxb4
is just awful to look at for Black. )]
[ b) 15...Qc7!? also comes into
consideration: 16.Bxc5 Rd8
( 16...Bd4+? 17.Bxd4 Nxd4 18.Qf2!
is very unpleasant; e.g. e5 19.c3
Ne6 20.Nf6+ Kg7 21.d4 exd4
22.cxd4 and Black is completely
busted ) 17.c3 b6 18.Bf2 Ba6
, when it is not easy for White to get
anything out of this position. One
ambitious idea is 19.d4! changing the
nature of the game; ( 19.Rfd1 h5
, on the other hand, is completely
comfortable for Black ) 19...Bxf1
20.Rxf1 Bg7 21.g4 Nh6 and White
certainly has compensation for the
exchange, but possibly not a whole lot
more than that. ]
16.Bxc5 Bd4+ EXERCISE: This
standard riposte is what Black has been
counting on, but he has overlooked a
clever response. What did White play?
ANSWER: 17.Kh1! There is no need
for White to exchange bishops here;
[ since 17.Kh1 Bxc5? is met by
18.Nf6+ Kg7 19.Nxd7 , winning the
piece back and then netting the
exchange on top. ]
17...Qc7 18.Bxf8 Rxf8 19.c3 Bg7
Black has lost the exchange anyway, but
at least he has kept the two bishops and
his pieces are well developed and
actively placed, so it will require some
accuracy for White to convert.
20.d4
[ White may consider a different
approach, aiming to dislodge Black's
knight from f5 while improving the
position of his own pieces: 20.Qf2
(attacking a7) Bb5 ( or 20...b6 21.g4
Nh6 22.Qh4! , intending f5 23.Ng5 )
21.Rbd1 Qa5 22.g4 Nh6 23.h3
and White has a clear advantage. ]
20...h5 21.Nc5 Bc6 22.Qf2 b6
23.Nd3 Bb5 24.Rbd1 Bc4 25.a3 Bb3
26.Rde1 Bc4 Black is fighting hard,
trying to make White's task as difficult
as possible. So it is helpful to watch
how Balashov, a strong grandmaster,
finds his way towards the victory.
27.Qf3 Rd8 28.Rf2 Bf6 29.Ne5!
This is an instrumental part of White's
plan and the reason why the rook went
to f2. If White can manage to remove
one of the black bishops, the
conversion becomes easier. If that turns
out to be the light-squared bishop, then
it will be easier still.
29...Bd5 30.Qe2
[ Here 30.Qf4! is more precise,
intending the trick Bb3? ( while after
30...g5 31.Qd2 , Black has just
weakened his kingside ) 31.Nxg6!
and wins. ]
30...Kg7?!
[ As we have already noted, Black
needs to hang on to his bishops, so
30...Bb3 is preferable. ]
31.Bxd5 Rxd5 32.Nd3 Rd8 33.Qf3
Rd6 34.h3 Having managed to
exchange the light-squared bishops, the
next stage of White's plan is to evict the
knight on f5.
34...Bg5 35.g4 hxg4 36.hxg4 Nh6
115
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
37.Ref1 White's king is quite exposed,
but Black's pieces are so awkwardly
placed that he has no way of capitalizing
on it. 37...Rd8 38.Rh2 Rh8 39.Nf2
Be7 40.Kg2 Bd6 41.Rh3 Bf4
Black's attempt to create a blockade the
f-file proves quite hopeless.
42.Ne4 g5 43.Ng3 f5 44.Nh5+ Kf7
45.Nxf4 fxg4 46.Nd5+ This wins, but
there's an even better move available.
[ 46.Qxg4! Nxg4 47.Nd5+
and White will end up with an entire
extra rook, leaving Black with no
choice but to resign. ]
46...gxf3+ 47.Rfxf3+?! There was no
need to give the exchange back;
[ 47.Rhxf3+ Qf4 48.Nxf4 gxf4
49.Rxf4+ was stronger. After the text,
White's material advantage is
reduced to a single pawn, though that
proves quite adequate too, and we
will leave the rest of the game
unannotated. ]
47...Qf4 48.Nxf4 g4 49.Rh5 gxf3+
50.Kxf3 Kf6 51.Nd3 Kg7 52.Ke4 Re8
53.Nf4 Nf7 54.c4 Kf6 55.c5 Rg8
56.Ne2 Rg4+ 57.Kf3 Rg5 58.Rxg5
Nxg5+ 59.Kf4 bxc5 60.dxc5 e5+
61.Ke3 Ke6 62.Nc3 Kd7 63.Ne4 Ne6
64.Kd3 Kc6 65.Kc4 a5 66.b4 axb4
67.axb4 Nf4 68.b5+ Kc7 69.Nf6
1-0
B25
Short,N
Zhu Chen
37: FIDE Grand Prix, Dubai 2002
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4
[ Short actually played 6.Nh3
first. We will look at this move more
closely in Chapter Ten. ]
6...e5 7.Nh3 Deploying the knight to the
edge is usually considered optimal in
this set-up. From h3 it is able to go
either to g5 or f4 (should Black play ...
e5xf4), it obstructs neither the f1-rook
(after White castles) nor the queen (in
the case of f4-f5 and ...g6xf5), and it
cannot be swapped off with ...Nd4.
[ The more 'natural' 7.Nf3 is examined
in Games 41-43; ]
[ while 7.Nge2 appears via 6 Nge2 e5
in Chapter Ten. ]
7...Nge7 The usual reply.
[ We will look at the aggressive
alternative 7...h5!? in Game 40. ]
[ Black does have another significant
option in 7...exf4!? . It seems
contrary to Black's best interests to
give up the central pawn so readily,
while allowing White either to develop
the c1-bishop to f4 in one go (without
making a stop on e3) or bring the h3-
knight across to participate in the
battle for the centre, but 7...exf4 has
been tried by some rather strong
players and does have two points in
its favour.
A) Black gains the e5-square as an
outpost ( 8.gxf4?? loses a piece
to Bxh3 9.Bxh3 Qh4+ ) and White
is no longer able to play f4-f5.;
B) For example: 8.Bxf4 Nge7
9.0-0 h6 (to preserve the g7-
bishop) ( 9...0-0 10.Qd2 Rb8
11.Bh6 b5 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nf4
b4 14.Ncd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Ne7
16.Nf6 perhaps offers White a little
something, P.Garcia Castro-U.
Andersson, EU Championship,
Liverpool 2008 ) 10.Rb1
( if White tries to prevent ...0-0 by
playing 10.Qd2 , Black has no
problem opting for g5 11.Be3 0-0
12.Qd1 Ne5 13.Nf2 f5 14.exf5
Nxf5 15.Nd5 Be6 16.c3 Qd7
116
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
with a pleasant game, J.Landaw-E.
Sevillano, Monterey Park 2013 )
10...0-0 11.a3 Be6 12.Be3 Ne5
13.Nf4 Bd7 14.Kh1 Rc8 15.Qd2
Kh7 16.h3 Bc6 17.g4 and White
is at most a smidgen better, B.
Spassky-L.Portisch, Geneva (13th
matchgame) 1977.;
C) Instead, 8.Nxf4 Nge7 9.0-0
0-0 10.Be3 transposes to 9...exf4
10 Nxf4 in the notes to Game 6,
( while 10.Nfd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5
Be6 12.Nf4 Bd7 13.c3 b5 14.a3
a5 15.Be3 Ne5 16.h3 a4
leaves Black with the better
chances, I.Bilek-L.Evans, Lugano
Olympiad 1968. )]
8.0-0
[ White can also play 8.f5!? at once:
A) 8...gxf5 9.Qh5 Nd4?
allowing the white knight to g5 is
very risky; ( similarly 9...0-0
10.Ng5! h6 11.Nf3; so Black
should prefer 9...h6 , when 10.0-0
Nd4 transposes to Game 39 )
10.Ng5 Rf8 11.Qxh7 Bf6 ( or
11...Nxc2+? 12.Kd1 Nxa1
13.Qxg7 Kd7 14.Nh7 Rh8 15.Bg5
1-0 I.Starostits-E.Jakubiec, Krakow
2010 ) 12.0-0 Ne6 13.Nxe6 Bxe6
14.exf5! Rh8 15.Ne4 Nxf5
16.Rxf5 Rxh7 17.Nxf6+ Kf8
18.Nxh7+ Kg7 19.Rh5 and White
has far too much for the queen, H.
Pecorelli Garcia-G.Estevez
Morales, Cienfuegos 1991.;
B) Instead, 8...0-0 9.0-0
transposes to our main game; ( but
9.g4!? comes into consideration
here. )]
8...0-0 This looks the normal move, but
it actually dares White to come forward
with a big stick.
[ We will look at 8...Nd4 in Game 39.
] Cup Shenyang 2000. ]
[ Alternatively:
a) 8...exf4!? is again possible, when
9 Bxf4 and 9 Nxf4 return to the
previous note, but in this case Black
has to reckon 9.gxf4 as well; for
example, f5 ( 9...0-0 would be met
by 10.f5! ) 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qd2 Rb8
( or 11...h6 12.Rae1 Be6 13.e5! b6
, H.Camilleri-F.Peralta, Bled Olympiad
2002, and now 14.Nb5! dxe5 15.fxe5
a6 16.Nf4 leads to interesting play )
12.Rae1 b5 ( or 12...b6 13.Kh1 Nd4
14.Bf2 Bf6 15.Bg3 Bb7 16.Nd1 d5
17.c3 Ndc6 18.e5 Bg7 19.d4
and White has a meaningful space
advantage, V.Sergeev-E.Nagy,
Balatonlelle 2002 ) 13.Nd5 h6 14.e5!
Bb7 15.Qf2 Nd4 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7
17.c3 Ne6 18.d4 cxd4 19.cxd4
dxe5 20.d5 Nc7 21.Bc5 Qf7
22.Bxf8 , followed by 23 fxe5, and
Black does not have enough for the
exchange, V.Sergeev-A.Frolov, Kiev
1995. ]
[ b) 8...h6!? takes the g5-square away
from White's minor pieces, which is a
worthwhile cause, but this is perhaps
not the most precise moment to do so.
For example, after 9.Be3 intending to
target the h-pawn with Qd2;
( otherwise 9.f5 gxf5 10.Qh5 Nd4
transposes to Game 39 again )
9...exf4 ( if 9...Be6 then 10.fxe5
Nxe5 11.Nf4; or 9...Nd4 10.Qd2 Be6
11.Nd5 ) 10.Nxf4 0-0 (Black is now
committed to playing ...h7-h6 in the ...
e5xf4 lines above) 11.Qd2 Kh7
and now, rather than 12.Rae1
( simply 12.Rf2 , followed by 13 Raf1,
looks to give White somewhat better
chances ) 12...Rb8 13.Ncd5 Nxd5
14.exd5 Ne7 15.Bf2 Nf5 16.Be4 b5
, when Black is clearly doing fine, N.
Short-Ye Jiangchuan, FIDE World
117
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9.f5 The thematic advance in this
chapter.
[ Lines with 9.Be3 were examined in
Game 6, and Nd4 transposes there
directly. ]
9...f6 The consequences of accepting
the pawn sacrifice are discussed in the
next main game.
10.g4
[ White achieves nothing with 10.fxg6
hxg6 11.Be3 Be6 12.Qd2 Qd7
13.Nf2 Rf7 14.Bh6 Bxh6 15.Qxh6
Rh7 16.Qd2 Kg7 as in Bo.Jacobsen-
S.E.Sorensen, Helsingor 2008. ]
10...Rb8
[ Taking the f-pawn makes little sense
now, since 10...gxf5?! 11.gxf5
just allows White to build up a strong
attack on the kingside; e.g. Kh8
12.Nf2 Bd7 13.Ng4 Ng8 14.Nd5
Nce7 15.Nxe7 Qxe7 16.Qe1 Be8
17.Qh4 Qf7 18.Bf3 (planning Kh1,
followed by Rg1-g3-h3) Qh5?
19.Qxh5 Bxh5 20.Nxe5 Be8?
21.Nc4 and Black resigned in H.
Jurkovic-Zv.Tomic, Croatian League
1998. ]
[ Something similar happened after
10...Nd4 11.Ne2 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 d5
13.c3 d4 14.c4! in P.Ostermeyer-R.
Hubner, German League 1978: Rb8
15.Nf2 Rf7 16.h4 Qf8 17.Nh1 Bh6
18.g5 Bg7 19.Ng3 Kh8 20.h5! gxf5
21.g6 f4 22.gxf7 fxg3 23.h6 Bxh6
24.Rxf6 Bg7 25.Bg5 and White soon
won. ]
11.a4 Bd7
[ An earlier game had seen 11...Kh8
12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 14.Be4
b6 15.Qe1 a6 16.Qh4 Kg8 .
EXERCISE: How should White
continue?
ANSWER: 17.Ng5!! fxg5
( according to the computer 17...h6
is relatively best, although I think we
can all agree that 18.Ne6 Bxe6
19.fxe6 is pretty far from desirable for
Black ) 18.Bxg5 Nxf5 19.gxf5 Qd7
20.Be7! (the end is nigh) Rxf5
21.Bxf5 gxf5 22.Rf2 Bb7
and in view of the impending Rg2,
Black resigned at the same time, M.
Todorcevic-S.Bojkovic, Yugoslav
Championship, Bjelovar 1979. ]
12.Kh1 g5 This is perhaps not the kind
of provocation Black should be issuing
here.
[ Donev suggests 12...Nd4
as a reasonable alternative, when
play might proceed as after 10...Nd4
above; e.g. 13.Ne2 a6 14.c3 Nxe2
15.Qxe2 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Nf2
b4 18.h4 and White still looks to have
the better chances. ]
13.Nxg5!? QUESTION: If White can
play like this, does it refute Black's
previous move?
ANSWER: No, we are not talking about
a refutation, but rather an interesting
positional sacrifice that is both
complicated and unbalanced, requiring
Black to play with accuracy. The fact
that this was a rapidplay game no doubt
influenced Short's decision.
13...fxg5 14.Bxg5 Bf6
[ On 14...h6 , White intended 15.Be3
( not 15.Bh4?! Bf6 16.Bxf6 Rxf6
17.h4 Rf7! 18.Qd2 Rh7! and Black
is taking over ) 15...Nd4 16.Qd2 Kh7
17.h4 Nec6 18.g5 with a strong
initiative for the piece. ]
15.Bh6 Bg7 16.Be3 It is preferable to
keep the dark-squared bishops on the
board, especially with Black's bishop
facing the rolling kingside pawns.
16...Nd4 17.g5 QUESTION: This is
beginning to look a little uncomfortable
for Black. Is returning the sacrificed
piece an option that should be taken
into account?
118
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
ANSWER: Absolutely! While Black can
consider retreating the dark-squared
bishop to h8, capturing on f5 with one of
the knights is the preferred choice of
one of my engines, and was in fact
Zhu's choice in the game.
17...Nexf5 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Bd2 Bc6
QUESTION: It seems as if Black is
doing quite well now, no longer staring
down the barrel of white pawns
marching forward on the kingside. Is that
a reasonable way to look at it?
ANSWER: The pawns are in part gone,
but Black's problems are still very much
there. Her main worry is the many soft
light squares in her position.
20.Nd5! The idea is to follow up with
Be4 and Qh5.
[ One of my silicon friends
recommends 20.Qg4 Nd4 21.Ne4
Qe7 22.Rac1 , when White again has
excellent chances. ]
20...Kh8?! This does nothing to counter
White's plan.
[ The best chance looks to be 20...Nh4
21.Rxf8+ ( or 21.Be4 Rxf1+ 22.Qxf1
Qd7 ) 21...Qxf8 22.Be4 Qf7 23.c4
Ng6 , though Black's position remains
unappealing. ]
21.Be4 Bxd5
[ 21...Qc8 is met by 22.Qh5
, when Black is struggling to stay in
the game, tied up and pinned in all
directions. ]
22.Bxd5 Ne7
[ If Black tries to stop Qh5 by playing
22...Qe8 , White responds effectively
23.Be4 Ne7 24.Rxf8+ Bxf8 25.Qf3
Bg7 26.Qh3 Ng6 27.Rf1 and Black
is again very much tied up. ]
EXERCISE: How should White continue
his attack?
ANSWER: 23.Bf7! Preventing the
exchange of rooks on the f-file and
preparing the final assault with Qh5.
23...d5 24.Qh5! Now White threatens
both g5-g6 and Rf3-h3. Black is
complete toast. 24...Qb6 25.Rf3 Qxb2
26.Raf1
[ Short probably didn't stop to think
over this move in a rapid game, and
therefore missed the chance for a
flashy finish with 26.g6! Qxa1+
27.Kg2 Nxg6 28.Bxg6 h6 29.Bxh6
, when Black can only postpone the
mate by giving up material, starting
with the queen. ]
26...Rxf7
[ If Black plays 26...Ng8 to meet
27.g6 with h6 , then 28.Rh3!
breaks through anyway after --
29.Bxh6 Bxh6 30.Qxh6+ Nxh6
31.Rxh6+ Kg7 32.Rh7# . ]
27.Qxf7 Ng6 28.Rh3 Nf8
[ Nothing stops White's attack:
28...Rf8 29.Qxg6 Rxf1+ 30.Kg2 Kg8
31.Qe8+ Rf8 32.Qe6+ Kh8
33.Rxh7+ Kxh7 34.g6+ Kh8
35.Qh3+ and mates; ]
[ or 28...Qb6 29.a5 Qc6 30.Rf6 Qe8
31.Qxg6 and White ends up with an
extra rook. ]
29.g6! Qxc2 30.gxh7 Ne6 31.Bh6
. Facing mate in a few moves, Black
decided that this was the time to resign.
1-0
B25
Bilek,I
Gheorghiu,F
38: Bucharest 1968
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e5 7.Nh3 Nge7
8.0-0 0-0 9.f5 gxf5 10.exf5
[ Although tested several times, and
by some strong players too, 10.Qh5
is not the most dangerous move for
119
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Black in view of f6! (preparing to
oppose queens with ...Qe8) ( instead,
10...f4 11.gxf4 Bxh3?! 12.Bxh3 exf4
13.Bxf4 Ng6 , P.Hages‫ن‬ther-I.Yousof,
World Junior Championships,
Bratislava 1993, and now 14.Nd5
promises White a strong initiative;
while 10...Nd4?! 11.exf5 Bxf5
12.Rxf5! Nexf5 13.Be4 is covered
via 12 Qh5 Ncd4?! in the notes to the
main game ) 11.exf5 Qe8 ( but not
11...Nd4? in view of 12.Nd5!
with the very strong threat of 13 Ng5!;
e.g. Nxc2 13.Ng5! h6 14.Nxe7+
Qxe7 15.Bd5+ Kh8 16.Nf7+ Rxf7
17.Bxf7 Qf8 18.g4 Bd7 19.g5 Be8
, M.Burakovsky-A.Vaschenko, Kiev
2003, and now 20.gxh6 pretty much
wins at once ) 12.Qxe8 ( after
12.Qd1? Bxf5 13.g4 Be6 14.Ne4
Qd7 15.Nhf2 Ng6 , White has
nothing for the pawn, S.Sorbe-J.San
Emeterio Cabanes, French League
2009 ) 12...Rxe8 13.Nd5 Nxd5
14.Bxd5+ Kh8 15.c4 Nb4! 16.Be4
d5 17.cxd5 Rd8 18.Be3 b6 19.d6
and a draw was agreed in A.Kovalev-
L.Basin, Simferopol 1988, but it is
clear White achieved nothing from the
opening. ]
10...Bxf5
[ The solid 10...f6 is another option;
then after 11.g4 d5 12.Ne2
, Black has tried several moves:
A) 12...Kh8 13.Ng3 Ng8 14.Be3
b6 was played in V.Krapivin-V.
Filippov, Perm 1997, and now
15.c4!? is suggested by Donev in
'ChessBase Magazine'; e.g. Nce7
16.Qe2 Bb7 17.g5 and White is
clearly better.;
B) 12...Qd6 13.Ng3 ( after 13.c3
Bd7 14.Ng3 h6 15.Nh5 Be8
16.Nxg7 Kxg7 17.Qd2 Rh8
18.Qf2 Bf7 19.Bd2 Rag8
20.Rae1 Kf8 21.Qh4 Ke8
, Black safely evacuated his king
and soon took the initiative on the
kingside, P.Hulshof-Ch.Bauer,
Maastricht 2015 ) 13...Bd7 14.Be3
Nd8 15.c4! Ndc6 16.cxd5 Nd4
17.Ne4 Qb6 18.Nd2 Qxb2 19.d6
Nec6 , L.Day-H.Olafsson, Haifa
Olympiad 1976, and now 20.Rb1
Qxa2 21.Rxb7 Rad8 22.Nf2
looks very good for White.;
C) 12...Bd7 13.Ng3 ( here 13.c4
dxc4 14.dxc4 Be8 15.Nf2 Qxd1
16.Rxd1 Rb8 17.Ne4 Nd4
18.N2c3 b6 19.Rb1 h5 20.h3
Kh7 21.Be3 Rd8 was fine for
Black in L.Day-H.Spangenberg,
Elista Olympiad 1998 ) 13...Be8
14.g5 Qd7 ( or 14...Qd6 15.Qg4
Kh8 16.Bd2 and Black is under
pressure ) 15.gxf6 Rxf6 16.Bg5
Rxf5 17.Nxf5 Nxf5 18.Qf3 Nfe7
19.Nf2 Bg6 20.Ng4 Qd6 21.Nh6+
Kh8 22.Nf7+ Bxf7 23.Qxf7
with a large advantage for White,
who soon won in I.Starostits-An.
Horvath, Budapest 2004.;
D) 12...b5 13.Ng3 a5 14.Nh5
Ra7 15.Be3 d4 16.Bd2 c4
17.Nf2 ( 17.g5 Nxf5! 18.Bxc6 c3
is quite unclear; but 17.a4!?
is a possibility ) 17...Nd5 18.Qf3
Rd7 19.Ne4 Ncb4 20.Nc5 Rc7
21.Ne6 Bxe6 22.fxe6 Ne7!?
( the copycat 22...Ne3
looks equal ) 23.Qh3? ( here
23.dxc4 Nxc2 24.Rad1 bxc4
25.Qh3 d3 26.Rf2 might offer
White something ) 23...c3! 24.bxc3
dxc3 25.Bc1 Nxc2 26.Rb1 Nd4
27.Nxg7 Kxg7 28.Bh6+ Kg8
29.Be4 Ng6 30.Bxf8 Qxf8
and Black has more than enough
for the exchange, J.Shaw-M.
Hennigan, Isle of Man 1993. ]
120
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
EXERCISE: How should White best
continue?
ANSWER: 11.Rxf5! Anything else and
Black would consolidate the extra pawn.
11...Nxf5 12.Be4 Move order is
important.
[ The immediate 12.Qh5
is less accurate:
A) 12...Nfd4?? 13.Be4 transposes
to the main game.;
B) 12...Ncd4?! 13.Be4 Qf6
14.Nd5 Qg6 15.Qd1! ( stronger
than 15.Ne7+ Nxe7 16.Bxg6 fxg6
17.Qd1 h6 18.c3 Nf3+ 19.Kg2
Rf7 , as in F.Kroeze-A.Kharlov,
Leeuwarden 1994 ) 15...h5 ( now if
15...h6 then 16.c3! ) 16.Ne7+
Nxe7 17.Bxg6 fxg6 18.c3 Nf3+
19.Kg2 and White has the upper
hand, A.Pazos Porta-I.Starostits,
Ourense 2007.;
C) 12...Nfe7! 13.Be4 f5 14.Ng5
h6 15.Ne6 Qe8 16.Nxg7
( 16.Qxe8? Rfxe8 17.Bxc6 Nxc6
18.Nc7 Nb4 is winning for Black, R.
Burgin-A.Delaney, Malta Olympiad
1980 ) 16...Qxh5 17.Nxh5 fxe4
18.Bxh6 Rf5 19.g4 exd3!?
( or just 19...Rxh5 20.gxh5 Nf5 )
20.gxf5 Nxf5 21.Bd2 dxc2
and Black is doing fine. ]
EXERCISE: What is Black's best move
here?
12...Nfd4?? This move pretty much
loses by force.
[ 12...Nfe7?? is no good here either in
view of 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Qh5+
Kg8 15.Ng5 and White wins; ]
[ 12...Ncd4?! 13.Qh5 returns to the
previous note; ]
[ while 12...Qd7? is met by 13.Qg4
Nce7 14.Nd5 (J.L.Seret-E.Juglard,
Belfort 1989) Nxd5 15.Bxf5 Qe7
16.Bh6 f6 17.Be6+ Kh8 18.Bxg7+
Qxg7 19.Qxg7+ Kxg7 20.Bxd5
and White is clearly better. ]
[ ANSWER: Black's only chance is
12...Nh4!! , but it turns out to be a
very good chance indeed:
A) 13.Bxh7+? Kxh7 14.Qh5+ Kg8
15.Ng5 now fails to Nf3+! 16.Qxf3
( or 16.Nxf3 f6 ) 16...Qf6
and Black consolidates.;
B) 13.Qh5 Ng6 14.Ng5 h6
15.Nxf7 Rxf7 16.Qxg6 ( or
16.Bxg6 Qf6! 17.Bxf7+ Qxf7
18.Qh3 Rf8 19.Bxh6 Bxh6
20.Qxh6 Qf2+ with a draw )
16...Qf6 17.Qh7+ Kf8 18.Be3
Ne7 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.Bxd5 Qf5
21.Qxf5 Rxf5 22.Bxb7 Rb8
23.Be4 Rf6 24.b3 and White has
sufficient compensation for the
exchange, although he managed to
lose in the end, A.Ipek-A.Ornstein,
European Junior Championships,
Groningen 1972.;
C) 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.Bxh4
was agreed drawn in Ru.Haag-Fri.
Pedersen, correspondence 2006,
presumably in view of the forcing
line Qxh3 15.Qh5 f5 16.Bd5+
Kh8 17.Ne4 Qg4 ( not 17...fxe4??
18.Bxe4 h6 19.Qg6 and White
wins instantly ) 18.Qxg4 fxg4 19.c3
, when chances are about even
despite Black being an exchange
up.;
D) 13.gxh4 Qxh4 14.Ng5 ( or
14.Bg2 Bh6 15.Ne4 Bxc1
16.Rxc1 f5 17.Neg5 Kh8 18.c3
, I.Starostits-D.Rivera Kuzawka,
Mondariz 2006, and now h6
19.Nf3 Qf6 looks better for Black )
14...h6 15.Nh7 Rfe8 16.Be3 Re6
17.Bf2 Qh3 18.Nd5 f5 19.Bg2
Rg6 20.Nhf6+ Bxf6 21.Nxf6+ Kf7
22.Bg3 Rxg3 23.hxg3 Qxg3
24.Nh5 ( or 24.Nd5 Rg8 25.Qh5+
Ke6 26.Qxh6+ Rg6 27.Qh2 f4
121
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
28.Qxg3 Rxg3 29.Kf2 Rxg2+
30.Kxg2 Kxd5 and Black should
not lose ) 24...Qg5 25.Qf3 Rg8
with chances for both sides, M.
Bulgarini Torres-E.Grobshtein,
correspondence 2010. ]
13.Qh5 Re8
[ 13...f5? loses at once: 14.Bd5+ Kh8 Game 6, but we'll continue with the
15.Ng5 and Black resigned in I.Donev- thematic advance here:
I. Tiberkov, Bulgaria Championship
1978, on account of h6 16.Qg6 hxg5
17.Qh5+ and mate on the move. ]
14.Qxh7+ Kf8 15.Bg5 Several roads
lead to Rome if the follow-up is precise.
[ 15.Ng5 is also very strong; ]
[ while 15.Bh6!? Bxh6 ( or 15...Qf6
16.Qh8+ Ke7 17.Nd5+ Ke6
18.Qxg7 Qxg7 19.Bxg7
with a decisive advantage ) 16.Qxh6+
Ke7 17.Nd5+ Kd7 was seen in J.
Moreno Ruiz-O.Gonzalez Somoza,
Madrid 2006, and now 18.Rf1 Re7
19.Ng5 Qh8 20.Nh7 wins for White. ]
15...Qd7
[ Or 15...f6 16.Rf1 Ne6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6
18.Bg6 Ng7 19.Nd5 1-0 D.Larino
Nieto-A.Vidarte Morales, Catalonian
League 2012. ]
16.Nd5 Re6 17.Rf1 Nxc2
[ Nothing else is any better; e.g.
17...Rae8 runs into 18.Rf6!
(threatening Bh6 and mates) Rxf6
19.Nxf6 Qd8 20.Qg8+ and wins. ]
18.Bg6 N2d4 19.Bh6 Bxh6 20.Qh8#
1-0
B25
Starostits,I
Kulaots,K
39: Latvia-Estonia match, Riga 2002
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ For the record, 2...d6 3.g3 Nc6
4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 was once again
the move order here. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e5
7.Nh3 Nge7 8.0-0 Nd4 Rather than
make a target of the king, Black opts
simply to centralize the knight and await
events. Now 9 Be3 would transpose to
9.f5!?
[ White cannot achieve anything with
9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxe7
Qxe7 12.Nd5 Qd6 ; for instance,
13.c3 Nc6 14.Nf2 Be6 ( 14...Ne7
is also fine ) 15.Qb3 Rb8 16.Nd1 0-0
17.N1e3 b5 18.a4 b4 19.Qc2 Na5
20.g4 bxc3 21.bxc3 c4 and Black
has a perfectly good position, B,
Rogulj-H.Koch, German League
1998. ]
9...gxf5 10.Qh5
[ Instead, 10.Bg5 is defused by f6!
( not 10...fxe4? 11.Nd5! and White
already has a devastating attack; e.g.
Ndc6 12.Rxf7! Kxf7 13.Qh5+ Kg8
14.Bxe7 Nxe7 15.Ng5 Ng6 16.Bxe4
Bd7 17.Rf1 Bc6 18.Nf7 Qd7
19.Nh6+ Bxh6 20.Qxh6 Qe6
21.Nf6+ Kf7 22.Nh5+ Ke7 23.Qg5+
Kd7 24.Bf5 and Black is toast )
11.Qh5+ Kd7 (the idea behind
Black's previous move: the king
crawls to safety on the queenside
while White will have to figure out
what to do with his loose pieces and
pawns) 12.exf5 Qe8! 13.Qd1 ( or
13.Qg4 Qf7 14.Be3 h5 15.Qe4 Bh6
16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.Nb5 , A.Rodriguez
Vila-A.Zuriel, Villa Martelli 2001, and
now a6 18.Na3 d5 looks very good
for Black ) 13...Kc7 14.Ne4 Rf8
15.Bd2 Bxf5 16.b4 b6 ( or
16...cxb4!? 17.Bxb4 Rd8 ) 17.bxc5
dxc5 18.a4 Bxh3 19.Bxh3 f5
20.Nc3 a6 21.Bg2 Rd8 , and White
122
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
does not have quite enough for the
pawn, M.Dvoretsky-T.Giorgadze,
Tbilisi 1973. ]
10...h6 Black obviously cannot allow 11
Ng5. The text move puts a brake on
White's attack, who must now build up
before proceeding further.
11.Rf2 Be6 12.Be3 The most accurate
move; White has sacrificed a pawn and
needs to be a little patient.
QUESTION: Why shouldn't White win
the pawn back by taking on f5 and b7?
[ ANSWER: 12.exf5? Bxf5 13.Bxb7
accomplishes little and surrenders
the initiative; for example, Bg6
14.Qh4?! Rb8 15.Be4? f5 16.Bg2
Rb4! (Black is already on the way to
winning the game) 17.g4 Ne6
18.Qg3 Rxg4 19.Qf3 d5 and it is
clear that White's opening play has
been a total failure, D.Larino Nieto-
H.Stefansson, Malaga 2009. ]
12...Qd7
[ Black has tried 12...Ng8 on multiple
occasions; the idea is to send the
knight to f6 to evict the white queen
from her aggressive post. It isn't as
challenging as the game continuation,
but certainly requires an extra look:
13.Bxd4 Nf6 ( or 13...cxd4 14.exf5
Nf6 15.Qf3 Bd7 16.Ne4 Bc6
17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qh5 Bxg2
19.Rxg2 Qd7 20.c4 dxc3 21.bxc3
Rc8 22.Rc1 Bd8 23.Re2 Kf8
with chances for both sides, V.
Krapivin-V.Zakhartsov, Pardubice
2011 ) 14.Qe2 cxd4 15.exf5 Bd7
and now:
A) 16.Ne4 Bc6 17.Re1 Nxe4
18.Bxe4 Bf6 19.Nf4 Qa5
and now White went for the ultra-
sharp 20.h4!? ( instead, 20.c4
dxc3 21.bxc3 exf4 22.Bxc6+ Kf8
23.Bxb7 Rb8 24.Qe4 Qxc3
is probably better, with chances for
both sides ) 20...exf4 21.Bxc6+
Kd8 22.Bg2 fxg3 23.Rf4 Kc7
24.Re4 Rad8 25.Qf3 Qb6
, which should more than okay for
Black, even if he soon went wrong
and lost the game, I.Starostits-I.
Nataf, Pardubice 2002.;
B) 16.Nd5!? Kf8 ( after 16...h5
17.Nhf4 h4 18.g4 Bc6 19.c3
dxc3 20.bxc3 Qa5 21.c4 h3
22.g5! Nxd5 23.cxd5 0-0-0? 24.f6
, White has a huge advantage, I.
Starostits-M.Krasenkow, German
League 2008 ) 17.c3 dxc3 18.bxc3
Bc6 19.c4 Qa5 20.Nhf4!
( improving on 20.Raf1?! Re8
21.Be4 Qc5 22.Kg2 Bxd5
23.cxd5 Rc8 24.g4 Ke7
, which was good for Black in D.
Novitzkij-V.Dydyshko, Belarus
Championship, Minsk 2003 ) 20...e4
( 20...exf4 21.Qe7+ Kg8 22.Nxf6+
Bxf6 23.Qxf6 fxg3 24.Re2
is good for White ) 21.Raf1 Bxd5
22.cxd5 exd3 23.Qxd3
and although Black somehow
managed to win this position and
my engines evaluate it as even(!), I
cannot think of many who would
enjoy playing Black here, D.
Novitzkij-V.Dydyshko, Belarus
Championship, Minsk 2004. ]
[ Another option is 12...fxe4!? 13.Raf1
Ndf5 ( not 13...Nf3+? 14.Kh1 Ng6
15.Nxe4 , which is good for White;
while 13...Rf8 14.Nxe4 Kd7 15.c3
Ndc6 16.d4 looks to give White
excellent compensation for the pawn )
14.Rxf5 Nxf5 15.Rxf5 Bxf5 ( not
15...exd3?! 16.Bd5 0-0 17.Rf1
and White is clearly better ) 16.Qxf5
with an interesting material imbalance.
Ma.Olesen-A.Kazoks,
correspondence 2003, continued
exd3?! ( but 16...d5!? 17.Bxc5 Qc8
123
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
18.Qf2 Qc6 is a possible
improvement ) 17.Bxb7 dxc2
18.Bc6+ Kf8 19.Bd5 Qe8 20.Qxc2
Rc8 21.Qf5 Rd8 22.Ne4 , when the
minor pieces proved far superior. ]
13.Raf1 0-0-0?! Although getting the
king to safety on the queenside is logical,
this is not quite the best moment to do
so.
[ Instead, Black has tried:
a) 13...Rf8 14.Nd5 fxe4 ( here
14...Bxd5!? 15.exd5 0-0-0
looks fine for Black ) 15.Bxh6 Nxd5
16.Bxg7 e3 17.Bxf8 exf2+ 18.Rxf2
Ne3 ( 18...0-0-0 19.Bh6 Rh8 20.Ng5
f5 should be okay for Black too )
19.Bh6 Nxg2 20.Bg5 Qc8 21.c3
Ne1 22.cxd4 Nxd3 23.Rf6 Kd7
24.Qf3 c4?! (now the problems start)
( a more prudent continuation is
24...Nb4 25.dxe5 Nd5 26.Rh6 dxe5
with a complicated and messy
position ) 25.Rxf7+ Bxf7 26.Qxf7+
Kc6 27.Qxc4+ Nc5 28.dxc5 Qxh3
29.Be7 Qf5?? this loses on the spot;
( whereas 29...d5 30.Qa4+ Kc7
31.Bd6+ Kd8 32.Qa5+ Ke8
keeps White advantage to a bare
minimum ) 30.cxd6+ Kb6 31.b4
Qb1+ 32.Kg2 Qb2+ 33.Kf3 e4+
34.Kxe4 Qg2+ 35.Ke5 and out of
checks, Black resigned in I.Starostits-
C.Cruz, La Roda 2009, due to Qc6
36.Qxc6+ Kxc6 37.Ke6 , and the d-
pawn's march forward cannot be
stopped. ]
[ b) 13...f4!? 14.gxf4 Bg4 15.Qh4
Ng6 16.Qg3 exf4? ( 16...f5 17.Nd5
0-0-0 is correct; or even 16...h5!?
17.f5 f6! with the idea that 18.fxg6??
h4 sees the white queen trapped )
17.Nxf4 Be5 , J.Bohak-S.Nikolic,
Bled 2000, and now 18.Ncd5 0-0-0
19.c3 looks clearly better for White. ]
14.Bxd4!
[ In one of the stem games of this
variation, Spassky opted for 14.Nd5
, which is playable but definitely not
as strong as the game continuation:
fxe4 ( 14...Bxd5 15.exd5 Rhf8
16.Kh1!? , intending Ng1 and Bh3,
should be quite nice for White; but
14...f4!? is another possibility )
15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.Bxd4 cxd4
17.Rxf7! Qe8 ( not 17...Bxf7?
18.Rxf7 Qe8 19.Bxe4 and White
wins ) 18.Bxe4 Rf8 19.Bf5! Qxf7
( 19...Kb8! was suggested as an
improvement in the bulletin, but this
too leaves the chances even: 20.Bxe6
Qxe6 21.Qh4 Qc8!! 22.Rxg7 Rxf1+
23.Kxf1 Rf8+ 24.Ke1 Qxc2
and now one or the other side will
force a draw: e.g. 25.Rxb7+ Ka8
26.Rxa7+ Kb8 27.Rb7+ leads to a
repetition, since Kc8?? would lose to
28.Qg4+ etc ) 20.Qxf7 Rxf7
21.Bxe6+ Rfd7 22.Rf7 Kc7 23.Bxd7
Rxd7 24.Rxd7+ Kxd7 (while the
kingside pawn majority gives White
some chances, Black shouldn't lose
with careful play) 25.Kg2 Ke6 26.Kf3
d5? (obvious, but clearly not the best)
( 26...Kf6 27.g4 Ke6 leaves Black
with decent chances of survival )
27.Kg4 Kf6 28.Kh5 Bf8 29.Ng1 b5
( or 29...e4 30.Ne2 Ke5 31.Kg6 )
30.Ne2 a5 31.g4 a4 32.h4 b4
33.b3 a3 34.Ng3 e4 35.g5+ hxg5
36.hxg5+ Ke5 37.Kg4? a slip;
( 37.Ne2 was correct ) 37...Bg7?
( after 37...e3 38.Ne2 Bg7
, White cannot make progress )
38.Nh5 Bf8 39.g6 e3 40.Kf3 Kf5
41.g7 1-0 B.Spassky-V.Hort, Bugojno
1978. ]
14...cxd4
[ Black had success with 14...exd4
in one outing:
A) 15.Nd5?! Bxd5 16.exd5 Rdf8
124
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.Nf4 Kb8 18.Bh3 Be5 19.Ng2
Qa4 with a good game in C.Renner-
G.Mohr, Austrian League 2010.
( 19...-- );
B) But 15.exf5! is an obvious
improvement: 15...dxc3 ( after
15...Nxf5 16.Ne4; or 15...Bxf5
16.Rxf5 Nxf5 17.Ne4 Nxg3
18.hxg3 Rhf8 19.Nf4 , White is
clearly better ) 16.fxe6 fxe6
17.bxc3 Bxc3 18.Rf7 d5 19.Nf4
(threatening Nxe6) Kb8 20.Qe2
and White has a strong initiative. ]
15.exf5 Nxf5
[ If 15...dxc3 , then 16.fxe6 fxe6
17.Rf7 Rhg8 18.bxc3 leaves White
with a large advantage. ]
[ Instead, 15...Bxf5 is endorsed as the
best move by several of my engines,
though Black still has a pretty
miserable position: 16.Rxf5 Nxf5
17.Nd5 Ne7?? ( 17...Nxg3
is hardly encouraging either, as after
18.hxg3 Rhf8 19.Be4 , White has a
wonderful bind ) 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7
19.Rxf7 Qe8 20.Qg4+ Rd7 21.Rxg7
and White is winning, H.Bastian-H.
Cordes, German League 1983. ]
16.Nd5! Ne7
[ Black has a couple of other options
to consider, both of course with the
knight:
a) 16...Ne3 17.Rxf7! Nxd5?
( White has a significant advantage
after 17...Qe8 18.Rc7+! Kb8
19.Rxb7+! Kxb7 20.Nf6+ Qc6
21.Bxc6+ Kxc6 22.Rf2 , but at least
Black can still put up a fight ) 18.Rxd7
Rxd7 19.Qg6 Nc7 20.Nf2 Re7
21.Bh3 d5 22.Bxe6+ Nxe6 23.Ng4
and with the opposing bishop pair
eliminated, White managed to convert
without difficulty against his much
higher-rated opponent, S.Sale-L.
Psakhis, Portoroz 1995. ]
[ b) 16...Nxg3!? looks ridiculously
desperate, but it isn't entirely stupid;
in fact my silicon friends like it just as
much as the alternatives.
Nevertheless, after 17.hxg3 f5
18.Rxf5 Bxf5 19.Rxf5 Rhf8 20.Rxf8
Rxf8 21.Qg6 Kb8 22.Nf2
, White's two knights are far superior
to Black's rook, particularly because
the g7-bishop is no more than a tall
pawn. ]
TACTICAL EXERCISE: It looks as if
Black might have his opponent's
initiative under control. So how does
White proceed?
ANSWER: 17.Rxf7! This is the obvious
answer, and White crashes through. If
Black accepts the exchange sacrifice
his position will collapse in short order,
but declining it is almost as horrible.
17...Bf8
[ If 17...Bxf7 18.Rxf7 Bf8 , then
19.Nhf4! (threatening Bh3) Qe8
20.Bh3+ Kb8 21.Nf6 Qb5 22.Ne6
Rc8 23.Nxf8 Rhxf8 ( or 23...Qxb2
24.N6d7+ Ka8 25.Rxe7 ) 24.Nd7+
and White ends up with an extra
piece. ]
18.Ng5! Threatening 19 Nxe6 Qxe6 20
Bh3. 18...Bxf7
[ Getting the king off the diagonal
doesn't help either: 18...Kb8 19.Nxe6
Qxe6 20.Nxe7 Bxe7 21.Bh3
and Black cannot keep the bishop
guarded. ]
19.Nxf7 Qb5 20.a4
[ 20.a4 diverts the queen's attention
from the d5-knight, when Qxa4 ( or
20...Qc5 21.Nxd8 Kxd8 22.Qh4!
, threatening Rxf8+! etc ) 21.Nxd8
Nxd5 22.Nf7 leaves Black facing
heavy material losses, and so he
resigned. ]
[ Actually, the immediate 20.Nxd8
wins anyway after Nxd5 ( or
125
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20...Kxd8 21.Qh4 Qe8 22.Qf6 )
21.Nf7 Rg8 22.Qh4 Be7 23.Bxd5
Bxh4 24.Nxd6+ etc; ]
[ while my computer gives preference
to 20.Nf6 . In either case Black will
lose substantial material. ]
1-0
B25
Zhigalko,S
Burg,T
40: Enschede 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ Here too 2...d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6
5.d3 Bg7 was the route taken. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e5
7.Nh3 h5!? QUESTION: What is the
idea behind this provocative-looking
move?
ANSWER: There are several ideas. First
of all, it lays claim to the g4-square,
supporting a potential ...Bg4. Secondly,
the pawn might be pushed further
forward to h4 as and when appropriate.
Finally, and not least, it prevents the
white queen from appearing at h5, as
occurred in the previous three games.
7...h5!? has scored quite well for Black,
so it certainly deserves some attention.
8.f5?! This now-familiar pawn sacrifice
seems like a reasonable response to
Black's advance on the flank, but it is
actually far less dangerous here since it
cannot be backed up by Qh5, so White
should probably opt for one of the
several alternatives available.
[ a) 8.Nf2 addresses the issue of ...
Bg4 but is otherwise rather passive:
h4 ( 8...Nge7 is perfectly reasonable
for Black ) 9.g4 ( 9.Nd5 Nf6
10.Nxf6+ Bxf6 11.c3 Be6 12.Qf3
hxg3 13.hxg3 Rxh1+ 14.Bxh1 exf4
15.gxf4 Qe7 16.Be3 0-0-0
was comfortable for Black in B.Rogulj-
V.Lazarev, Austrian League 1994, as
White has some issues with his king )
9...exf4 ( or 9...h3!? 10.Bxh3 exf4
11.Bxf4 , D.Larino Nieto-J.Arizmendi
Martinez, Spanish Championship,
Ceuta 2008, and now Be6 12.Bg2
Qa5 13.0-0 0-0-0 leaves Black with
dynamic compensation for the pawn )
10.Bxf4 Be5 11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.h3
Be6 13.Qd2 Nge7 14.b3 Nd4
15.Nfd1 g5 , followed by ...Ng6-f4,
gave Black a good game in S.
Marjanovic-B.Ivanovic, Yugoslav
Championship, Zagreb 1977. ]
[ b) 8.Be3 Nd4 9.Nf2 ( not 9.Bxd4?!
cxd4 10.Nd5 Ne7 11.Nxe7 Qxe7
12.0-0 Bg4 13.Qd2 h4 14.Ng5 hxg3
15.hxg3 Rc8 16.Rf2 Bh6 17.c3 exf4
18.gxf4 dxc3 19.bxc3 Bxg5 20.fxg5
Rc5 and White cannot guard the g5-
pawn, K.Movsziszian-V.Petkov, La
Pobla de Lillet 2005 ) 9...h4!? ( simply
9...Ne7 is fine for Black ) 10.Nd5 Nf6
11.Nxf6+ Qxf6 12.c3 exf4 13.gxf4
h3 14.Bf1 Ne6 15.Qd2 Rh4
16.0-0-0 Nxf4 17.d4 Ng2
with a sharp position where I would
prefer White, but the computer claims
Black to be okay, D.Roos-J.Murey,
Manchester 1981. ]
[ c) 8.0-0 Bg4 9.Qe1 ( if 9.Qd2 Qd7
10.Nf2 , H.Schِnangerer-R.Wiedner,
Graz 2015, then exf4! 11.gxf4 0-0-0
with a pleasant position for Black )
9...Nd4 , and here White has tried:
A) 10.fxe5 looks logical but only
seems to help Black: dxe5 11.Qf2
f6 12.Ng5 ( or 12.Nd5 Qd7 13.c3
Ne2+ 14.Kh1 h4 15.gxh4 Nxc1
16.Raxc1 and now Bxh3 17.Bxh3
Qxh3 18.Nc7+ Kf7 19.Nxa8 Rxh4
looks good for Black, since after
20.Nc7 Bh6 21.Rce1 Bf4 22.Qg2
126
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qd7 , White has nothing better
than to return the exchange by
taking on f4 ) 12...h4 13.h3?
(a mistake) ( but 13.Nf3 Bxf3
14.Bxf3 hxg3 15.Qxg3 Ne7
also leaves Black with a
comfortable position ) 13...hxg3
14.Qxg3 Bh5 15.Nf3 Nxc2
16.Rb1 Ne7 17.Qf2 Bxf3 18.Bxf3
Nd4 and Black is a pawn up for
nothing, S.Davidov-N.Miezis, Baku
2007.;
B) 10.Qf2!? is probably White's
best; for example, 10...Qd7
11.Ng5 ( or 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Ng5
f6 13.h3 Nh6 14.hxg4
½-½ I.Starostits-D.Mikrut, Wroclaw
2005, which hardly tells us anything,
though Nxg4 15.Bh3 fxg5 16.Qg2
does look fairly level ) 11...Nh6
( 11...f6 might be more accurate )
12.fxe5 Bxe5 13.Bf4 Bg7
14.Rae1 0-0 15.Qd2 f6 16.Nf3
Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Ng4 18.Nd5 Rae8
19.Bg2 Ne6 20.Bh3 ( 20.c3!?
is a possible improvement; I would
certainly prefer White here )
20...Nxf4 21.Qxf4 Re5
with chances for both sides, O.
Chaika-V.Baklan, Yalta 1996. ]
8...gxf5 9.0-0 Nge7 We have reached
almost the same position as in the
previous game, but with ...Nd4 replaced
by ...h7-h5. The obvious difference is
that White is unable to reinforce the
early attack with Qh5, and nothing else
is quite as effective.
10.Bg5
[ Instead, 10.Ng5 f6 11.Nf3 fxe4
12.dxe4 ( or 12.Nxe4?! d5! 13.Nxc5
Qb6 ) 12...Bg4 13.Nb5 Nd4
14.Nbxd4 cxd4 15.Qd3 Qb6
leaves Black with the more promising
position; ]
[ while the exchange sacrifice 10.exf5
Bxf5 11.Rxf5? fails to achieve
anything for White here: Nxf5 12.Nd5
Nfd4 13.Ng5 Ne6 14.Ne4 Nb4
15.c4 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Nd4 17.Bg5 f6
18.Bh4 Rh6 19.Bh3 Qc7 20.Qf1 f5
( 20...Qe7!? 21.Qf2 Kd8 looks good
too ) 21.Bxf5 ( better than 21.Ng5?
, V.Arjun-T.Duong, Budapest 2006,
when Bf6 is virtually winning for
Black ) 21...Qf7! 22.Be6 Qxf1+
23.Rxf1 Nxe6 24.Nxd6+ Kd7
25.Nxb7 Rf8 26.dxe6+ Kxe6
and White still does not have enough
for the missing rook. ]
10...f6
[ Another option is 10...f4!? 11.gxf4?!
( 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.gxf4 gives White
more chances of equalizing ) 11...Bg4
12.Qd2 f6 13.f5? fxg5 14.f6 Bh6
15.fxe7 Nxe7 16.Rf6 Ng8
and Black is clearly better, C.Frick-
S.Secouard, Avoine 2015. ]
11.Bh4 Be6 Not necessarily the
strongest move, even if it is logical
enough.
[ The alternatives are:
a) 11...Ng6 12.exf5 Nxh4 13.gxh4
Ne7 14.Nd5 Nxf5 15.Qe1 Ne7
( 15...Rh6!? might improve here )
16.Qg3 Bg4 17.Nxf6+ ( not 17.Rxf6?
Nxd5 18.Rg6 Nf4 19.Nxf4 exf4
20.Qxf4 Be5 21.Qc4 Qe7
and Black is completely winning, E.
Atalik-J.Paasikangas Tella, Vammala
2002 ) 17...Bxf6 18.Rxf6 Rg8
19.Raf1 Qb6 20.Ng5 0-0-0
with a complication position and
chances for both sides. ]
[ b) 11...Nd4 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5
f4! 14.gxf4 Bg4 15.Qd2 Qd7
16.fxe5 dxe5 17.Ng5!? , V.Shulman-
N.Miezis, Riga 2012, and now Black
might just take the knight: fxg5
18.Qxg5 Rf8! 19.Rae1 ( or 19.Qg6+
Rf7 20.Rae1 Kf8 ) 19...Rxf1+
127
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Rxf1 Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Nf4
and should win with the extra piece. ]
[ c) 11...Qb6!? looks a decent option
too; e.g. 12.a4 Nd4 13.Ra2
(the b2-pawn was beginning to
become a problem for White) Qa5
14.Nd5 fxe4 15.Nxe7 Bg4 16.Qb1
Kxe7 and only Black can be better in
this position. ]
12.Nd5 Rh6 13.Qd2 EXERCISE: Can
Black get away with 13...Rg6, intending
...f5-f4, or should he opt for 13...Qd7,
aiming to castle queenside as soon as
possible?
13...Qd7?? Whatever the merits of other
moves, the text is just an enormous
blunder which sets White well on the
way to victory.
[ ANSWER: 13...Rg6! would indeed
have been much better; e.g. 14.Bf3
Kd7 15.Nxe7 Nxe7 16.Nf2 ( or
16.Bxh5 Rh6 17.Qe2 Qh8 ) 16...f4
17.Qe2 Kc7! (getting the king off the
light squares) 18.Bxh5 Rh6 19.Bg4
Qd7 and Black clearly has the upper
hand; White has serious issues on
the kingside, whereas Black's king is
quite comfortable on c7, leaving the
back rank clear for the a8-rook to join
the fun as well. ]
14.Qxh6! Bxh6 15.Nxf6+ Kd8
16.Nxd7 Kxd7 White has regained the
sacrificed pawn and picked up the
exchange as well without any detriment
to his position, and now wins quite
easily.
17.Bg5 Bg7 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Ng5
fxe4 20.Nxe6 Kxe6 21.Bh3+ Kd5
22.Rf7 Bf8 23.dxe4+ Kxe4
EXERCISE: Purely as a matter of
technique, what is White's fastest win
here?
24.Raf1
[ ANSWER: 24.Rd1! leads to mates in
five; e.g. Ke3 25.Rd3+ Ke2 26.Rf2+
Ke1 27.Bf1 , followed by Re2 mate. ]
24...Ng6 25.Bf5+
1-0
B20
Markowski,T
Smirin,I
41: European Ch, Saint Vincent 2000
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4
[ It is many years since GM Markowski
played 1 e4 regularly or even at all.
In this game he began with his
favourite 1.g3!? and only transposed
below after g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.e4 c5
4.d3 Nc6 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 e5 7.Nc3
.]
1...c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7
5.d3 d6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3
[ A different set-up to the aggressive
7.Nh3 of the previous four games.
White develops the knight to its
most natural square and proceeds to
castle, though this doesn't necessarily
rule out ideas of f4-f5, as we will
see. ]
7...Nge7 8.0-0 0-0
[ As in the 7 Nh3 line, if Black is
concerned about the f-pawn
advancing further, it is always
possible to take it off: 8...exf4!?
9.Bxf4 ( developing the bishop with
tempo makes more sense than 9.gxf4
here ) 9...0-0 ( or 9...h6!? 10.Nb5
Ne5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Be3 b6
13.Qd2 Be6 14.Rf2 Qd7 15.Nc3 h5
16.Bg5 0-0 17.Raf1 Kh7 and Black
should be fine, I.Ibragimov-S.Kudrin,
Lowell 2003 ) 10.Qd2 Ne5 11.Bh6
( 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Bh6 Be6 13.Rf2
c4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Raf1 cxd3
16.cxd3 Qd4 17.Ne2 Qd6
doesn't offer White anything of
128
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
significance, Hen.Danielsen-O.
Salmensuu, Munkebo 1998 )
11...Nxf3+ 12.Rxf3 Qb6 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.b3 Qb4 15.Raf1 Be6
16.Rf4 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qe5 18.Ne2
Rad8 and both sides have their share
of the chances, J.Maiwald-A.Brenke,
Lippstadt 2003. ]
9.f5!? QUESTION: This pawn sacrifice
seems to be played in any number of
variations; is it always good?
ANSWER: No, it is not always good, but
it is often a viable option, and unless
Black takes the utmost care, it can be
very dangerous. Provided proper caution,
however, Black should be able to accept
the sacrifice without fearing serious
ramifications.
[ The usual move is 9.Be3 , for which
see the next two games. ]
9...gxf5 10.Nh4 Clearing lines for the
queen and rook, while putting pressure
on f5. 10...fxe4
[ Black has also tried:
a) 10...Nd4 11.Qh5!? ( or 11.exf5
Nexf5 12.Nxf5 Bxf5 13.Nd5 Bg6
14.c3 Nc6 15.h4 h6 16.h5 Bh7
17.Be3 f5 18.Qd2 Rf7 19.Bxh6 f4
20.Bxg7 Rxg7 21.gxf4 Qh4
with chances for both sides, A.Kasi-
T.Parameswaran, Madras 1997 )
11...fxe4? ( Black should prefer
11...f4 12.gxf4 Nxc2 13.Rb1 Nd4
14.fxe5 dxe5 15.Nf5 , although
White still has reasonable play; if
Ndxf5 16.exf5 f6 17.Be4 Qe8
, S.Bohosjan-H.Wirthensohn, Caorle
1972, then 18.Qxe8 Rxe8 19.Be3
regains the pawn with an edge )
12.Bg5 Nf3+ ( after 12...f6? 13.Bxe4
h6 14.Bxf6! Qe8 , F.Molnar-J.
Bednarski, Paris 1967, White wins
with 15.Bg6! Nxg6 16.Bxg7 Rxf1+
17.Rxf1 Kxg7 18.Ne4 etc ) 13.Nxf3
exf3 14.Bxf3 Qe8 , F.Molnar-B.
Huguet, Paris 1966, and now 15.Bf6!
Bxf6 16.Be4 Ng6 17.Rxf6
looks very good for White. ]
[ b) 10...f4!? attempts to throw a
spanner in White's works: 11.gxf4
( here too 11.Qh5!? seems better,
when Be6?! 12.Nf5 Qd7? 13.Nxg7
Kxg7 14.gxf4 exf4 15.Bxf4
left White with a big advantage, S.
Ofstad-J.Pellus Ruiz, Barcelona
2013 ) 11...exf4 12.Bxf4 Ng6 13.Nf5
Nxf4 ( 13...Bxf5 14.exf5 Nxf4
15.Rxf4 Be5 16.f6 Kh8
looks promising too, A.Guadamuro
Torrente-A.Herrera Delgado, Lucena
2012 ) 14.Rxf4 Be5 15.Qg4+?
( but after 15.Rf2 Bxf5 16.Rxf5 Kh8
is unclear whether White has enough
for the pawn ) 15...Kh8 16.Rf3 Rg8
17.Qh5 Rg5 and Black is already
winning, M.Simons-A.Hammond,
British League 1999. ]
11.dxe4 f6
[ Black has had some success with
11...Nd4!? , but not on account of the
objective value of the move itself.
After 12.Nd5 f6 ( 12...Nxd5 13.exd5
f5 14.c3 Nb5 15.Qh5 Nc7 16.Nxf5
Bxf5 17.Rxf5 Rxf5 18.Qxf5
is clearly better for White, M.Simons-
M.Twyble, British League 1998 ) 13.c3
( 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.c3 Nc6 15.Nf5
Bxf5 16.Rxf5 is good too ) 13...Ndc6
14.Nf5 Nxf5 , a draw was agreed in C.
Flückiger-O.Cvitan, Swiss League
2006, and Black was probably quite
content with that since 15 exf5 leaves
White with excellent compensation for
the pawn. ]
12.Nf5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Kh8 14.Nd5
Nxd5 Black can do himself a favour by
being a little patient at this juncture.
[ White too has to be patient, even if
that seems counterintuitive when you
have just sacrificed a pawn: 14...Qd7
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
15.c3 Rad8 16.Qh5 ( rather than
rushing in, 16.a4 b6 17.g4
keeps control over the light squares
and provides White with good
compensation for the pawn, if not
necessarily any more than that )
16...Qe8 17.Qh3 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Ne7
19.Be6 d5 20.g4 Rd6 21.Bd2
Rxe6!? ( a valid sacrifice, though
21...Nc6 22.g5 fxg5 23.Bxg5 Nd8
looks to give Black the better chances
as White is forced to give up one of
his bishops ) 22.fxe6 Qc6 23.g5 f5
24.g6 Nxg6 25.Rxf5 Qxe6 26.Rxf8+
Nxf8 27.Qxe6 Nxe6 and Black is
doing fine with two pawns for the
exchange, B.Bujisho-E.Bacrot,
French League 2004, but there was
no reason for White to end up
losing. ]
15.Bxd5 Qb6 16.c4 Ne7?! A step in
the wrong direction. Having encouraged
White to play c2-c4, it is logical to put
the knight on d4 where it covers the f3-
square, while if Black can manage to
exchange it for the dark-squared bishop
(with a future ...Ne2+, say), his kingside
will be that much more secure.
17.Be6 d5?? QUESTION: Why would
Black decide to give up his extra pawn
in this fashion?
ANSWER: This is the kind of thing that
can typically happen when a dynamic
player is defending a passive position
without counterplay. Rather than
patiently sit tight they are inclined to try
and break out by giving up material in
order to activate their pieces.
[ Such strategies are sometimes
required, especially if the opponent's
initiative might easily build up to take
a decisive shape. You can imagine
Black being concerned here about
ideas like Qh5, g3-g4, and Rf3-h3,
when his king risks being mated. For
instance, 17...Rad8 18.Qh5 Qc6
19.g4 b5 20.Re1 bxc4 21.Re3
Ng8? ( or 21...Qe8 22.Qh4 Ng8
23.Rh3 h6 24.g5 fxg5 25.Bxg5
with a strong attack ) 22.Rh3 h6
23.Bxh6! Bxh6 24.Qg6 and White
wins. But this was hardly inevitable,
whereas Black's move makes matters
much worse. ]
[ Instead, he should just put the knight
back with 17...Nc6 , and if 18.Qh5
( not 18.Qxd6?? Rad8 and White
loses the queen ) 18...Nd4 19.Bd5
( or 19.Bf7 Ne2+! ) 19...Qb4
, Black's position looks perfectly
acceptable. ]
18.cxd5 c4+ 19.Kg2 Rfd8 20.Qf3
Rd6? Another mistake, though Black's
position is probably already beyond
repair.
EXERCISE: Can you spot how White
might have reached a winning position
very quickly?
21.Rd1
[ ANSWER: After 21.b3! cxb3 22.Ba3
Nc8 23.Bxd6 Nxd6 24.axb3
, White wins easily, having both the
extra material and the compensation.
But this idea doesn't go away. ]
21...Rad8
[ Even 21...Qa6!? doesn't really help:
22.b3! cxb3 23.Bb2 b5 ( 23...bxa2
24.Ba3 wins ) 24.axb3 is little better;
( and the computer even suggests
24.Bxe5!? fxe5 25.f6 . )]
22.b3! White doesn't miss his chance
the second time around. 22...c3 23.Ba3
c2 24.Rd3 Bh6 25.Qh5 c1Q 26.Bxc1
Bxc1 27.Rxc1 Qa5 28.Qf7
[ Faced now with 29 Qxf6 mate, or if
28.Qf7 Ng8 then 29.Rc7
, Black resigned. ]
1-0
130
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25
Narciso Dublan,M
Blomqvist,E
42: Barcelona 2011
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 The line covered in
the final two games of this chapter may
not be the most critical, but it has some
importance since it can also arise via
Chapter Two if White then continues
with f2-f4; e.g. 6 Be3 e5 7 Qd2 Nge7 8
f4 Nd4 9 Nf3 0-0 10 0-0.
[ Indeed, the current game, after
starting 2...d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6
5.d3 Bg7 , took an equivalent course
with 6.Be3 e5 7.f4 Nge7 8.Nf3 Nd4
9.0-0 0-0 and so on. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e5
7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Nd4
The most common reply, though Black
has a few alternatives.
[ a) 9...Bg4 10.Qd2 Bxf3?!
(there seems little reason to give up
the two bishops) ( instead, 10...Nd4
returns to the main game ) 11.Bxf3
( 11.Rxf3 is good too ) 11...exf4
12.Bxf4 Nd4 13.Bg2 Qb6?! ( here
13...Qd7 is preferable ) 14.Rab1 c4
15.Kh1 cxd3 16.Qxd3 and White has
the better chances, O.Romanishin-Z.
Kozul, Croatian League 1993. ]
[ b) 9...Rb8
A) 10.fxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5
( not 11...dxe5? since the c5-pawn
falls ) 12.Bh6 Re8 ( 12...Bg7
13.Qd2 is slightly better for White )
13.Bg5 Be6 14.Qf3 Qd7 15.Bh3?!
was seen in Joh.Franke-N.De
Firmian, German League 2002,
and now Nc6!? 16.Bxe6 fxe6
17.Bh6 b5 looks more promising
for Black, since White cannot
accomplish anything on the f-file.;
B) 10.Qd2 might be met by 10...b5 pinned?
; ( while 10...Nd4 transposes to the
next game. )]
[ c) 9...exf4 should be considered by
both sides at every stage:
A) 10.gxf4 f5!? (this leaves White
a tempo up on Game 29, having
played g3xf4 rather than g3-g4xf5)
( so 10...Bg4 11.Qd2 Qd7
might be preferred and already
seems quite pleasant for Black, L.
Tamarkin-G.Acholonu, Philadelphia
1993 ) 11.Qd2 Nd4 ( or 11...Rb8
12.a3 b6 13.Rae1 h6 14.Kh1
Be6 15.Rg1 Qd7 with a solid
position, B.Spassky-D.Minic, USSR-
Yugoslavia match 1965 ) 12.Kh1
Nec6 13.Rae1 Nxf3 14.Bxf3 fxe4
15.dxe4 Nd4 16.Bg2 Bg4 17.Nd5
, B.Kovacevic-M.Tratar, Zagreb
2008, and now after Be6 18.c3
Bxd5 19.exd5 Nf5 , the chances
are fairly level.;
B) 10.Bxf4 d5!? (very direct)
( 10...Nd4 is still possible, when
11.Qd2 transposes below; or else
10...h6 11.Qd2 Kh7 12.Rae1 Be6
13.Qf2 b6 14.h4 a6 15.e5 dxe5
16.Nxe5 Rc8 and Black has no
particular problems, Be.Larsen-F.
Hellers, Aarhus 1997 ) 11.exd5
Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.c3 Bg4
( 13...Qd8!? is more solid ) 14.h3
Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxf3 16.Bxf3 Rad8
17.Be3 Rxd3 18.Bxc5 Rc8
19.Rad1 Rxd1 20.Bxd1 b6
21.Be3 Ne5 22.Be2 and White
has somewhat better chances with
the bishop pair and queenside
pawn majority, M.Narciso Dublan-E.
Iturrizaga Bonelli, Barcelona
2011. ]
10.Qd2 Bg4 QUESTION: This looks a
little odd; why is Black playing the
bishop to g4 when the knight is not
131
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
ANSWER: The point is not to pin the
knight but to create the option of
exchanging on f3 a couple of times,
thus reducing White's potential to
generate an initiative.
[ Nevertheless, Black has several
other possibilities:
a) 10...Rb8 is examined in the next
game. ]
[ b) 10...Be6 11.Rf2 ( 11.Nh4!?
transposes to Game 53 ) 11...Qd7
( or 11...Qb6 12.Rb1 a5 13.h3
Rad8 14.Kh2 exf4 15.Bxf4 d5
16.Ng5 dxe4 17.Ngxe4 , when a
draw was agreed in V.Smirnov-V.
Dydyshko, Belarus Championship,
Minsk 2001 ) 12.Ng5 exf4 ( after
12...Rab8?! 13.Nxe6 Qxe6 14.Raf1
f5 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Bg5
, White stands very well, N.Short-M.
Rodriguez, Linares, Chile 2000 )
13.Bxf4 Nec6 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Raf1
Ne5 16.h3 b5 17.Nd1 a5 18.Kh1
b4 19.c3 Nb5 with mutual chances,
Li Ruifeng-S.Gindi, Chicago 2016. ]
[ c) 10...Nxf3+!? 11.Rxf3 exf4
12.Rxf4 ( for 12.Bxf4 see note 'd' )
12...Be6 13.Raf1 Qb6 (as we will
see in the main game, the queen is
often well placed here) ( 13...Qd7
is also perfectly playable ) 14.Qc1
(this leaves a rather artificial
impression) ( but 14.b3 Rae8
15.Ne2 Nc6 should not cause Black
any problems ) 14...Rae8 15.R4f2
Nc6 16.h3 Qd8 (going back to d7
after all) ( instead, 16...Nd4
, followed by ...Be5, may be better for
Black ) 17.Bh6 Qd7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7
19.Kh2 f6 20.Ne2?! d5 21.exd5
Bxd5 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 23.Nc3 Qe5
now favours Black in view of his
more coordinated pieces and White's
weakened structure around the king,
M.Narciso Dublan-A.Gonzalez Perez,
Vallfogona de Balaguer (rapid) 2013. ]
[ d) 10...exf4 is again possible:
A) 11.Bxf4 Nxf3+ 12.Rxf3 ( or
12.Bxf3 Qb6 13.Rab1 Be6
14.Kg2 Rae8 15.a3 Qd8 16.Bh6
Qd7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 with roughly
even chances, M.Narciso Dublan-F.
Peralta, Barcelona 2009 ) 12...Qb6
( or 12...Be6 13.Bh6 Nc6 14.Bxg7
Kxg7 15.Raf1 Qe7 16.Rf4 Rad8
17.Nd1 d5 18.exd5 Bxd5
and nothing much else happened
in V.Smyslov-M.Tal, Russian
Team Championship 1962 ) 13.Rb1
Be6 14.Bh6 (exchanging bishops
makes sense because Black's is
clearly the stronger piece) ( 14.Bg5
Nc6 15.Be3 Ne5 16.Rff1 Ng4
17.Bf4 c4+ 18.Kh1 cxd3 19.cxd3
Bd4 20.h3 Ne3 21.Rfe1 Nxg2
22.Kxg2 Qc6 23.Be3 Bh8
and Black has the better chances,
Be.Larsen-L.Portisch, 1st
matchgame, Rotterdam 1977 )
14...Rae8 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Kh1
f6! (shutting down White's
prospects on the kingside) 17.a3
d5 18.b4!? (White has to seek
active counterplay and the
queenside is now the only option)
cxb4 19.Rxb4 Qc7 20.Nb5 Qd7
21.Nd4 Bg8 22.Re3 Nc6 23.Nxc6
Qxc6 is more or less equal, Mi.
Adams-V.Kramnik, FIDE World
Championship (rapid playoff), Las
Vegas 1999.;
B) 11.gxf4 f5 was seen via 9...
exf4 10 gxf4 above; ( 11...Bg4
might now be met by 12.f5!? Bxf3
13.Bxf3 gxf5 14.Bh6 fxe4
15.Nxe4 with some play for the
pawn, De.Schumacher-S.Gramlich,
Marburg 2000, though Black isn't
really in any danger. )]
11.Rf2 Doubling rooks on the f-file is the
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
standard plan;
[ but White often inserts 11.Nh4
first, mainly in order to avoid
exchanges; e.g. exf4 12.Bxf4 Qd7
13.Rf2 Rae8 and now:
A) 14.Raf1 b5 15.Bh6 b4
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nd1 f6
( more solid than 17...Bxd1
18.Qxd1 d5 19.c3 bxc3 20.bxc3
Ndc6 21.Qf3 d4 22.Qf6+ Kg8
, O.Romanishin-Jo.Horvath,
European Cup, Balatonbereny
1993, when 23.Nf3! dxc3 24.Qxc3
gives White the better chances )
18.Ne3 Be6 19.c3 bxc3 20.bxc3
Ndc6 21.c4 Ne5 22.Nf3 N7c6
23.Nxe5 Nxe5 nd Black is doing
well, A.Krapivin-A.Zabotin, Vladimir
2006.;
B) 14.Bh6 Bxh6 ( or 14...f6
15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Raf1 b6
and once more the game is fairly
balanced, V.Malaniuk-O.Kalinin,
Polanica Zdroj 1998 ) 15.Qxh6 b5
16.h3 Be6 17.Raf1 Qd8?!
(wasting time) ( 17...b4 18.Nb1 f6!
should be safe enough, since 19.c3
Ndc6 20.Rxf6 Rxf6 21.Rxf6 Ne5
gives Black good play for the
pawn ) 18.Nb1 (with the dangerous
plan of Nd2, c2-c3 and Ndf3-g5)
d5? ( 18...f6 was now essential )
19.Nd2 dxe4 ( or 19...c4 20.c3
Ndc6 21.d4 b4 22.g4 with a very
strong attack ) 20.Nxe4 Nef5
21.Rxf5 Nxf5 22.Rxf5! Qd4+ ( or
22...Bxf5 23.Nxf5 gxf5 24.Nf6+
etc ) 23.Rf2 f5 24.Ng5 Qg7
25.Qxg7+ Kxg7 26.Bc6 h6
27.Nxe6+ Rxe6 28.Bxb5
and White won in B.Adhiban-D.
Andreikin, Wijk aan Zee 2017
(which actually arose via 1 e4 e5 2
Nc3). ]
11...exf4 QUESTION: Although we've
seen it several times already, I'm not
sure I understand this exchange. Isn't
Black giving up his control of the centre
and activating White's pieces?
ANSWER: A very good question! Well,
as far as activating the pieces goes:
after the exchange on f4, the bishop on
g7 really comes to life and becomes a
major factor. Black doesn't need pawns
in the centre to fight for the centre and,
furthermore, the possibility of f4-f5 is
ruled out. The pawn exchange is
therefore a typical idea, both in this line
and with colours reversed in the
Botvinnik English.
[ All the same, Black is not forced to
play this way (or at least not yet) and
has also tried:
a) 11...Rc8 12.Raf1 Qd7 13.Nh4
b5?! ( here 13...exf4 is definitely best,
when 14.Bxf4 b5 still offers mutual
chances ) 14.f5! (this is exactly what
Black should strive to avoid; now
White gains the initiative at the cost of
a pawn) gxf5 15.h3 ( 15.Bh6!? f6
16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.h3 Bh5 18.Nd5!
Nxd5 19.exd5 is also promising )
15...f4 16.gxf4 exf4 17.Bxf4 Bxh3
18.Qe3 ( here too 18.Bh6!
looks good ) 18...Bxg2?! (now the
trouble really starts to build) ( 18...Bg4
19.Bh6 f6 may hold up better for
Black, though White obviously has
excellent compensation for the pawn )
19.Rxg2 Ng6 20.Qg3 Kh8
, A.Muzychuk-W.Ju, Beijing (blitz)
2011, and now 21.Bxd6! Rfe8 22.Nf5
is absolutely terrible for Black. ]
[ b) 11...b5!? 12.Raf1 ( instead,
12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Raf1 f6 is about
even; White might consider 12.f5!?
again, though Black is probably fine
here, e.g. gxf5 13.Nh4 b4 14.Nd1
f4 15.gxf4 Ng6 16.Nf5 Bxf5 17.exf5
Nxf5 18.fxe5 Nxe3 19.Nxe3 Bxe5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Bxa8 Qxa8 and Black has quite
enough for the exchange ) 12...exf4
13.Bxf4 b4 14.Nd1 Bxf3 15.Bxf3
Nxf3+ 16.Rxf3 d5 (Black is already
doing rather well, and it soon got
even better) 17.Nf2 Nc6 18.Ng4?!
dxe4 19.Bg5? Qd4+ 20.Be3 Qxb2
and Black is pretty much a pawn up
for nothing, K.Movsziszian-Ni Hua,
Benasque 2013. ]
12.Bxf4 Qb6!? A typical deployment in
this variation: Black applies pressure on
b2 as well as indirectly on the a7-g1
diagonal.
[ But again there are other reasonable
moves:
a) 12...Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Bxf3 14.Rxf3
d5 is also completely okay for Black;
e.g. 15.Kg2 ( or 15.Re1 Qd7 16.Bh6
Rae8 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qf4 d4
19.Ne2 Nc6 20.Qf6+ Kg8
, followed by Ne5 and Black has
nothing much to worry about ) 15...d4
16.Nd1 f5 17.Nf2 Qd7 18.Rf1 Rae8
19.b3 b6 20.exf5 Nxf5 21.Ne4 Qc6
22.Qf2 Qa8 and a draw was agreed
in K.Keosidi-P.Maletin, Tomsk 2009. ]
[ b) 12...Qd7 13.Raf1 ( 13.Nh4
returns to the 11 Nh4 line above )
13...Nxf3+ ( or 13...Rae8 14.Bh6
Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Bh3 16.Bg2 Bxg2
17.Kxg2 , M.Narciso Dublan-Ad.
Horvath, Vandoeuvre les Nancy 2013,
and now d5 , when the energetic
18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.d4!? can be met
by dxe4 20.dxc5 Qc6 21.Qd4+ f6
22.Qxe4 Nf5 23.Qxc6 bxc6 24.Nd1
Re5 with a level endgame ) 14.Bxf3
Bxf3 (as we noted above, Black aims
to neutralize any potential initiative by
exchanging as many minor pieces as
possible) 15.Rxf3
A) 15...b5 16.Bh6 b4 17.Bxg7
Kxg7 18.Nd1 ( or 18.Ne2 Rae8
and if 19.Qg5 then Ng8 ) 18...f6
( 18...f5!? is possible too ) 19.Ne3
Qe6 20.a3 a5 21.Rf4 Rf7
22.Qg2 Raf8 23.g4 and while
White has some initiative to work
with, Black's position is ultimately
perfectly solid and playable, N.
Short-I.Nataf, FIDE World
Championship, New Delhi/Tehran
2000.;
B) Alternatively, 15...d5
looks fine, when Donev gives
16.Bg5 ( while 16.Bh6 d4 17.Bxg7
Kxg7 18.Ne2 f5 seems safe
enough ) 16...d4 17.Ne2 Nc6
18.Bf6 Ne5 19.Bxe5 Bxe5
as equal. ]
13.Rb1 Nxf3+
[ Black carries out his plan of
exchanging pieces, although there's
no real urgency about it, and he
could obtain a pleasant game with
simply 13...Rad8 . ]
14.Bxf3 Bxf3 15.Rxf3 Rad8 16.Bh6
QUESTION: It looks like White is
making progress; is that correct?
ANSWER: Yes and no. Exchanging
dark-squared bishops is usually
something White wants to achieve.
However, in this case Black is fine: his
pieces are well coordinated, in fact more
so than White's, and there are no
immediate issues regarding the king's
safety.
16...d5 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qf2!?
Preparing to triple on the f-file.
[ White does not gain anything from
18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Rxd5
20.Qc3+ f6 , which is at least equal
for Black and perhaps even slightly
better. ]
18...d4 19.Rf1 f5!? A very committal
move.
[ On 19...f6 ,
A) my computer endorses the
forcing 20.Na4!? Qc6 21.Nxc5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qxc5 22.Rxf6 Nc6 ( or similarly
22...Ng8 23.Rf7+ Rxf7 24.Qxf7+
Kh8 25.Qxb7 Qxc2 26.Rf7 Qd1+
and it is Black's turn to give the
checks ) 23.Rf7+ Rxf7 24.Qxf7+
Kh8 25.Qf6+ with perpetual check.
; probably be okay if he plays
B) Presumably Blomqvist did not
like the prospect of defending
passively after 20.Ne2 , followed
by Nf4, c2-c4 and g2-g4; e.g.
20...Qe6 21.Nf4 Qxa2!? 22.c4
Qa6 23.g4 ( or 23.b4!? cxb4
24.Qb2 ) 23...h6 24.h4 and White
has the initiative, even if there is
no definite way through. ]
20.exf5 Rxf5 21.g4 QUESTION: It
seems that White's attack is finally
beginning to gain momentum?
ANSWER: It sure does; but in fact,
while being forcing, the text isn't
objectively the best move – far from it.
[ The alternatives are more interesting:
a) 21.Ne4?! is met by Rdf8!
, when White has to be careful:
22.Rxf5 Rxf5 23.Qd2! Rxf1+
( 23...Qxb2!? 24.Re1 Nd5 25.Nd6
Ne3 26.Nxf5+ gxf5 may give Black
enough for the exchange but certainly
no more than that ) 24.Kxf1 Qxb2
25.Qf4 and the combination of queen
and knight around the black king
should provide perpetual check; e.g.
Qb1+ 26.Kg2 Qxc2+ 27.Kh3 Nf5
28.Qe5+ Kh6 29.Qf4+ Kg7 etc. ]
[ b) 21.Rxf5 Nxf5 ( 21...gxf5? 22.Ne2
Rf8 23.Nf4 Ng6 24.Re1 is obviously
good for White with his safer king )
22.Ne4 h5 23.Qf4 Re8 24.h3 ( or
24.b3 Qc6 ) 24...Qe6! ( not
24...Qxb2?? 25.Qg5 and wins ) 25.g4
( or 25.Nxc5 Qe3+ ) 25...hxg4
26.hxg4 Ne3 27.Nxc5 Qxg4+
28.Qxg4 Nxg4 29.Nb3 Rd8 30.Rf4
Ne5 31.Kg2 Nc6 32.Nc5 and White
is perhaps a touch better in the
endgame. ]
[ c) 21.Qe2!? is probably the best try;
e.g. Qc7 22.Ne4 h6 23.g4 Rxf3
24.Qxf3 Nd5 25.g5 and White has
the initiative, though Black should
precisely. ]
21...Rxf3 22.Qxf3 dxc3 23.Qf7+
Kh6?? A terrible blunder. I'm not sure
what possessed Black to send the king
out on his own. If he perhaps thought
there was no difference between h6 and
h8, he was in for a shock.
[ Instead, 23...Kh8 24.Qxe7 c4+!
25.Kg2 Qc6+ 26.Kh3 ( 26.Kg1
Qb6+ repeats; while 26.Kg3 Qd6+
leads to a drawn endgame ) 26...Qe8!
is the only defence, but it's good
enough; e.g. 27.Qxb7 cxd3 28.Rf7
Qe3+ 29.Kg2 Qe2+ and Black gives
endless checks. ]
EXERCISE: How does White win? Try to
calculate the variations in your head first.
Only if necessary work the out the win
by moving the pieces on the board.
ANSWER: 24.g5+!
[ Not 24.Qxe7? cxb2! ( 24...c4+
25.Kg2 Qc6+ 26.Kh3 Qd7! 27.Qf6!
cxb2 28.Re1! is less clear ) 25.g5+
Kh5 26.Qe2+ Kxg5 27.Qe3+ Kh5
and White has to take perpetual
check. ]
24...Kh5
[ Or 24...Kxg5 25.Qxe7+ Kh5 26.Rf7
Rh8 ( 26...c4+ 27.Kf1
doesn't change anything ) 27.Rf3!
and the black king has no defence. ]
25.Qf3+ Kxg5 26.Qe3+ Kh5 27.Qh3+
Kg5 28.Qe3+ Kh5 QUESTION: Hold
on, this looks like the same position as
after 24 Qxe7 etc above, except that
Black has an extra knight!
ANSWER: There is one other crucial
difference; so in case you hadn't found
135
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
the win before, let's ask the question
again.
EXERCISE: How does White win?
ANSWER: 29.Rf7! The black king is
once more surrounded. Note that White
couldn't play this at the end of the 24
Qxe7 line, since Black would promote
his b-pawn with check, whereas here
the pawn is still on c3.
29...h6?! This loses on the spot.
[ But 29...Rh8 isn't really any better:
30.Rxe7 Qf6 31.Re5+ g5 32.Qe2+
Kg6 33.Re6 and White wins easily. ]
30.Qf3+ Kg5 31.h4+
1-0
B25
Krapivin,A
Rakhmanov,A
43: Russian Junior Ch, St Petersburg
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e5 7.Qd2 Nge7
8.f4 Nd4 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0 Rb8
This time Black opts for the standard
queenside attack. 11.Rf2
[ Doubling on the f-file is the most
natural continuation, though White
has also tried various others:
a) 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Bh6
doesn't achieve very much: then b5
( and 12...f6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7
is much the same ) 13.Bxg7
transposes to Krapivin-Larino Nieto in
the notes to Game 8; ( while 13.Rf2
transposes to the next note. )]
[ b) 11.Nh4 exf4 (there is no reason
to allow f4-f5) 12.Bxf4 b5 13.Rae1
b4 14.Nd1 Be6 ( 14...Nec6!?
might improve, leaving the e6-square
for the other knight ) 15.c3 bxc3
16.bxc3 Ndc6 17.Nf3 Ne5 18.Bh6
Nxf3+ 19.Rxf3 Nc6 20.Bxg7 Kxg7
21.Rf2 Ne5 22.Ne3 c4 23.dxc4
Bxc4 is roughly even, T.Stepovaia-
Wang Pin, Russia-China match,
Shanghai 2001. ]
[ c) 11.Nd1 b5 12.c3 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3
b4 ( 13...exf4 14.Bxf4 Be6 15.d4
cxd4 16.cxd4 Qb6 17.Be3 d5
is also quite level, R.Disconzi da Silva-
R.Leitao, Brazilian Championship
1995 ) 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.d4 bxc3
16.bxc3 cxd4 17.cxd4 Bg7 18.Nc3
Ba6 19.Rfc1 f5 with chances for
both sides, E.Khaskelman-A.
Evchenko, Kiev 1998. ]
11...b5 12.Raf1
[ White tested 12.fxe5 dxe5
in a few old games without getting
anywhere:
A) 13.Ne2 b4 14.Raf1 Qd6
15.Nc1 a5 16.Nh4 f6 17.c3 bxc3
18.bxc3 Ne6 19.Nf3
( here Dolmatov notes 19.Nb3 a4
20.Na5 Ba6 , which is also more or
less balanced ) 19...a4 20.Qc2
Bd7 21.Nd2 Nc8 and here a draw
was prematurely agreed in I.Bilek-A.
Gipslis, Moscow 1967. Dolmatov
gives a sample continuation 22.Nc4
Qa6 23.Bd2 Nd6 24.Ne3
, when it is obvious that Black has
no problems.;
B) 13.Bh6 b4 ( or 13...f6 14.Bxg7
Kxg7 15.Raf1 Qd6 16.Nd1 Be6
17.Ne3 a5 18.Nh4 a4 and Black
is fine, E.Reicher-V.Ciocaltea,
Rumanian Championship, Sinaia
1975 ) 14.Nd1 f6 15.Bxg7 Kxg7
16.Ne3 a5 17.Raf1 Qc7 18.c4
Be6 19.Kh1 Rbd8 20.Rc1 Nc8?!
saw another premature peace
accord in J.Kovacevic-J.Barle,
Slovenj Gradec 1968. Here White
might try something like 21.Nd5
Bxd5 22.cxd5 Qe7 23.Nxd4 cxd4
24.Rc6 with the initiative, so 20...
136
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Nxf3 and 21...Nc6 was preferable
with a level game. ]
12...f6 QUESTION: Why does Black
play this move so soon? Isn't it better to
wait until White has either played f4-f5
or exchanged dark-squared bishops with
Bh6 etc?
ANSWER: Certainly there is no real
hurry to play ...f7-f6; on the other hand,
the position is hardly of a forcing nature,
so there is no firm rule either.
[ Black could equally continue 12...b4
, when 13.Nd1 Nxf3+ 14.Rxf3 Bg4
15.R3f2 exf4 16.gxf4?! ( 16.Rxf4
is better, but then Bxd1 17.Qxd1
Bh6 18.R4f3 Bxe3+ 19.Rxe3 Nc6
is simple for Black ) 16...f5
( 16...Bxd1!? 17.Qxd1 Bxb2
is possible too ) 17.c4 Qc7 18.h3
Bh5 19.b3 Kh8 left Black with the
initiative in V.Slovineanu-A.Istratescu,
Bucharest 2001. ]
13.h3 Bb7 14.g4 White proceeds with
the direct plan of a kingside attack.
14...Qd7
[ If necessary, Black could prevent his
opponent's next by playing something
like 14...Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 exf4 16.Bxf4
b4 17.Nd1 Nc6 , but Rakhmanov
rightly sees no reason to be
concerned. ]
[ Not 14...exf4?! 15.Bxd4 . ]
15.f5
[ If White delays this move in favour
on transferring the knight to the
kingside with 15.Ne2 , Black probably
would exchange on f4; e.g. b4
16.Ng3 exf4 17.Bxf4 Ne6 18.Bh6
Nc6 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 and it is
anybody's game. ]
15...Rbc8
[ Trying to close the kingside at this
point with 15...g5? would be a
serious mistake in view of 16.Nxg5!
fxg5 17.f6 and White regains the
piece with advantage. ]
16.Nh4!? Very provocative; White is so
keen to see ...g6-g5 that he is willing to
sacrifice two tempi as an inducement.
16...gxf5 Rakhmanov refuses to be
provoked.
[ I'm not sure I like this decision; it
isn't incorrect per se, but 16...g5
17.Nf3 Nxf3+ 18.Rxf3 ( or similarly
18.Bxf3 b4 19.Ne2 d5 ) 18...b4
19.Ne2 d5 looks quite promising for
Black. Note that 20.Bxg5? fxg5 21.f6
fails to dxe4 22.Qxg5 ( or 22.R3f2
e3! 23.Qxe3 Bxg2 ) 22...Rf7 23.dxe4
Bxe4 24.fxg7 Bxf3 25.Bxf3 Qd6
and White does not have enough for
the exchange. ]
17.exf5
[ QUESTION: I'm not sure I
understand this move. Why recapture
with the e-pawn and leave the centre
to Black? Wouldn't it be better to open
the g-file by taking with the g-pawn, or
with 17.Nxf5 Nexf5 inserted first?
ANSWER: That's an excellent
question! White probably felt that
his chances of a successful attack
were better with the use of an extra
pawn on the kingside rather than in
the centre; and taking with the e-pawn
also lets the g2-bishop out of his
pawn cage. All the same, personally I
would have preferred your
suggestion. ]
17...d5 18.Nd1 Qd6 Protecting the c5-
pawn as 19 c3 Ndc6 20 Bxc5 was
threatened.
[ The alternative was 18...b4 19.c3
( or 19.Bh6 Rf7 ) 19...bxc3 20.bxc3
Nb5 21.Bh6 ( 21.c4?! Nd6 22.cxd5
Nxd5 favours Black ) 21...Bxh6 ( or
21...Rf7 22.Bxg7 Rxg7 23.Nf3 Qd6 )
22.Qxh6 Nd6 23.Ng6 Rf7 ( not
23...hxg6? 24.fxg6 Nc6? due to
25.Bxd5+ ) 24.Nxe7+ Qxe7
137
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and Black should be able to defend. ]
19.Bh6 Ndc6?? I have no idea why
Black retreated the knight unprompted.
[ 19...Rf7! was correct, so as to be
able to recapture on g7 with the rook.
Then I actually prefer Black's position, that is not the topic of our book. )]
though it's pretty unclear who is
best. ]
20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.g5! White's plan
from move 17 is coming to fruition; Black
is now in serious trouble. 21...Kh8
[ If 21...Rg8 , hoping for 22.gxf6+
Qxf6 , then 23.Qe2! and Qh5 is very
strong. ]
22.gxf6 Ng8? This loses on the spot.
[ Black had to play 22...Rxf6
, despite the fact that 23.Ne3 Rg8
24.Ng4 Rg7 25.Nxf6 Qxf6 26.Nf3
, followed by Nh2-g4, is very
promising for White. ]
[ Note that 22...Qxf6 would lost in
similar fashion: 23.Ng6+! hxg6
24.Qh6+ Kg8 25.fxg6 Qg7 26.Rxf8+
Rxf8 27.Qh7+! Qxh7 28.gxh7+ Kxh7
29.Rxf8 with a winning endgame. ]
EXERCISE: How should White continue?
ANSWER: 23.Ng6+! hxg6 24.fxg6
Black is helpless against the threat of
Qg5 and Qh5+. 24...Rxf6 25.Rxf6
Nxf6 26.Qh6+
[ Black resigned in view of 26.Qh6+
Kg8 27.Rxf6 Qxf6 28.Bxd5+
and mates. ]
1-0
B25
Fedorov,A
Van Wely,L
44: Riga (rapid) 2014
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
[ This game featured a rather unusual
move order: 2.d3 Nc6 3.g3 g6
4.Bg2 Bg7 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.0-0
0-0 and only now 8.Nc3 .
( At this point White has the
additional option of 8.c3 , entering a
system known as the "Big Clamp"; but
2...Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6
6.f4 Nf6 7.Nf3 The most logical
development for the knight.
[ Instead:
a) 7.Nge2 0-0 8.0-0 Rb8 9.h3
is examined via 6 Nge2 Nf6 in
Chapter Ten (see Games 56 and 57).
Ba.Jobava-I.Nepomniachtchi,
Russian Team Championship 2014,
saw both players trying to be more
creative: Nd7 10.e5 Nd4 11.exd6
exd6 12.Ne4 Nf6 13.Nxd4 cxd4
14.Nxf6+ Bxf6 15.f5 Be5 16.Bh6
Bxf5 17.Qd2 with chances for both
sides in a rather obscure position. ]
[ b) 7.Nh3 makes less sense here due
to Bg4 ( 7...0-0 8.0-0 is seen in the
notes to Game 52 ) 8.Qd2 Nd4 9.0-0
Qd7 10.Nf2 and Black has equalized
already, S.Cao-I.Ak Shariful, Asian
Team Championship, Kuala Lumpur
1993. ]
[ c) 7.h3 is a significant alternative,
however, since it prevents Black from
playing ...Bg4 (as in Game 46), after
which 7...0-0 8 Nf3 Rb8 9 h3 just
transposes to our main line. Black
has no particular reason to avoid this,
but some players have aimed to so do
anyway. For example:
A) 7...0-0 8.Nf3 ( 8.Nge2 Rb8
9.0-0 lands up in Chapter Ten
again ) 8...Ne8 9.0-0 Nc7 10.Be3
b6 11.Qd2 Bb7 12.f5 d5 13.Bh6
dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nd4? ( 14...gxf5
15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qg5+ Kh8
is not necessarily fatal ) 15.Nh4
Bxe4 16.Bxe4 Bxh6 17.Qxh6
Qd6 18.Kh2 Rae8 19.fxg6 fxg6
138
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Nxg6 with a decisive attack, V.
Smyslov-G.Ilivitzki, USSR
Championship, Moscow 1952.;
B) 7...e5 8.Nge2 ( 8.Nf3?! Nh5!
is annoying ) 8...Nh5?! , as in K.
Soldatenkov-S.Beshukov, St
Petersburg 1999, seems somewhat
dubious in view of 9.f5! gxf5
10.exf5 Nf6 11.Bg5 and Black
lacks counterplay, since Ne7
12.g4 ( 12.Ne4!? Nxe4 13.dxe4
is another option ) 12...d5 13.Ng3
leaves the centre looking fragile. ]
7...0-0 The usual move;
[ 7...Rb8 will likely transpose below as
and when Black decides to castle; e.g.
8.0-0 b5 9.a3 0-0 10.h3 and so on.
] Sukhumi (2nd matchgame) 1968. ]
[ The main alternative 7...Bg4
is examined in Game 46. ]
8.0-0
[ Here too 8.h3 is possible, if White
prefers. The text allows Bg4
again, which was in fact the route
taken to Game 36. ]
8...Rb8 The plans of both sides are
apparent: White will try and organize an
attack on the kingside, whereas Black
will strive to get counterplay on the
queenside.
[ As usual, 8...a6 is less accurate,
since a subsequent ...b7-b5 and a2-
a3 will mean that Black cannot then
play ...b5-b4 and ...a5xb4 without
wasting another tempo with the a-
pawn. ]
9.h3
[ White sometimes opts for 9.a4
, after which a6 10.h3 b5 11.axb5
axb5 12.Be3 ( or 12.g4 ) 12...b4
reaches our main line; the current
game did in fact take this route. ]
[ Instead, the first Spassky-Geller
game saw 9.Nh4 Nd4
( by transposition, 9...Bd7 10.f5 b5
11.Bg5 b4 12.Nd5 a5 13.Kh1 Ne5
14.Qd2 Bc6 was equal in B.Spassky-
T.V.Petrosian, World Championship,
17th matchgame, Moscow 1966; and
9...Ng4!? is good too ) 10.f5 b5
11.Bg5 b4 12.Nb1?! ( better is
12.Ne2 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Nd7
14.Rab1 Rb6 15.Qd2 Ra6 16.Bh6
Rxa2 17.fxg6 fxg6 18.e5! e6
19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.exd6 with chances
for both sides, A.Medina Garcia-V.
Korchnoi, Palma de Mallorca 1968 )
12...Nd7 13.Nd2 Ne5 14.Kh1 a5
15.Rb1 a4 16.Nhf3 Nexf3 17.Nxf3
Nb5 18.Qd2 a3 and Black had a
pleasant position until he went wrong
in time trouble, B.Spassky-E.Geller,
9...b5 10.a3 This was Spassky's
improvement in his match with Geller.
[ Previously White continued directly
on the kingside with 10.g4
, which we will examine in the next
game. By inserting 10 a3 a5 and then
11...b4 12 axb4 axb4, White tries to
reduce the effectiveness of the
opposing pawn storm by ruling out
the possibility of ...a5-a4-a3 (as
Geller played in the previous note).
Instead, Black will generally
concentrate on taking control of the a-
file with a later ...Ra8 and use it to
infiltrate White's queenside. ]
10...a5 11.Be3
[ White frequently plays 11.g4 b4
12.axb4 axb4 13.Ne2 as well.
Leaving the c1-bishop at home keeps
the b2-pawn protected while White
attempts to make progress on the
kingside, but it does allow Black an
additional option (see line 'c' below):
A) 13...Bb7 14.Ng3?! (the knight
does not do much here) ( 14.Be3
transposes to 14 g4 in the main
game ) 14...Qc7 15.Be3 Nd7
139
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
16.Rb1 Ra8 17.Qc1 Ra2 18.f5
Nce5 19.Ne1 Rfa8 20.Bh6 Bh8
21.Qg5 Qd8 22.Qf4 Qe8 23.h4
b3 24.c3 Ba6 25.Qd2 Nxg4
and Black is clearly better, P.Blatny-
R.Kalod, Czech League 2001.;
B) 13...Nd7 14.g5 ( note that the
desirable plan of f4-f5, Qe1-h4 and
Bh6 is too slow; e.g. 14.f5 Bb7
15.Qe1 Nde5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5
17.Qh4? b3! and White's position
is collapsing, D.Larino Nieto-A.
Shomoev, European Championship,
Budva 2009 ) 14...Bb7 15.h4!?
Nd4 16.Nexd4 cxd4 17.b3 f5
18.gxf6 Nxf6 19.Ng5 Bc8 20.f5
with chances for both sides, A.
Gelman-B.Arkhangelsky, Moscow
1999.;
C) 13...c4!? (this is perhaps the
main reason for developing the
white bishop earlier) 14.Be3 ( both
14.dxc4?! Qb6+ 15.Kh2 Nxe4;
and 14.e5!? Qb6+ 15.Kh1 cxd3
16.Qxd3 appear to favour Black )
14...Bb7 ( or 14...b3!? 15.c3 cxd3
16.Qxd3 Qc7 17.Nfd4 Na5 18.f5
Nc4 19.Bc1 Bb7 20.Nf4 Ne5
21.Qe2 Ra8 22.Rxa8 Rxa8
23.Re1 Ra1 24.g5 Nfd7
with the initiative, A.Rabinovich-V.
Akopian, New York Open 1994 )
15.Ng3 ( or 15.f5 b3 16.c3 cxd3
17.Qxd3 Nd7 18.Nf4 Nce5
19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Qe2 Bc6
21.Rfd1 Ra8 22.Nd5 Bxd5
23.exd5 Qc7 with a pleasant
position for Black, M.Simons-J.
Emms, British League 2002 )
15...cxd3 16.cxd3 Ra8 17.Qb3
Nd7 18.d4 Qb6 19.Rxa8 Rxa8
20.Rd1 Na5 21.Qd3 Rc8 22.e5?!
, D.Petrosian-H.Gabuzyan,
Yerevan 2012, and now Ba6
looks very good for Black. ]
11...b4 Advancing the b-pawn is the
logical continuation but it is not
essential to do so at once.
[ Black has occasionally tried 11...Nd7
12.Rb1 and now Nd4!? ( otherwise
12...b4 13.axb4 axb4 14.Ne2
transposes to 13...Nd7 14 Rb1
below ) 13.Ne2 ( or 13.g4 b4
14.axb4 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Bd4!?
16.Qd2 Bxe3+ 17.Qxe3 cxb4
18.Ne2 Qc7 with chances for both
sides, A.Shimanov-A.Vovk, Turkish
League 2011 ) 13...e5 14.f5 d5
15.g4 dxe4 16.dxe4 b4 17.Ng3 Nb6
and Black has solved his opening
problems rather successfully, L.
McShane-Zhang Pengxiang, Tiayuan
2005. ]
12.axb4 axb4 13.Ne2 QUESTION:
These variations are looking incredibly
similar and seem to transpose from one
to another. Is it very important to get the
move order exactly right?
ANSWER: In most lines there are a few
moves that are similar and which reach
approximately the same positions. What
the players must be alert to are subtle
differences where tactical and positional
opportunities arise that are not part of
the main flow; for instance, Black
throwing in ...c5-c4, ...b4-b3, or even ...
d6-d5, and for White d3-d4 or e4-e5,
after which the opponent will not be able
to play routinely. This could be because
of an unprotected piece or some other
reason.
13...Bb7 Black develops the bishop to
its optimum diagonal, while preparing to
seize the a-file with ...Ra8.
[ The fact that c6-knight is now
defended also creates the option of ...
c5-c4, which is dubious at this
moment since 13...c4?! 14.dxc4
Nxe4 15.Nh4 uncovers a skewer on
the long light diagonal, and Na5
140
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
16.Bxe4 Bxh3 does not give Black
enough. ]
[ The main alternative is to retreat the
f6-knight, uncovering the g7-bishop
on the long dark diagonal and forcing
White to defend b2, albeit with slight
drawback of releasing the pressure
against the e4-pawn so that ...c5-c4
ceases to be an option:
a) 13...Ne8!? (setting off on a
roundabout manoeuvre to the d4-
square) 14.Rb1 Nc7 ( surprisingly,
14...Bd7 15.g4 would transpose to
Game 24, but obviously d7 is not the
best square for the bishop here )
15.Qd2 Nb5 16.c3 ( 16.f5 Nbd4
17.Nh4 Nxe2+ 18.Qxe2 Ne5 19.Nf3
Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Bb7 led to a draw in
the classic game S.Reshevsky-V.
Korchnoi, 5th matchgame,
Amsterdam 1968 ) 16...Ba6 17.f5
bxc3 18.bxc3 Nc7 19.g4 Rxb1
20.Rxb1 d5 21.exd5 Nxd5 22.Bf2
Qa5 with chances for both sides, H.
Bastian-G.Sosonko, Hanover 1983. ]
[ b) 13...Nd7 and now:
A) 14.Qc1!? (this ambitious
attempt to maintain the queenside
undisturbed ultimately proves
unsuccessful) Bb7 15.g4 Ra8
16.Rb1 Ra2 17.Kh1 Ba6 18.Rd1
Qb6 19.f5 Nd4 20.Nf4 Nxf3
21.Bxf3 Ne5 22.Bg2 Bb7 23.Rf1
Rfa8 24.Qd2 Bc6 25.Qf2 Qb7
26.Qh4 b3! 27.cxb3 , L.McShane-
A.Volokitin, German League 2006,
and now Qxb3! 28.Qxe7 Bf8
29.Qf6 Re8 30.fxg6 hxg6 31.Qe7
Qb8! intending ...R2a7-b7 looks
good for Black, as White has to
address issues with both his queen
and queenside. ( 31...-- );
B) 14.Rb1
B1) 14...Bb7 15.g4 Ra8 16.c4
( not 16.b3 e6 17.g5 Ne7
18.Ng3 d5 19.f5? dxe4
20.dxe4 exf5 21.exf5
, when Black suddenly gets to
play all the moves he wants: Nd5
22.Bd2 Qc7 23.Ne2 Rfe8 24.f6
Bf8 25.c4 Ne3 26.Bxe3 Rxe3
and Black is very much on the
way to winning, J.Bejtovic-P.H.
Nielsen, Swedish League 2011 )
16...e6 17.g5 Re8 18.h4 d5
19.e5 Ne7 20.Ng3 Qc7 21.Bf2
Nf5 and it is anybody's game, N.
Short-G.Kasparov, Zürich 2001,
although Black was steadily
outplayed from here and was
perhaps relieved when White
later accepted a draw.;
B2) Better than 14...Qb6 15.g4
Ra8 16.Qe1! , when Nd4
( 16...Ra2?! can be met simply
by 17.Qh4! ) 17.Nexd4 cxd4
18.Bf2 e5 19.f5 Ra2 20.g5
Re8 21.Nd2 reaches a sharp
position where Black has to
defend more precisely, A.
Fedorov-T.Gelashvili, Dubai
2002.;
B3) Note that the immediate
14...Ra8 allows White to change
the game with 15.e5!? and if
dxe5 16.Nxe5 Ndxe5 17.fxe5
Qb6 18.d4 Rd8 19.dxc5 Qc7
20.Qe1 Bxe5 , as given by
Fedorov, then 21.Qf2 f6 22.Nf4
with a slight initiative, though
Black probably has little to fear. ]
14.b3 Spassky's second improvement
against Geller.
[ The fourth game of the match
continued 14.Qd2 Ra8 15.Rab1
Qa5 16.b3 Rfc8 ( the later
suggestion 16...d5 17.e5 d4
looks good too, and if 18.Bf2 Nd5
19.Ng5 then Na7 and ...Nb5 ) 17.f5
Qb6 18.g4 Ra2 19.Nc1 Ra5 20.Qf2
141
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qc7 21.Ne2 Ra2 22.Rbc1 Qd8
23.Nf4 Qe8 and now Spassky
launched an unsound attack with
24.Ng5?! ( 24.Qh4 is the best try
according to Kasparov ) 24...Nd4
25.fxg6? ( now 25.e5 is necessary )
25...hxg6 26.Nd5?! Nxb3 27.e5
Nxc1 28.Bxc1 ( no better is 28.exf6
exf6 29.Nxf6+ Bxf6 30.Bxb7
in view of Ne2+ 31.Kh1 Rxc2 )
28...Bxd5 29.Bxd5 Nxd5 30.Qh4
Nf6 , at which point the computer
virtually claims a win for Black,
though Geller somehow ended up
losing. ]
[ With 14 b3 White consolidates the
queenside, preventing both ...c5-c4
and ...b4-b3, and hopes that the
defence of the c2-pawn with Rac1 will
hold up long enough to develop a
kingside attack. Alternatively, 14.g4
Ra8 ( but here Black has the option
of 14...c4!? which we examined
earlier – see note 'c' to 11 g4 above )
15.Rc1 Ra2 16.b3 leads to the same
position. ]
14...Ra8 Geller later criticized this;
[ suggesting 14...Nd7 15.Rc1 e6
16.g4 d5 as safer, but that was
largely due to match psychology:
whatever the objective merit of his
own moves, Geller understood that he
should not have allowed Spassky to
conduct the game quite so completely
as intended. So far no one has seen
the need to test Geller's idea, at least
not via this move order – if Black
intends to play this way then 13...Nd7
14 Rb1 Bb7 is perhaps more accurate
(see above). ]
15.Rc1 Ra2 16.g4 This position, or
positions like it, has been reached on
numerous occasions since the Spassky-
Geller match. Interestingly, the engines
tend to give Black a clear advantage
here, but that can swiftly change if
White's kingside attack gains
momentum. A similar situation occurs in
the Classical King's Indian, where the
engines very much prefer White's
position until they see an unstoppable
kingside attack for Black.
16...Nd7 Logical enough; Black retreats
the knight in advance of g4-g5, and it
can hop into e5 if and when White plays
f4-f5.
[ Otherwise, Black has mostly opted to
move the queen somewhere:
a) 16...Qa8 17.Qe1 Qa6 18.Qf2
( not 18.Qh4?? due to Rxc2!
19.Rxc2 Qxd3 and wins ) 18...Na7?
(ignoring White's attack leads to
disaster) ( 18...Nd7 may still be okay
for Black ) 19.f5 Nb5 20.fxg6 hxg6
21.Ng5 Na3? ( trying to run with the
king after 21...Rc8 was the last
chance ) 22.Qh4 Rc8 23.Rxf6 exf6
24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Nxf7! Rxc2 ( or
25...Kxf7 26.Bh6 Rg8 27.Nf4 )
26.Bh6 and White won quickly, B.
Spassky-E.Geller, Sukhumi (6th
matchgame) 1968. ]
[ b) 16...Qa5 was Van Wely's choice
in an earlier game: 17.Qe1 Ra8
( Kasparov's suggestion of 17...Qb5
18.Qf2 Rfa8 , intending ...Nd7 and ...
Ra1, looks too slow after 19.f5 Nd7
20.Ng5 ) 18.f5 Qa3 19.fxg6 hxg6
20.Qh4? ( here too 20.Qf2
is correct, when Qb2? fails to 21.g5
Nh5 22.Nd2 Ne5 23.d4 ) 20...Qb2
21.Ng5 Ra1 and now White blew up
with 22.d4?? cxd4 23.e5 dxe5
24.Rxf6 exf6 25.Qh7+ Kf8
and Black won easily, A.Boog-L.Van
Wely, Bern 1993. ]
[ c) 16...Qb6 17.Qe1 Rfa8 18.f5
Rb2 19.fxg6 hxg6 20.Qf2 Qd8 ( not
20...Raa2?! 21.g5 Nd7 because of
22.Nd2 Nde5 23.Nc4 with a family
142
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
fork ) 21.e5 dxe5 , B.Gonzalez
Acosta-J.Egger Mancilla, Istanbul
Olympiad 2000, and now 22.g5 Nh7
( or 22...Nd5 23.Nh4; but not
22...Nd7? 23.Nfd4! cxd4 24.Qxf7+
Kh7 25.Nxd4! , when White has a
very strong attack ) 23.Nd2 Qe8
24.Nc4 Rba2 25.h4 gives White
good compensation for the pawn. ]
[ d) 16...Qc7 (mentioned by Kasparov
and recommended by Palliser) 17.f5
( here 17.Qe1?! looks too slow in
view of Rfa8! 18.f5 Rb2 19.Nf4
Raa2 20.Qf2 Nd4 21.Bxd4 cxd4
22.Nxd4 g5 23.Nfe2 Nd7
and Black has the better play, D.
Reinderman-K.Van der Weide,
Dutch Championship, Rotterdam
1998 ) 17...Rfa8 18.Nf4
A) 18...Nd4 19.Bxd4!? ( 19.fxg6
hxg6 20.Ng5 , Gr.Huber-J.Reeve,
Edmonton 2008, can be met by
Bh6! ) 19...cxd4 20.g5 Nd7
21.Nd2 with chances for both
sides.;
B) If 18...Rb2 19.g5 Nd7 20.Nd5
Qd8 , M.Hug-J.Wendt, Bad
Homburg 2009, then 21.h4!?
( or even 21.d4!? looks quite
unclear. )]
17.Qe1 e6 18.f5
[ An earlier game saw 18.g5 f5
19.gxf6 Nxf6 20.Ng5 Qe7 21.f5??
( 21.Qh4 is correct ) 21...exf5 22.Nf4
Ne5 23.Qg3 fxe4 24.Nxe4 Nxe4
25.Bxe4 Bxe4 26.dxe4 Nf7
and White was soon two pawns down
for nothing, B.Roselli Mailhe-L.
Valenzuela Fuentealba, Bled
Olympiad 2002. ]
18...Nde5
[ Another option is 18...exf5 19.gxf5
Nde5 , when 20.Nh2?! (exchanging
on e5 is better) Re8 21.Qf2 Nd4
22.Nxd4? ( but 22.fxg6 Nxe2+
23.Qxe2 hxg6 24.Ng4 Bd5!
looks good for Black in any case )
22...Nxd3! led to a quick win in D.Di
Berardino-R.Leitao, Sao Paulo 2006. ]
19.Nf4? This seems to be too ambitious.
[ White probably has to play 19.Nxe5
Bxe5 ( or 19...Nxe5 20.d4 ) 20.fxe6
fxe6 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Qd2
, followed by Rf1, even if it means
there is now little prospect of a
successful kingside attack. ]
19...Nxf3+ 20.Rxf3 Nd4 21.Rf2 exf5
22.gxf5 Re8 23.Qf1 d5 With Black's
pieces well placed, it is natural to break
the centre open.
[ An alternative plan is 23...Qh4
, with ideas of ...Be5, ...Qg3 and ...g6-
g5, and in this case 24.f6 Bxf6
25.Nxg6 hxg6 26.Rxf6 Ne2+
27.Qxe2 Qxf6 just leaves White the
exchange down. ]
24.f6! White must do something before
his position falls apart. 24...Bf8?
Being in control of the game, Black does
not want to allow his opponent any
counterplay, but refusing the sacrifice
achieves the opposite effect.
[ It was better to take the pawn:
24...Bxf6 25.Nxd5 Bg7 ( 25...Bxd5
26.Rxf6 Bxb3 27.cxb3 Ne2+ 28.Kh2
Qxd3 is good too ) 26.Nf6+ ( not
26.Rxf7? Bxd5! ) 26...Bxf6 27.Rxf6
Ne2+ 28.Qxe2 Qxf6 29.Bxc5 Qg5
30.Be3 Qe7 and White does not
have enough for the exchange. ]
25.Bxd4 cxd4 26.exd5 Re3?
[ Here 26...Bd6 is preferable,
intending 27.c4 Rxf2 28.Qxf2 Qxf6
29.Ne2 Bh2+ 30.Kf1 Qg5
, when Black still has good chances. ]
27.c4! The discovered attack on the a2-
rook along the rank means that Black
cannot use his one chance to capture
en passant, so White gains connected
passed pawns.
143
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
27...Ra5
[ Now after 27...Rxf2 28.Qxf2 Qxf6
29.c5 , the two pawns give White
sufficient counterplay; e.g. Qe5 30.d6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 Nf6
Bxg2 31.Nxg2 Rxh3 32.Qf4 Qh5
33.d7 Rh1+ 34.Kf2 Rxc1 35.d8Q
Rxc5 36.Qfxd4 Rf5+ with perpetual
check. ]
28.Be4 Bd6 29.Qg2 Qxf6 Faced with
threats like 30 Qg5 and 31 Ne6, Black
decides to remove the intrusive f-pawn,
which should be okay, but it does set
himself up for a trap.
30.Nxg6 Qg7 31.Nh4 Rg3??
The fatal blunder.
[ Instead, 31...Bg3 32.Rcf1 ( not
32.Nf5?? Bxf2+ 33.Kxf2 Ra2+
and wins ) 32...Bxf2+ 33.Rxf2 Qxg2+
34.Rxg2+ ( or 34.Kxg2 Bc8 ) 34...Kf8
35.Nf5 Rxh3 36.Nxd4 should lead to
a draw. ]
32.Nf5 Qg5 33.Rcf1 Rxg2+ 34.Rxg2
Qxg2+ 35.Bxg2 Bf8 White has a
winning endgame, which he converted
quite easily.
36.d6 Bc8 37.Bd5 Bxf5 38.Rxf5
Ra1+ 39.Kg2 Bxd6 40.Rxf7 Kh8
41.Rd7 Bf8 42.Rc7 Rc1 43.Kf3 Rc3
44.Ke4 Rxb3 45.c5 Rc3 46.c6 Rc1
47.Bc4 Re1+ 48.Kd5 Re8 49.Rd7
Rc8 50.c7
1-0
B25
Finkel,A
Greenfeld,A
45: Beersheba 1997
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ The game actually started as a
Grand Prix Attack: 2...g6 3.f4 Bg7
4.Nf3 Nc6 , where the usual moves
are 5.Bc4 ( or 5.Bb5 .; Instead, Finkel
switched to the Closed Sicilian with
5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3
. )]
7.Nf3 0-0 8.0-0 Rb8 9.h3 b5 10.g4
Here we'll look at positions where White
elects not to provoke the exchange of a-
pawns with either a2-a3 or a2-a4.
[ In this case, the text is the most
common continuation, though White
sometimes plays 10.Be3 b4 11.Ne2
and then:
A) 11...c4?! 12.dxc4 Nxe4
is dubious for the same reason as
13...c4?! etc in the previous game; i.
e. 13.Nh4 ( rather than 13.Qd5?!
Bb7 14.Qxe4 Ne5 15.Qxb7 Rxb7
16.fxe5 Rc7 , which is most likely
good for Black, A.Gubajdullin-J.
Geller, Moscow 2006 ) 13...Na5
( or 13...Bxb2 14.Rb1 Nc3
15.Nxc3 Bxc3 16.Bxc6 ) 14.Bxe4
Bxh3 15.Rf2 Nxc4 16.Bxa7 Rc8
17.Bd4 e5 18.b3! and Black does
not have enough for the piece.;
B) 11...a5 is a practical choice
since White has nothing better
than 12.g4 , transposing to 11...a5
12 Be3 in the notes to the main
game.;
C) 11...Nd7!? is my favourite
option, which I think promises
Black good chances. For example:
12.c3 ( if 12.Rb1 then Qa5
is annoying; while 12.Qc1 e6
13.f5!? exf5 14.exf5 Re8 15.fxg6
hxg6 16.Bg5 , L.McShane-P.H.
Nielsen, German League 2005,
and now Qc7 17.Rf2 Bb7
appears to favour Black ) 12...Ba6
( or 12...bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6
14.Qd2 Qa5 15.Rab1 Nb6
16.Rbc1 Qa3 17.Ne1 Rfd8
with a comfortable position, K.
Movsziszian-Po.Carlsson,
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Tarragona 2007 ) 13.Rf2 bxc3
14.bxc3 Qa5 15.d4 Bxe2 ( or
15...Nb6 ) 16.Rxe2 Qxc3 17.Rc1
Qa3 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.e5 Rfd8
and Black has the better chances,
R.Tischbierek-L.Van Wely, Antwerp
1998. ]
10...b4 11.Ne2 c4!? Seizing the
chance to strike at the white centre, but
this is a crucial juncture with plenty of
other moves for Black to choose from.
[ a) 11...Ne8 12.f5 Nc7 ( not
12...Rb6 13.Qe1 d5? 14.exd5 Qxd5
15.Ng5 Qe5 , M.Schِneberg-Y.
Balashov, Kapfenberg 1970, when
16.fxg6! fxg6 17.Rxf8+ Bxf8 18.Qf2
leaves White with clearly better
chances ) 13.Qe1 Nb5 14.Qh4 Nbd4
15.Nexd4 Nxd4 16.Bh6 ( or 16.Nxd4
Bxd4+ 17.Kh1 Bb7 18.Rb1 f6
19.Bh6 Rf7 with a solid position, C.
Hengl-T.Reich, Austrian League
2007 ) 16...Nxf3+ ( not 16...f6? 17.g5
Ne2+? 18.Kf2 Bxh6 19.Qxh6
and it is already over for Black, S.
Buchal-U.Kersten, Dِrnigheim 1994 )
17.Rxf3 Bxb2 18.Raf1 f6 19.Bxf8
Qxf8 and White is nominally better
thanks to the material advantage, but
it will be hard to make progress
given Black's wonderful control of the
dark squares. ]
[ b) 11...Nd4!? 12.Nexd4 ( 12.c3
Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 bxc3 14.bxc3
Nxg4!? 15.hxg4 Bxc3 16.Be3 Bxa1
17.Rxa1 Bxg4 is better for Black )
12...cxd4 13.Qe1 Nd7 14.Bd2 a5
15.a3 Qc7 16.Rc1 bxa3 17.Bxa5
Qc6 18.bxa3 Rb2 19.e5 Rxc2
20.exd6 exd6 was A.Rodriguez Vila-L.
Valenzuela Fuentealba, Santiago
1999, and now 21.Nd2 Rxc1
22.Bxc6 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Nc5 24.Bb5
might offer White a little something. ]
[ c) 11...Ba6 12.Be3 ( or 12.Ng3 c4
13.Re1 cxd3 14.cxd3 Nd7 15.d4 e5
16.fxe5 dxe5 17.d5 Nd4 18.Be3
Qf6 with a messy position and
chances for both sides, P.Blatny-R.
Kuczynski, Stara Zagora 1990 )
12...Nd7 ( instead, 12...c4
transposes to 12...Ba6 in the notes to
the main game ) 13.b3!? Bxa1
14.Qxa1 e5 15.f5 f6 16.Bh6 Rf7
17.g5 Nd4 18.Nexd4 cxd4 19.h4
gxf5 20.exf5 Bb7 21.Qe1
, with ideas of Qg3 and g5-g6, gave
White excellent attacking prospects,
V.Moskalenko-L.Gomez Jurado,
Sabadell 2011. ]
[ d) 11...Nd7 12.f5 ( after 12.Qe1
Ba6 13.Rb1 c4 14.d4 c3! 15.d5
Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Nd4 17.Qd1 Nxf3+
18.Bxf3 cxb2 19.Bxb2 Qb6+ 20.Rf2
Bxb2 21.Rxb2 Qc5 , Black has the
better chances, A.Rodriguez Vila-G.
Milos, Santos 2007 ) 12...Nde5
13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Kh1 ( previously
White tried 14.c3 bxc3 15.bxc3 Ba6
16.Bh6 Rb2!? 17.Bxf8 Qxf8 18.Rf2
Qh6 and Black had excellent dark
square play for the exchange, M.
Klenburg-Li Shilong, Vlissingen
2006 ) 14...Bg7 15.g5 Ne5 16.Be3
Re8 17.b3 Nc6 18.Rb1 Rb5 19.Nf4
Ra5 20.h4 Rxa2 21.h5
with a complicated position in which
White has sufficient compensation for
the sacrificed pawn, M.Klenburg-A.
Maksimenko, Dresden 2014. To
illustrate how quickly White's attack
can crash through we will include the
remainder of the game where the
Ukrainian Grandmaster rapidly gets
dismantled: Ne5 22.Bh3 e6?
( 22...gxf5 23.exf5 Bd7 is a better
defence ) 23.hxg6 exf5 24.gxf7+
Nxf7 25.Nh5 f4 26.Nxg7 Kxg7
27.Bxc8 Qxc8 28.Qh5 Rxc2 29.Rxf4
Ne5 30.Rbf1 Qe6 31.Rf6 Qe7
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
32.Bf4 Kg8 33.Bxe5 Qxe5 34.Rf7
and Black resigned. ]
[ e) 11...a5 and now:
A) 12.f5!? c4 ( 12...d5!?
is interesting too ) 13.Be3 ( or
13.d4 c3 14.d5 cxb2 15.Rb1 Ne5
16.Nxe5 dxe5 17.Rxb2
, which Van Wely gave as good for
White, whereas the engine prefers
Black after Ne8 and ...Nd6 )
13...cxd3 14.cxd3 Ba6 15.Ned4
Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Rc8 17.Nf3 Nd7
18.Rf2 d5!? 19.a3 Nc5 20.Bxc5
dxe4 21.axb4 exf3 22.Qxf3 axb4
23.d4 Bc4 was I.Morovic
Fernandez-L.van Wely, Wijk aan
Zee 1994, and now 24.Qf4!? Bd5
25.Ra7 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Qd5+
27.Qf3 seems like it would have
offered White decent chances for
an edge.;
B) 12.Rb1 c4 13.Be3 Ba6
14.Qd2 cxd3 15.cxd3 Qd7
16.Rfc1 Rfc8 17.Ng3 e6 18.g5
Ne8 19.h4 a4 20.Bf2 a3 21.bxa3
bxa3 22.d4 and I prefer White,
while my computer calls this equal;
the fact that White won in S.
Movsesian-D.Swiercz, Wroclaw
(rapid) 2010, doesn't count for
much as both sides subsequently
made serious mistakes.;
C) 12.Be3 Ba6 ( not 12...c4?!
13.dxc4 Nxe4?! 14.Ne1
with the familiar skewer; instead,
12...Nd7 13.Rb1 a4 14.b3!? axb3
15.axb3 Bb7 led to an open a-file
after all in M.Al Modiahki-R.
Ponomariov, FIDE World
Championship, Las Vegas 1999;
as did 12...a4 13.b3 Ra8 14.Rc1
axb3 15.axb3 Ra2
in K.Movsziszian-E.Kalegin,
European Senior Championship,
Yerevan 2016; seeing as the a2-
pawn has only moved once here,
White is essentially a tempo up on
positions from Game 44, though
that doesn't seem to alter the
basic assessment of evenly
balanced in terms of play and
chances ) 13.f5 ( not now 13.b3?!
due to Nxe4! 14.Nh4 d5
which is good for Black, according
to Palliser; who also notes 13.Nd2
Nd7 14.Rb1 a4 15.Nc4 Bxc4
16.dxc4 b3 17.axb3 axb3 18.cxb3
Na5 19.Nc1 Qb6 as unclear, K.
Bryzgalin-P.Smirnov, Russian
Junior Championship, Kazan
2001; or if 13.Ng3 c4 14.Rf2 b3!?
15.axb3 cxb3 16.cxb3
, M.Klenburg-A.Bykhovsky, Israeli
Championship, Ramat Aviv 2004,
then Nb4 17.Rd2 Rc8 18.f5 Nd7
19.d4 Qb6! with ample
compensation for a rather
meaningless pawn ) 13...a4
( 13...Nd7 14.Rb1 Nde5 15.Nxe5
Nxe5 16.b3 a4 17.Qd2 axb3
18.axb3 Re8 was quite level in S.
Lalic-J.Emms, British League
2006; while 13...c4 transposes to
12 f5 c4 above ) 14.Nf4 c4
with a wonderful battle of who
comes first: 15.Qe1 cxd3 16.cxd3
Ne5 17.Rd1 b3 18.a3 Nfd7
19.fxg6 Nxf3+ 20.Rxf3 hxg6
21.d4 Nb6 and I think Black has
made the most progress and has
the better chances, S.Lalic-S.
Gordon, British Championship,
Great Yarmouth 2007. ]
12.Be3 It makes sense to take control of
the a7-g1 diagonal.
[ The immediate 12.f5 can be met by
Qb6+ 13.Kh1 cxd3 ( after 13...b3!?
14.axb3 cxb3 15.cxb3 a5 16.Nf4
Nb4 17.Bd2 e5 18.fxe6 fxe6
19.Ng5 Re8 20.Bc3 , White seems
146
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
to have accomplished more, E.Lobron-
R.Keene, Bochum 1981 ) 14.cxd3
Ba6 15.Nf4 Nd7 16.Re1 Nde5
17.Be3 , at which point a draw was
agreed in A.Selivjorstov-V.Terentiev,
Russian Team Championship 1995. ]
12...Bxg4? QUESTION: Is this really an
option? If so, White must have done
something wrong to allow such a strike.
ANSWER: Honestly, it is wildly
premature and shouldn't even be
possible. Although it has been played
two or three times, it is not likely to
cause White any headaches.
[ Black has two normal alternatives:
a) 12...cxd3 13.cxd3 Nd7 14.d4
Ba6 15.Re1 ( or 15.Rf2 Qb6 16.Qd2
Qb5 17.b3 Rfc8 18.Rd1 Nd8 19.f5
and Black is struggling to find
counterplay as the c-file is easily
guarded, M.Klenburg-E.
Odnorozhenko, Slovakian
Championship, Banska Stiavnica
2010 ) 15...Qa5 16.d5 Nd8 17.Bd4
Nc5 18.Nc1 Qb6 19.e5 e6 20.Nb3
Bc4 21.Rc1 exd5 22.f5 gxf5
23.gxf5 and White's initiative is
beginning to become uncomfortable
for Black, K.Movsziszian-D.Flores,
Lorca 2007. ]
[ b) 12...Ba6
A) 13.Ned4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Qc7
15.Rf2 Nd7 ( 15...Rfe8 16.f5 e5
17.fxe6 fxe6? 18.e5! Nd5?
19.exd6 Qd7 20.dxc4 led to a
rapid debacle in V.Smyslov-M.
Taimanov, USSR Spartakiad
1959 ) 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.d4 e5
18.f5 was played in M.Stojanovic-R.
Dragomirescu, Obrenovac 2010,
and now Nf6 19.Qe1 Bb7 20.d5
Qc5 is an interesting continuation
for Black; I'm not sure which side I
prefer here.;
B) 13.Ng3 Nd7 14.Rb1 cxd3
15.cxd3 b3 16.a3 Nc5
gave Black good play in K.
Movsziszian-E.Zude, Palma de
Mallorca 2009;
C) 13.Rf2 Rc8 14.Ng3 d5!?
also worked out well after 15.g5?!
( but 15.e5 improves, since d4
16.Nxd4! Nxd4 17.dxc4 Nc6
18.exf6 Bxf6 19.b3 Bxa1 20.Qxa1
looks very risky for Black ) 15...Nd7
16.e5? cxd3 17.cxd3 d4 18.Nxd4
Ndxe5! , M.Klenburg-A.
Shariyazdanov, Oberwart 2004. ]
13.hxg4 Nxg4 14.Bc1! Guarding the
b2-pawn, to prevent Black from
recouping any additional material, is
more important than remaining on the
kingside, which can handle itself.
[ Instead, after 14.Bf2 cxd3 15.cxd3
Bxb2 16.Rb1 Bg7 17.Bh3 ( 17.d4
may be stronger ) 17...Nxf2 18.Rxf2
, Black has three pawns for the piece
and reasonable chances, J.Nehybka-
J.Simek, Czech League 2010. ]
14...cxd3 15.cxd3 Qb6+ 16.d4 e5
Black utilizes the pin on the a7-g1
diagonal in order to pick up another
pawn.
EXERCISE: What is White's best
response and what is the idea behind it?
ANSWER: 17.Bh3! A very strong
defensive move that interferes with
Black's quest for compensation.
[ After 17.Kh1 exd4 18.Qd3 Qb5!
19.Ne1 Na5 20.Bh3 , J.Paredes
Cordo-J.Aguera Naredo, Sanxenxo
2009, and now Ne3 21.Qxb5 ( or
21.Bxe3 dxe3 22.Qxe3 Nc4 )
21...Rxb5 22.Rf3 Re8 , Black has
definite counterplay. ]
17...h5? This lands Black in deeper
trouble;
[ but even after 17...Nf6 18.Ng3
( here 18.Qd3 Rbe8 19.Be3!?
may well improve; e.g. exf4 20.Nxf4
147
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Rxe4 21.Nd5! ) 18...Rfe8 ( or
18...exd4 19.Qd3 Rfe8 20.Bd2
, followed by Rac1 )
A) 19.Re1 exd4 20.Qd3 Re7
21.Bd2 (Finkel), Black's initiative is
running out rapidly and his three
split pawns are not worth the
piece. ( 21.-- );
B) on 19.Qd3 , Finkel was
concerned about 19...d5!? 20.fxe5
dxe4 21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.Qxe4
Nxe5 , though 23.Kh1 Nxf3 ( or
23...Nc6 24.Qf4 f5 25.d5 )
24.Qxf3 f5 25.d5 , followed by Bf4,
still looks clearly better for White. ]
18.Bxg4 hxg4 19.Ng5! This is the
move that Black either overlooked or
underestimated. All of a sudden, his
king becomes a target! 19...exd4
[ Taking the f-pawn is no better:
19...exf4 20.Rxf4 Be5 21.Be3!
Bxf4?! 22.Nxf4 , followed by Qxg4,
and the party is over for Black. ]
20.Ng3 White removes the knight from
danger, while clearing the path for the
queen to take part in the fun on the
kingside.
20...d3+ 21.Kg2 Qd4
[ The attempted counter-attack with
21...Rfc8 22.Qxg4 Nd4 does not
succeed: 23.Qh4 Rc2+ 24.Kh3 d2
( or 24...Qb7 25.f5 Qd7 26.Be3 )
25.Bxd2 Rxd2 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.f5
Qb7 28.Ne6+! and White wins. ]
22.Rf2
[ The immediate 22.Qxg4 wins for
White; e.g. d2 23.Bxd2 Qxd2+
24.Rf2 Qd3 25.Qh4 etc. ]
[ But Black has no good answer to the
threat of Qxg4 in any case (if 22.Rf2
f5 then 23.Qh1 Rf6 24.Qh7+ Kf8
25.b3! wins), and so resigned. ]
1-0
B25
Hess,Ro
Gopal,G
46: Philadelphia 2008
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ The precise move order was 2...d6
3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7
and, further on, 7...0-0 8 0-0 Bg4 9 h3
Bxf3 10 Qxf3 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 Nf6
7.Nf3 Bg4!?
[ An interesting divergence from the
main line with 7...0-0 and 8...Rb8, as
examined in the previous two games.
In 2007, IM Palliser wrote that 7...Bg4
"has been virtually untouched by
theory"; ten years later, the number
of games in MegaBase has doubled,
and it has even been tried by super-
GM Caruana. ]
8.h3 White should address the g4-
bishop before it is too late.
[ For instance, 8.0-0 can be met by
Nd4 , with the option of reducing
White's active potential by exchanging
twice on f3, ( or else 8...Qd7
, preventing h2-h3 altogether. )]
[ Nor is 8.Ne2 an effective solution:
after 0-0 9.0-0 Qd7 10.c3 Rab8
( 10...c4!? is tempting too ) 11.Nh4 b5
12.f5 b4 , Black already has good
counterplay, O.Castro Rojas-A.
Rodriguez Cespedes, Bogota 1979. ]
8...Bxf3
[ Retreating with 8...Bd7 , say, doesn't
make sense as White has basically
been given h2-h3 for free, a move he
wanted to make anyway. ]
9.Qxf3 Recapturing with the bishop is
less accurate as after ...Nd4 there is
nothing better than to retreat it again to
g2, whereas the queen can find a more
useful post on f2.
148
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9...0-0 10.0-0 Nd7
[ This is an important crossroads,
where Black has several options to
choose between:
a) 10...Nd4 11.Qf2 Rb8 ( for
11...Rc8 12.g4 see note 'b2' ) 12.g4
( or 12.Nd1 e6 13.Ne3 Nd7 14.c3
Nc6 15.g4 b5 16.g5 Ne7 17.a3 f5
18.gxf6 Nxf6 19.Bd2 Qd7
and Black is fine, M.Vokac-J.Suran,
Czech League 2016 ) 12...b5 13.Nd1
b4 ( or 13...Nd7 14.c3 Nc6 15.Be3
Qb6 16.h4 b4 17.h5 bxc3 18.bxc3
Qa6 19.Qd2 and a draw was agreed
in K.Movsziszian-V.Baklan, Balaguer
2005 ) 14.Ne3 Nd7 15.h4 a5 16.a4
e6 17.Bd2 c4!? (an interesting idea)
18.dxc4 b3 19.c3 Nc2 20.Rac1 Nc5
21.Nxc2 bxc2 22.Rxc2 Nd3 23.Qe2
Nxb2 24.Ra1 , K.Movsziszian-M.
Cebalo, Bratto 2015, and now Qd7
gives Black a pleasant position. ]
[ b) 10...Rc8 and now:
A) 11.Be3 Nd7 12.Kh1 Qa5
13.Bd2 Nd4 14.Qd1 Qa6 15.Nd5
Nc6 16.Bc3 Nf6 ( here 16...Bxc3
17.bxc3 e6 18.Ne3 b5
is about equal ) 17.Qd2 Nxd5
18.Bxg7 Kxg7?! ( throwing in
18...Ne3! was better ) 19.exd5 Nb8
20.Rae1 and White has the better
chances, thanks to the open e-file
and kingside potential, B.Spassky-
K.Robatsch, German League
1984.;
B) 11.g4 Nd4 ( or 11...e6 12.f5
Nd7 13.Qg3 Be5 14.Qf2 Bd4
15.Be3 Qb6 16.Ne2 Bxe3
17.Qxe3 , D.Larino Nieto-M.
Narciso Dublan, Seville 2007, when
there was nothing wrong with
simply taking on b2 ) 12.Qf2 b5
13.Nd1 b4 14.Ne3 Nd7 15.h4
Nb6 16.Bd2 Nb5 17.b3
(this is unjustifiably optimistic)
( 17.Rab1 keeps the game fairly
level ) 17...Bxa1 18.Rxa1 Nd7
19.Rf1 Rc6 20.h5 Ra6 21.Qh4
Rxa2 22.f5 g5 23.Qxg5+ Kh8
24.f6 exf6 25.Qh6 was played in
N.Short-M.Narciso Dublan,
Spanish League 2003, and now
Rg8 26.Bf3 Ne5 27.Bd1 f5
should win for Black.;
C) 11.Nd1 b5 12.a3 c4 13.c3
cxd3 14.Qxd3 a6 15.Be3 Na5
16.Bf2 Nb3 17.Rb1 Qd7 18.Re1
Nc5 19.Qc2 Qe6 ( Black might
consider 19...e5!? 20.f5 Qc6 )
20.e5 dxe5 21.Rxe5 Qd6 22.Ne3
e6 23.Rd1 Qe7 24.Nf1 Ne8
25.Re2 Nd6 26.g4 and White is
slightly better, A.Pridorozhni-F.
Caruana, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2011. ]
[ c) 10...Rb8 is recommended by
Palliser, and then:
A) 11.Be3 Nd7 ( not 11...b5??
12.e5 and wins ) 12.Qf2 e6 13.f5
Nd4 ( 13...b5 at once seems
better ) 14.g4 b5 15.Nd1 b4
16.c3 bxc3 17.bxc3 Nb5 18.d4
Na3 19.g5 Re8 20.f6 Bf8 21.h4
and White has a definite initiative,
even if Black should still be okay, D.
Larino Nieto-J.Fernandez Montoro,
Seville 2004.;
B) 11.g4 b5 12.Qf2 (threatening
e4-e5) ( if 12.e5?! then Nd4
13.Qf2 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nd7
wins a pawn ) 12...Nd7 ( for
12...Nd4 see note 'a' ) 13.Nd5
( 13.e5 b4 14.Bxc6 bxc3 15.bxc3
dxe5 16.f5 e4! is okay for Black )
13...b4 14.Kh1 a5 15.Rb1 a4
16.g5 Nd4 17.h4 e6 18.Ne3 f5
19.Bd2 Nb5 is quite unclear, A.
Kveinys-E.Pigusov, German
League 1994.;
C) 11.Nd1 b5 12.c3 Nd7 13.Ne3
149
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
b4 14.e5 Rc8 15.exd6 e6!
16.Bd2 Nb6 17.Nc4 bxc3 18.bxc3
Nxc4 19.dxc4 Qxd6 and Black is
doing fine, V.Neverov-G.Jones,
European Championship, Gjakova
2016.;
D) 11.Ne2 Nd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4
13.Bd2 Qb6 14.Rab1 Rbc8
15.Rfc1 Rc7 16.Qf2 Nd7 17.c4
dxc3 18.bxc3 Qxf2+ 19.Kxf2 Rfc8
, and Black has obviously solved
his opening problems, Jen.
Kristiansen-S.B.Hansen, Danish
Championship, Helsingor 2012. ]
11.Nd5
[ White has not achieved much with
other moves:
a) 11.g4 Rb8 12.Be3 b5 13.Nd1
Nd4 14.Qf2 b4 15.h4 Qa5 16.a3
Qa4 17.b3 Nxb3!? ( 17...Qa6
is fine ) 18.cxb3 Qxb3 19.d4 bxa3
20.e5 cxd4 21.Bc1 dxe5 22.Rxa3
Qb1 23.Rxa7 , K.Movsziszian-D.
Rivera Kuzawka, Burgas 2001, and
here Nc5 24.Bd2 e4 would maintain
excellent compensation for the
piece. ]
[ b) 11.Qf2 Rb8 12.a4 ( 12.g4 b5
returns to line 'c2' in the previous
note ) 12...a6 13.g4 b5?! (mistimed)
( 13...e6 is preferable here ) 14.axb5
axb5 15.e5! Nd4 ( 15...b4 16.Bxc6
is now good for White ) 16.exd6 exd6
17.f5 gxf5 18.gxf5 Kh8 19.Ra7 Bf6
20.Kh1 Ne5 21.Ne4 Rg8
and a draw was agreed in I.Markovic-
D.Antic, Herceg Novi 1999, though
22.Bf4 looks very good for White. ]
[ c) 11.Ne2 Nd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4
13.e5?! dxe5 14.Qxb7 Rc8
15.Qxa7?! ( 15.Rf2 is still about
equal ) 15...Rxc2 16.Rf2 Rxf2
17.Kxf2 Qc8! 18.Kg1 Nc5 19.Qa3
Ne6 and Black is clearly better, J.
Melendez Fierro-M.Perez Candelario,
Saragossa 2003. ]
[ d) 11.Kh2 e6 12.Qd1 a6 13.Ne2
b5 14.a3 Nb6 15.c3 Rc8 16.Be3 f5
17.Qc2 Re8 18.Bf2 c4 19.Rad1
cxd3 20.Qxd3 Nc4 with chances for
both sides, T.Markowski-M.Manik,
Budapest 2000. ]
11...Rc8
[ It is perfectly possible to kick the
knight straight away: 11...e6 12.Ne3
Rc8 ( not 12...f5?! 13.c3 Rb8
, as in P.Garcia Castro-M.Gutierrez
Valero, Linares 2015, since 14.exf5
gxf5 15.g4 offers White a strong
initiative ) 13.g4 ( 13.c3 b5 14.Bd2
is also logical ) 13...b5 14.Qg3 Nd4
15.Qf2 b4 16.h4 f5!? (even here this
looks unnecessary) 17.exf5 gxf5
18.c3 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nb5 20.gxf5
exf5 21.Bb2?! ( 21.Bh3 is better )
21...Nxc3 22.Rac1 Nb5 23.Bxg7
Kxg7 24.Rfe1 Nd4 25.Nd5 Rf7
and White does not have enough for
the pawn, R.E.Chavez-H.Leyva, El
Salvador Championship, San
Salvador 2003. ]
12.g4
[ In view of Black's response, White
might consider 12.c3 here, when e6
13.Ne3 transposes to the previous
note. ]
12...c4!? With this temporary pawn
sacrifice, Black begins a forcing
variation which decimates the queenside
pawns.
13.dxc4 Na5 14.Rb1 Nxc4 15.b3 e6
16.bxc4 exd5 17.cxd5 Rxc2 18.Rxb7
Qc8 19.Rb1 QUESTION: White now
has a big pawn mass and the pair of
bishops, so he is better, right?
ANSWER: Normally you would be
correct; White's position indeed looks
enticing, but Black's position is not
without its qualities. For instance, the
advance of the kingside pawns has left
150
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
the white king a little exposed; in
addition, the isolated pawn on d6 helps
Black by providing an anchor for a
minor piece on c5.
19...Rxa2
[ Rather than grab the a-pawn at once,
Black might try 19...Bd4+ 20.Kh1
Qa6 (all of a sudden the black pieces
have become very active, and the
other rook is right behind) 21.Rb4
Rfc8 22.Rxd4 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Rxc1+
24.Rd1 Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 Qxa2
and Black is doing fine, with a
potential good knight vs. bad bishop
endgame. ]
20.Be3 a5 "Passed pawns must be
pushed", as Tarrasch may or may not
have said. It's an old rule, but here it
makes sense to wait a bit.
[ Instead, 20...Rc2 21.Rfc1 Bb2
22.Re1 a5 23.Re2 Qc3 looks more
favourable for Black. ]
21.Rfc1 Rc2 22.Qd1 Qc3 23.Bf2!?
QUESTION: What is going on? Couldn't
White just win the exchange?
[ ANSWER: Not without cost; after
23.Rxc2 Qxe3+ 24.Kh1 Qxf4
25.Qd2 Qe5 26.Qxa5 Nc5
, Black has excellent compensation
through his control of the dark
squares. ]
23...Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Qa3 25.Rc7
The most active and natural move.
[ If White plays more cautiously, Black
will have no problems at all; e.g.
25.Rc4 Rb8 26.Bf1 h6 27.Qa4
Qxa4 28.Rxa4 Bc3 and again Black
is doing fine. ]
25...Rd8? This is the first mistake, as
the rook has no business on the d-file.
[ Instead, the logical and active
25...Nc5 is preferable:
A) intending 26.e5 Nd3 27.e6
Nxf2 28.Kxf2 fxe6 29.dxe6 Rxf4+
and Black has no problems.
( 29...-- );
B) By playing 26.Bxc5 dxc5
, White can gain a dangerous-
looking central pawn mass, but he
actually has to be very careful
since Black has the far stronger
bishop; e.g. 27.Kh1 ( not 27.d6??
Qe3+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Rxc5 Be5
30.Qg1 a4! 31.d7 a3 32.Ra5 Bb2
with a winning position ) 27...Bd4
( 27...Qe3 28.Qf3 Qe1+ 29.Qf1
Qd2 30.e5 a4 31.e6!?
is less clear ) 28.d6 Kg7 29.e5
Qe3 30.Qf1 a4 31.Bd5 a3 32.e6
a2! 33.Bxa2 Qe4+ 34.Kh2 Qc2+
35.Qg2 Qc1! 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7
37.exf7 Qxf4+ and Black has at
least a draw. ]
26.Qc2 Nc5? Now his troubles start
escalating.
[ Black should pulled back a little with
26...Qb2 27.Qxb2 Bxb2 28.Ra7 Bc1
29.f5 Bd2 , when he is only slightly
worse. ]
27.e5! Nd3 EXERCISE: What is
White's best move?
28.Rc8 Logical and strong, but not the
best.
[ ANSWER: White could have played
28.e6! Nxf4 ( or 28...Nxf2 29.e7!
Nxh3+ 30.Kh2! etc ) 29.e7 Re8
30.Qc6 Ne2+ 31.Kf1 Qa1+ 32.Kxe2
Qe5+ 33.Kf1 Rxe7 34.Rxe7 ( or
34.Rc8+ Bf8 35.Qc3 , which may be
even better ) 34...Qxe7 35.Qa8+
, followed by 36 Qxa5 and wins, since
Black has only a single pawn for the
bishop. ]
28...Rxc8 29.Qxc8+ Bf8 30.e6 Qb2
In view of the monster pawn on e6,
Black has to start thinking about
defence.
[ Note that swapping queens with
30...Qc1+ 31.Qxc1 Nxc1 fails to
32.Bh4! and e6-e7. ]
151
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
31.Bg3? This allows Black to cobble
together some sort of defence.
[ The bishop should have gone the
other way: after 31.Be3!
A) 31...Qe2 loses to 32.exf7+!
Kxf7 ( or 32...Kg7 33.Bd4+ Kxf7
34.Bf1 ) 33.Qe6+ Kg7 34.Bf1 .;
B) 31...Qf6 32.g5 Qe7 33.Bf1
Nb4 ( or 33...Nc5 34.Bd4 fxe6
35.Bc4! ) 34.Bc4 , White has a
near decisive bind. ]
31...Qf6 32.Qe8 Qe7 33.Qa8 Nc5
34.f5 Securing the e6-pawn.
[ Taking the a-pawn was possible:
34.Qxa5 fxe6 35.Qa2 Kg7 36.dxe6
Qxe6 37.Qd2 and White has a
certain advantage, but Black has at
least been able to crawl out of his
super-passive position. ]
34...gxf5 35.gxf5 a4 36.Kh2 f6?
Black should not commit to this move
unless forced to, because he is now
essentially without counterplay.
[ The active 36...Kg7 was correct,
freeing the black queen from her
defence of the d6-pawn; e.g. 37.Qa5
Qf6 38.Qc7 a3 39.Bxd6 Bxd6+
40.Qxd6 a2 , when White has to seek
a draw by perpetual check after
41.Qg3+ . ]
37.Bf3? Now both sides play
inaccurately, which probably indicates
mutual time trouble.
[ 37.Bh4! is stronger, tying the black
queen to the f6-pawn, so that White
can target the a4-pawn with Bf3-d1. ]
37...Qb7 38.Qe8
[ Not 38.Qxb7? Nxb7 39.Be2 a3
40.Bc4 Bh6! and Black holds easily. ]
38...Qe7 39.Qb8 Kg7?
[ Black should continue to oppose
queens with 39...Qb7 40.Qd8 Qe7
41.Qa5 Qb7 , when there is no easy
way forward for White. ]
[ 39...Kg7
A) The text offers another chance
for 40.Bh4 ; -- ( 40...-- );
B) or else 40.Bf4! , which may be
even stronger here; e.g. 40...Nd3
41.Be3 Nc5 42.Qa8 Kg8 ( or
42...Qb7 43.Bh6+ ) 43.Bd1
and White should win. ]
40.Qb4?! Kg8? Black drops his guard.
[ 40...Qb7 is still best, but White now
has 41.Qxb7+! ( if 41.Qg4+ Kh8
42.Qh5 , then a3! 43.Qe8 Kg7
44.Bf2 Nd3 45.Bd4 Ne5 46.Bg2
Qc7 47.Qa8 Qc1! 48.Qa7+ Kh8
49.e7 Bxe7 50.Qxe7 Kg8!
with it seems sufficient counterplay )
41...Nxb7 42.Be2 , followed by
Be1-b4, winning the a-pawn, since
Black's king obstructs his own bishop.
Black will therefore face a very
difficult minor piece ending. All the
same, he should have played this way
since the text is even worse. ]
41.Bh5! Qg7? Now it goes downhill
even faster.
[ The last hope was to jettison the a-
pawn (which will fall anyway) with
41...Nd3 in order to centralize the
knight on e5, though it looks hopeless
for Black in the long run. ]
42.Bf7+ Kh8 43.Bh4 Qh6 EXERCISE:
How does White break through Black's
defence?
ANSWER: 44.e7! Bxe7 45.Qb8+
[ Black resigned on account of
45.Qb8+ Bf8 46.Bxf6+ and mate
next move. ]
1-0
152
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25 to the advance of the white a-pawn by
Navara,D
Sasikiran,K
47: Wijk aan Zee 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2
g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.f4 Rb8 This standard
rook move, preparing ...b7-b5, is rather
less popular against 6 f4, perhaps
because Black feels it more appropriate
to react to White's potential aggression
in the centre. Nevertheless, 6...Rb8 is
perfectly playable and in fact scores
higher than the more common
continuations in the database.
7.Nf3 The standard response.
[ Instead, 7.Be3 b5 8.Qd2
returns to Game 14 in Chapter Three.
] Bd4+ 22.Kh1 Ng7 23.Qxh6
[ White sometimes throws in 7.a4
here:
A) when 7...a6 8.Nf3 b5 9.axb5
axb5 10.0-0 b4 transposes to 8...
a5 etc below; ( 10...-- );
B) but Black might improve by
changing plans with 7...e6 8.Nf3
Nge7 9.0-0 0-0 , the point being
that a2-a4 is not desirable for
White in 6...e6 lines; for example,
10.g4 ( for 10.Be3 see 9...Rb8 10
a4 in the notes to Game 30 ) 10...f5
11.h3 a6 ( 11...b6 also makes
sense, leaving 7 a4 as a useless
move or worse ) 12.Ne2 b5
13.axb5 axb5 14.Ng3 b4 15.Rb1
Nd4 with good play for Black, M.
Zlatkovic-Sa.Zivkovic, Serbian
League 2004. ]
7...b5 8.a3 Discouraging the further
advance of the b-pawn, albeit not for
very long.
[ 8.0-0 is the main line and will be
covered in the next game. ]
8...e6 As with 7 a4 above, Black reacts
switching to an ...e7-e6 set-up.
[ Another option is 8...Nf6 , when
9.0-0 0-0 10.h3 transposes to Game
44. ]
[ Naturally, Black can play to enforce ...
b5-b4 as well: 8...a5 9.0-0 b4
10.axb4 axb4 11.Ne2 ( for 11.Nd5
e6 12.Ne3 Nge7 see 9 Nd5 in the
notes to the next game ) 11...e6 ( or
11...Qb6 12.Kh1 e6 13.g4 Nge7
14.Ng3 0-0 15.f5 d5 16.Ng5 exf5
17.gxf5 Ne5 with mutual chances, V.
Krapivin-E.Shaposhnikov, St
Petersburg 2001 ) 12.g4 Nge7
( 12...h5!? is also possible ) 13.Ng3
0-0 14.f5 exf5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.gxf5
Nxf5 17.Nxf5 Bxf5 18.Ng5 Ne7
19.Rxf5! Nxf5 20.Qh5 h6 21.Ne4
was played in Th.Casper-A.Sznapik,
Berlin 1979, and here Qe7
(intending ...Qe6) 24.Bg5 Nf5!
should lead to a draw. ]
9.Be3
[ More usually White castles with 9.0-0
Nge7 10.Be3 and then:
A) 10...0-0 11.d4 ( both 11.Qd2;
and 11.Rb1 were considered via
9...Rb8 in the notes to Game 30 )
11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 a6 13.Nxc6
Nxc6 14.e5 d5 ( sacrificing the d-
pawn with 14...Bb7!?
is more active ) 15.Ne2 Bb7
16.Nd4 Qd7 17.Qd2 f6?? ( after
17...Nxd4 18.Bxd4 , White has
only a slight edge ) 18.Nxe6! Rfe8
19.Nc5 1-0 M.Al Modiahki-M.Al
Sayed, Casablanca 2002.;
B) 10...Nd4 11.Rb1 ( or 11.e5
Nef5 12.Bf2 0-0 13.Ne4 Nxf3+
14.Bxf3 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bxe5 16.c3
c4 17.Bxa7 cxd3 18.Qd2 Rb7
19.Bf2 Rd7 20.Nc5 Rd6
and Black is fine, R.Dudek-L.
153
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Arnold, German League 2009 )
11...d5!? (rather hasty) ( 11...0-0
is safer ) 12.Ne2 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3
dxe4? ( Black should play 13...d4
14.Bf2 0-0 ) 14.dxe4 Qc7 15.Qe1
Bd7 16.Qf2 and White's game is
far easier on account of the many
soft spots in Black's position (f6, d6,
c5), J.Plachetka-J.Polasek, Prague
1989.;
C) 10...b4!? 11.axb4 Rxb4
12.Ra2 Bd7?! ( 12...0-0
should be okay ) .
EXERCISE: How can White take
advantage of Black's last move?
ANSWER: 13.e5! Nf5 14.Bf2 Qb8
15.Ne4! (we have seen this idea
several times already; Black's
weaknesses in his pawn structure
suddenly materialize to give him
headaches) dxe5 ( or 15...Rxb2
16.Rxb2 Qxb2 17.exd6
, and White is clearly better )
16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.fxe5 Bxe5
18.Bxc5 Rb5 19.Bxa7 Qc7 20.Bf2
Rxb2 21.Ra8+ Bc8 22.d4 Bg7
23.g4 and White is winning, Jen.
Kristiansen-J.Nilssen, Danish
League 2012. ]
9...Nge7 Now 10 0-0 would return to the
previous note, but Navara has a
different idea in mind. 10.d4 All of a
sudden White seeks to open the Sicilian.
10...b4
[ Now 10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 a6 12.Nxc6
Nxc6 13.e5 d5 ( not 13...Bb7?
14.Ne4! dxe5? 15.Nd6+ and wins )
14.0-0 0-0 transposes to Al Modiahki-
Al Sayed above. If Black does not like
that, he must play something else. ]
[ The immediate central counter
10...d5 looks like the safest
response: 11.exd5 exd5!?
( the zwischenzug 11...Nf5!
improves, with a comfortable game
after 12.Bf2 Ncxd4 ; this is a trick
worth remembering because it works
quite frequently ) 12.Bf2 b4
(and here Black should perhaps just
castle) 13.Na4 Qa5?! 14.axb4 cxb4
15.0-0 0-0 16.Ne5 Qc7 17.Re1
and White now has the advantage,
since her pieces are placed more
actively and are better coordinated,
E.Matseyko-E.Borisova, Kharkov
2006. ]
11.axb4 Rxb4 12.dxc5 d5?!
QUESTION: Can't Black capture the b2-
pawn? It seems like a more logical
choice given that the knight on c3 is
then hanging.
ANSWER: He sure can!
[ In fact, he definitely should:
12...Rxb2 13.Ra3 ( if 13.0-0!? Bxc3
14.cxd6 then 0-0! should be okay for
Black ) 13...d5 ( the tempting
13...Nb4? is no good because White
can just ignore the threat: 14.0-0!
Nxc2 15.Bc1 Nxa3 16.Bxb2 Qa5
17.Qb3 sees Black way behind in
development and in serious trouble )
14.Nd4 dxe4 15.Nxe4 0-0 16.Nd6
Qc7 17.Nxc6 Nxc6 18.0-0 Rd8
and it is probably anyone's game.
Instead, Sasikiran tries a belated
counterpunch in the centre, but this
time it helps White who is better
developed. ]
13.exd5 exd5
[ Note that 13...Nf5? doesn't work
here, since 14.dxc6 Nxe3 15.Qxd8+
Kxd8 16.Rxa7! leaves White with a
huge advantage. ]
14.Ne5
[ My computer likes the retreat 14.Bc1
, simply defending the b2-pawn, when
White has the better chances on
account of Black's messed up pawn
structure, and Bxc3+?! 15.bxc3
is not an appealing solution. ]
154
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
14...Nxe5
[ Capturing with the bishop is even
worse: 14...Bxe5? 15.fxe5 d4 ( or
15...Be6 16.Bh6 with a decidedly
unhappy situation for Black ) 16.Bg5
Qc7 ( 16...dxc3? 17.Bxc6+
wins on the spot ) 17.Ne4 0-0 18.0-0
and Black's position has more dark
holes than a golf course. ]
15.fxe5 d4 16.Bg5 QUESTION: Can
such a sacrifice really be correct? White
hasn't even finished his development.
ANSWER: The problem for Black is that
the attack develops incredibly quickly,
on account of his king being stuck in
the centre and his pieces hopelessly
uncoordinated.
16...dxc3?! Black accepts the piece,
perhaps not realizing how bad things
are going to get, even with the queens
off the board.
[ The much safer alternative is
16...Qc7 , when 17.Ne4 0-0 18.0-0
Nf5 19.Bf4 promises White the better
chances, but Black is still very much
in the game. ]
17.Qxd8+ Kxd8 18.bxc3 Rg4
19.0-0-0+
[ The immediate 19.Bf6 is strong too:
Bxf6 20.exf6 Nf5 ( or 20...Bf5
21.fxe7+ Kxe7 22.Rxa7+ Kf6 23.0-0
Rc4 24.Bd5 Rxc5 25.Rxf7+ Kg5
26.c4 with a winning endgame )
21.Rxa7 Re8+ 22.Kf2 Ne3 23.Re1
and even the computer's idea Rf4+!?
24.gxf4 Ng4+ can't save Black after
25.Kf1! Nxh2+ 26.Kg1 Rxe1+
27.Kxh2 Be6 28.Re7 . ]
19...Ke8 20.Bf6 Bxf6
[ Not a happy choice by any measure,
but the alternative is just as bad:
20...Rg8 21.c6 Bh6+ ( or 21...Rc4
22.Rd6 ) 22.Kb2 Be3 23.c7
(threatening Rd8 mate) Bd7 24.Bh3
and White wins. ]
21.exf6 Ra4 EXERCISE: How should
White best continue?
ANSWER: 22.c6! White intends c6-c7
and Rd8 mate, which perfectly
illustrates the desperate situation Black
is in.
[ Instead, 22.Rhe1 is nowhere near as
convincing: after Ra1+ 23.Kb2 Rxd1
24.Rxd1 Bd7 25.Re1 Be6 26.fxe7
Kxe7 27.Ra1 Rb8+ 28.Kc1 Rb5
29.Rxa7+ Kf6 , White may be two
pawns up, but they are tripled on the
c-file and Black has definite drawing
chances. ]
22...Bg4
[ Nothing else is any better; e.g.
22...Rc4 23.Rd6 , followed by Rhd1; ]
[ or 22...Ra1+ 23.Kb2 Rxd1 24.Rxd1
Ng8 25.c7 Nxf6 26.Rd8+ Ke7
27.Rxh8 and wins. ]
[ For a moment it looks as if Black can
save himself with 22...Nf5 23.Rhe1+
Be6 24.c7 and now 24...0-0!, until we
remember that castling is illegal since
his king has already moved. ]
23.Rd2 h5 This move does nothing for
Black but he has no good moves
anyway. 24.c7! Threatening mate on
d8.
24...Bd7 TACTICAL EXERCISE: Find a
move that will cause Black to resign on
the spot.
ANSWER: 25.Bc6!
[ After 25.Bc6 Nxc6 26.Re1+ Kf8
27.Rxd7 , the c-pawn promotes with
mate to follow. ]
[ From the other direction, 25.Bh3!
wins as well. ]
1-0
155
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25
Muzychuk,A
Stefanova,A
48: Beijing (rapid) 2014 9.Ne2
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5
[ This game began as a sort of Modern
Defence with White refusing to
occupy the centre: 1...g6 2.f4 Bg7
3.Nf3 c5 ( 3...d5!? is a spoiler ) 4.Nc3
Nc6 5.g3 Rb8 6.Bg2 b5 7.d3 d6 . ]
2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3
d6 6.f4 Rb8 7.Nf3 b5 8.0-0 b4
[ Sometimes Black inserts 8...e6
here, presumably to avoid the
possibility of Nd5.
A) Then 9.a3 transposes to 9 0-0
in the previous game, but White
can also try to exploit the lead in
development by resorting to
violence:;
B) 9.e5!? dxe5 ( 9...d5
is safer, when 10.a4 a6 11.axb5
axb5 12.g4 Nge7 13.h3 0-0
gives Black a perfectly good game,
D.Larino Nieto-A.Strikovic, Lorca
2006 ) 10.fxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5
( 11.Bf4! Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Rb6
13.a4 offers decent play for the
pawn ) 11...Bxe5 12.Ne4 f5
13.Ng5 Bf6 14.Bc6+?! Kf8
and Black is clearly better, D.
Novitzkij-A.Sharafiev, European
Blitz Championship, Minsk 2015.;
C) 9.f5!? exf5 ( or 9...b4 10.fxe6
fxe6 11.Nb1 Nf6 12.e5 dxe5
13.Bg5 0-0 14.Nbd2 Qc7
and Black's pawns are wrecked but
not easily attacked, T.Siaperas-R.
Hübner, Skopje Olympiad 1972 )
10.exf5 Bxf5 11.Nh4 Nge7
12.Nxf5 Nxf5 13.Bxc6+ ( 13.Nd5!?
may provide more chances )
13...Kf8 14.g4 Ne7 15.Bg5?!
Bd4+ 16.Kh1 f6 and Black
consolidates, D.Ariel-G.Shahade,
USA 1998. ]
[ As just mentioned, 9.Nd5
is another option.
QUESTION: Why put the knight here
when ...e7-e6 immediately kicks it
away?
ANSWER: White is of the opinion that
the knight is better placed on e3, with
the option of jumping to c4 or
supporting the f4-f5 advance, than on
e2 where it looks decidedly less
active.
For example: e6 10.Ne3 Nge7
11.a3
A) 11...a5 12.axb4 axb4
(this position can also arise via 8
a3 a5 9 0-0 b4 etc) 13.f5!? ( if
13.Nc4 0-0 14.g4 , as in in S.
Brenjo-L.Cernousek, Sozina 2004,
then d5 15.Nce5 Qc7
leaves Black with a comfortable
position ) 13...exf5 14.exf5 Nxf5
15.Nxf5 Bxf5 16.Re1+!?
( previously the immediate
16.Ng5?! was played with little
success; e.g. Ne5 17.g4 Bd7!
18.Bd5 0-0 19.Ra7 Qe8
and White has nowhere near
enough for the pawn, H.Bastian-A.
Miles, Baden-Baden 1981 )
16...Be6 ( Black might consider
16...Kf8!? , although after 17.Nh4
Bd7 18.Bd5 Qf6 19.Kh1 Nd8
20.Rf1 Qe5 21.Qf3 , White's
initiative and better coordinated
pieces still provide sufficient
compensation ) 17.Ng5 Ne5
18.Nxe6 fxe6 and now:
A1) 19.Rxe5!? (a bold attempt
to shake things up) Bxe5 ( after
19...dxe5?! 20.Bc6+ Kf8
21.Qf3+ Qf6 22.Qe4 Kg8
156
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
23.Be3 Qe7 24.Ra5
, White has excellent
compensation for the exchange,
I.Donev-N.Michaelsen, German
League 1997 ) 20.Bc6+ Kf8
21.Bh6+ Kg8 ( not 21...Bg7??
22.Qf1+ Kg8 23.Bxg7 Kxg7
24.Ra7+ Kh6 25.Qh3+
and mates ) 22.Ra7 Qb6 ( not
22...Qf6? 23.Kg2 and Black can
hardly move ) 23.Bd7 Qxa7
24.Bxe6+ Qf7 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7
26.Qf3+ Ke7 and the chances
are probably about even.;
A2) 19.Rf1! Qd7 ( after 19...Rf8
20.Ra7! Rxf1+ 21.Qxf1 Qf6
22.Bg5! Qxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Bf8
24.Rxh7 , White regains the
pawn with advantage ) 20.Ra6
Rc8 21.c3 Rf8 22.Bf4
and White chances are to be
preferred.;
B) Not 11...bxa3 12.Rxa3 Bxb2??
( while after 12...0-0 13.c3 d5
14.e5 f5 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ng4
Bg7 17.Nge5 Qb6 18.Re1
, White is slightly better, H.Bastian-
G.Hund, West German
Championship, Menden 1974 )
13.Bxb2 Rxb2 14.Qa1 and wins. ]
9...e5!? An interesting idea, which on
the face of it looks similar to 6...e5 lines
from Chapter Seven. One key difference
is that in the notes to Game 43, for
instance, by the time Black's ...b5-b4
arrives, White has arranged to retreat
the knight to d1, whereas here it has
already been forced to e2. On the other
hand, Black has not managed to
establish a knight on d4.
[ Naturally, there are numerous other
possibilities at this juncture:
a) 9...Nf6 10.h3 0-0 11.g4
transposes to Game 45. ]
[ b) 9...Nd4?! looks like a normal
move but is actually a clear mistake:
10.Nexd4 cxd4 11.a3 Qc7 ( or
11...a5 12.axb4 axb4 13.e5!;
the severity of Black's situation is
illustrated by the fact that 11...b3
12.cxb3 is his best option at this
point ) 12.axb4 Rxb4 13.b3 Bg4
14.Qd2 Rb5 15.Ra4 Bxf3 16.Bxf3
Nf6 17.Bb2 Nd7 18.Rfa1 0-0
19.Rxa7 and White is a pawn up for
nothing, A.Rodriguez Vila-E.Scarella,
Vicente Lopez 2000. ]
[ c) 9...Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3
Nd4?! (still wrong) ( instead, 11...Qb6
12.Kh2 Nf6 13.Bg2 0-0 14.a3 a5
15.axb4 axb4 leads to a fairly
standard 6...Nf6-type position with
chances for both sides, P.Lurje-Z.
Kozul, Linares 1996 ) 12.Nxd4 Bxd4+
( 12...cxd4?! 13.a3! is already good
for White ) 13.Kg2 Nf6 , C.Hengl-M.
Novkovic, Austrian League 2006, and
now 14.Qe1! (threatening c2-c3) Nd7
15.e5 dxe5 16.c3 e4 17.dxe4 bxc3
18.bxc3 Bg7 19.e5 0-0 20.Be3
leaves White with a clear advantage. ]
[ d) 9...Qb6 10.Kh1 ( after 10.h3 e6
11.g4 f5 12.gxf5 exf5 13.exf5 Bxf5
14.Ng3 Nge7 15.Nxf5 Nxf5 16.Qe1+
Kd7 , Black is clearly better since the
king is perfectly safe on d7, A.Finkel-
L.Aronian, Dos Hermanas 2001 )
10...f5!? 11.Nd2 Nh6 12.Nc4 Qc7
13.exf5 gxf5 14.Ng1 0-0 15.Nf3
Ng4 16.h3 Nf6 17.Re1 e6 18.Kh2
Bd7 19.Be3 a5 20.Bf2 a4 21.a3
Na5 22.Nfd2 Nxc4 23.Nxc4 Nd5
with chances for both sides, M.
Meinhardt-L.Milov, Nuremberg 2008. ]
[ e) 9...e6
A) 10.a3 bxa3 ( for 10...a5
11.axb4 axb4 , see 8...a5 in the
notes to the previous game )
11.Rxa3 Nge7 12.c3 Qb6 13.g4
0-0 ( again 13...h5!? should be
157
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
considered ) 14.Kh1 f5 15.gxf5
gxf5? ( 15...exf5 16.Ng3
leaves the chances about even )
16.Ng3 Kh8 17.Ng5 Bd7?? ( after
17...h6 18.Qh5 Kg8 19.Nf3
, Black is only slightly worse )
18.Qh5 h6 19.Nf7+ Kh7 20.Nxd6
Na5 21.e5 and White is winning, I.
Starostits-G.Zschischang, Goch
2008.;
B) White has also tried 10.g4!?
Nge7 ( but before castling 10...h5!?
is a definite consideration for
Black ) 11.f5 exf5 12.gxf5 gxf5
13.Ng3 fxe4 14.Ng5 Ne5 15.Nh5
Rg8 , B.Szuk-Ad.Horvath,
Hungarian League 2005, when
16.Nxe4 Nd5 17.Nxg7+ Rxg7
18.Kh1 keeps good play for the
pawn. ]
10.Rb1 QUESTION: What is the
purpose of this move?
ANSWER: By defending the b2-pawn,
White negates the threat of ...e5xf4 and
allows the c1-bishop to be developed.
[ Instead:
a) 10.f5 should not be major concern
provided Black is a little careful: Nf6
11.h3 gxf5 12.exf5 d5 13.g4 h6
14.Ng3 Qd6 with chances for both
sides, K.Jakubowski-E.Sveshnikov,
Warsaw 2010. ]
[ b) 10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Be3 can be met
by Nf6!? ( after 11...Qd6 12.Nc1 Nf6
13.Nb3 Rb5 14.Nfd2
, White appears to have the more
comfortable set-up ) 12.Bxc5 Ng4
( 12...Rb5!? looks promising too )
13.c3 Bh6
A) 14.Qa4?! Bd7 15.Qb3?
, K.Azimova-R.Eidelson, St
Petersburg 2008, when Be3+!
16.Bxe3 Nxe3 wins material, due
to the additional threat of ...Na5,
trapping the white queen. ( 16...-- );
B) Here 14.cxb4! Be3+ ( or
14...Nxb4 15.d4 ) 15.Bxe3 Nxe3
16.Qa4 Qb6 17.Rfc1 Bd7 18.b5
might offer White something. ]
[ c) 10.a3 a5 11.axb4 axb4 ( after
11...cxb4 12.d4 , White has both the
initiative and a lead in development )
12.c3 ( this may be a better moment
for 12.fxe5! dxe5 13.Be3
, since the open a-file increases
White's possibilities after Nf6
14.Bxc5 Ng4 etc ) 12...Nge7 13.Be3
bxc3 14.bxc3 0-0 15.Qd2 Bg4
16.fxe5 , L.Ptacnikova-M.Chojnowski,
Olomouc 2009, and now Bxf3
17.Bxf3 Nxe5 looks pretty equal. ]
10...Nge7 11.Be3 Qa5!?
[ Following the themes of Chapter
Seven, 11...Nd4 is probably the most
logical move, when Black has nothing
much to worry about. ]
12.Qd2 0-0 QUESTION: Hang on a
second, isn't the pawn on a2 hanging?
[ ANSWER: Presumably Stefanova
intended to take it but then changed
her mind, since White gains the
initiative in the following fashion:
12...Qxa2 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5
Bxe5 15.Ra1 Qxb2 16.d4! cxd4
17.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 18.Nxd4 Qc3
19.Qxc3 bxc3 20.Rxa7 and while
this is by no means a disaster for
Black, White's position is certainly
more comfortable. ]
13.a3 Qc7?!
[ After 13...bxa3 14.Qxa5 Nxa5
15.bxa3 Rxb1 16.Rxb1 , Black has
some issues with her pawn
structure; ]
[ but rather than retreating the queen
again, 13...f6 seems a more solid
way to reinforce the centre. ]
14.axb4 Rxb4 15.b3
[ The immediate 15.fxe5 looks good
too; e.g. Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5
158
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.Bh6 Re8 18.c3 and White has
the upper hand. ]
15...f5?! With Black having wasted time
with the queen, this aggressive thrust
can hardly be justified.
[ Again 15...f6 should be preferred. ]
16.fxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5
18.Bh6?! This standard move seems
too routine here.
[ It is stronger to play in the centre; e.g.
18.c3 Rb8 19.b4!? cxb4 20.cxb4 a6
21.Rbc1 Qd7 22.Nd4 and White has
the more harmoniously placed
pieces; ]
[ or else 18.d4!? cxd4 ( or 18...Bg7
19.dxc5 dxc5 20.Rbd1 ) 19.Nxd4 a5
20.c4 with a dominant position. ]
18...Re8 19.Nf4 Kh8?! The idea of ...
Ng8 to expel the white bishop is
sensible, but this is perhaps the wrong
moment.
[ Instead, Black might play 19...Rb8
20.Rbe1 fxe4 21.Bxe4 ( or if 21.dxe4
only then Kh8 etc ) 21...Bb7 . ]
20.Rbe1 Rb8 21.Bg5 Ng8 22.Nd5
QUESTION: It looks as if White has now
taken full control of the game. Is that a
fair assessment?
ANSWER: Absolutely; Black is
struggling, since White's pieces are far
better coordinated and aligned.
22...Qg7 23.exf5 Bxf5 24.Kh1 h6?!
This only helps White, who now wants to
play Bf4 anyway.
[ 24...Rf8 more resilient. ]
25.Bf4 Rbd8 26.Bxe5 Rxe5 27.Rxe5
Qxe5 28.Re1 Qg7 29.Qf4
White's pieces are finding better and
better squares, whereas Black's are
stuck defending and completely lack
targets. 29...a5 30.h4 h5 31.Qg5 Rf8
32.Nf4 Qh6 33.Be4? White potentially
throws away a good chunk of her
advantage with this move.
[ She should have played 33.Bd5 Qg7
( 33...Qxg5 34.hxg5 Kg7 transposes
to the game ) 34.Kg2 Kh7
A) 35.Bc4 and White is clearly
better; -- ( 35...-- );
B) while the computer crunches
out 35.Bxg8+! Kxg8 36.Re7 Qc3
( 36...Rf7? fails to 37.Nxh5! gxh5
38.Re8+ etc ) 37.Qh6 Qd2+
38.Re2 Qc1 39.g4! Bxd3 40.Re7!
Qf1+ 41.Kg3 Qxf4+ 42.Qxf4 Rxf4
43.Kxf4 Bxc2 44.gxh5 gxh5
45.Rb7 with a winning endgame. ]
33...Qxg5 34.hxg5 Kh7?
[ Missing 34...Re8! 35.Kg2 ( or
35.Ra1 Bxe4+ 36.dxe4 Kh7
37.Rxa5 Rxe4 38.Ra7+ Re7
and White has nothing left of her
advantage ) 35...Re5 36.Ra1 Bxe4+
37.dxe4 Rxg5 38.Kf3 Ne7 39.Rxa5
Nc6 40.Ra6 Ne5+ 41.Kf2
, when White should no longer expect
to win. ]
35.Bd5 Correcting her mistake, after
which everything runs smoothly again.
35...Kg7 36.Ra1 Re8 37.Rxa5 Re1+
38.Kg2 Ne7 39.Ra7 Kf8 40.Ra8+
Kg7 41.Re8 Bd7 42.Rd8 Bg4
43.Rxd6 With White now two pawns up,
we will end the annotated transmission
at this point. For the record and your
entertainment, the remaining moves
were:
43...Rc1 44.c4 Rc2+ 45.Kg1 Rc3
46.Be4 Rxb3 47.Nxg6 Nxg6
48.Rxg6+ Kf7 49.Rc6 Rb1+ 50.Kf2
Rb2+ 51.Ke3 Re2+ 52.Kf4 Rf2+
53.Ke5 Rg2 54.Rxc5 Rxg3 55.Rc7+
Kf8 56.g6 Bh3 57.Kf6 h4 58.g7+
Ke8 59.Bg6+
1-0
159
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B25
Starostits,I
Tazbir,M
49: Polanica Zdroj 2011
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 f5!? QUESTION:
This looks positively ridiculous. Is it
really playable? And if so, why even
bother with the Closed Sicilian as
White?
ANSWER: It is indeed playable and, yes,
it does look a bit bizarre, so it is
perhaps a little unfair that it is playable.
As to why it is worth sticking with the
Closed Sicilian, we covered that in the
Foreword to this book. This opening is
not about quick knockouts but winning
through superior understanding of the
positions that arise on the board.
7.exf5
[ The main alternative is 7.Nf3 Nf6
( incidentally, 7...Nh6!? transposes to
our next main game ) 8.0-0 0-0
, when White has tried various things:
A) 9.h3 Rb8 10.a4 Kh8 11.Kh2
Be6 12.Be3 Bg8 13.Qe2 Qd7
14.Rad1 b6 15.Ng5?! (this looks
rather pointless here) ( 15.exf5
gxf5 16.d4 is a definite
improvement, even if it isn't
necessarily good for White )
15...Nd4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 17.Nb5
e5 and I think Black now stands
better, M.Chigaev-K.Miton,
European Blitz Championship,
Wroclaw 2014.;
B) 9.Be3 b6 ( my silicon friend
suggests 9...Qb6!? , which looks
odd but actually makes sense as
now both ...Qxb2 and ...Ng4 are
threatened; indeed 9...Ng4!?
at once is also possible ) 10.h3
Bb7 11.exf5 gxf5 12.d4 cxd4
13.Nxd4 Qd7 14.Qd3 Nxd4
( 14...e6!? may be better here )
15.Bxb7 Qxb7 16.Bxd4 Qd7
17.Rad1 Rac8 18.Rfe1
and I prefer White's position on
account of his pressure on the
central files, V.Samolins-S.Roa
Alonso, Collado Villalba 2010.;
C) 9.Kh1 (avoiding the problems
with Be3 in line 'b') 9...Bd7 ( or
9...Kh8 10.Be3 Be6 11.Qd2 Qd7
12.Ng5 Bg8 13.Rae1 Rad8 14.b3
b6 15.Bg1 Ng4 16.Nd5 e6
17.Ne3 Nxe3 18.Bxe3 Bf6 19.Nf3
fxe4 20.dxe4 e5 21.fxe5
and after so much shadow boxing
the players agreed upon a draw in
J.Maiwald-V.Babula, German
League 2015 ) 10.Be3 Rb8
11.Qe2 b5 12.Bg1 b4 13.Nd1
Ne8 14.c3 Nc7 15.Rc1 Ne6
16.Ne3 Qa5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Nh4
Ned8 19.g4 ( 19.Nc4!? Qa6
20.Rfe1 takes the game in a
different direction ) 19...fxg4 20.f5
Ne5 21.Nxg4 Nxg4 22.Qxg4
and Black's position was becoming
difficult in the stem game V.
Smyslov-Be.Larsen, Munich
Olympiad 1958; indeed, after Nf7?
( 22...Rf7 is better ) 23.Bd5 Qa6?
, White could have declared mate
in three with 24.Bd4! etc. ]
7...Bxf5
[ It is quite possible to provoke the
situation even further with 7...gxf5!?
8.Qh5+ Kf8 9.Qd1 (returning to base
before developing the g1-knight)
( after 9.Nf3 Nf6 10.Qh4 Nb4
11.Kd1 Rb8 , R.Borng‫ن‬sser-W.
Vandrey, Dortmund 1992; or 9.Bd2
Nf6 10.Qh4 Nd4 11.0-0-0 Ng4
12.Rf1 Bd7 , Black is doing perfectly
well ) 9...Nf6 10.Nf3 Nd4!
( improving on 10...Kf7?! 11.Ng5+
160
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Kg6 12.h4 h5 13.Nd5 Ng4 14.c3
Bd7 15.0-0 b5 16.Qe2 , which is
good for White, U.Tarva-H.Pohla,
Parnu 1971 )
A) 11.0-0 Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 h5
13.Qe2 and here a draw was
prematurely agreed in A.Rodriguez
Vila-R.Leitao, Serra Negra 2002,
though Black might very well have
continued; e.g. h4!? 14.Re1 Bd7
15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 hxg3
17.hxg3 e6 18.Bxb7 Rb8 19.Bf3
Bxb2 20.Bxb2 Rxb2 and I would
prefer playing Black. ( 20...-- );
B) Note that 11.Nxd4 cxd4
12.Ne2 doesn't get anywhere after
Qb6 ( or even 12...Nd5!? . )]
8.Nf3 Nf6 9.h3
[ After 9.0-0 ,
A) Black is not obliged to transpose
with 9...0-0 10.h3 ; ( 10.-- );
B) but can play 9...Qd7 10.Kh1
0-0 11.Be3 b5 12.Bg1 b4 13.Ne2
Rab8 14.d4 c4 15.Qd2?! ( 15.d5
Nd8 16.a3 keeps the game level )
15...Be4 16.Rae1 Qf5 17.Nc1
Bd5 and Black is definitely in
control. B.Roselli Mailhe-I.
Morovic Fernandez, Calvia
Olympiad 2004. ]
9...0-0
[ Black can also play to encourage g3-
g4 or even go long:
a) 9...Qc8 10.Be3 0-0 11.g4 Bd7
12.0-0 Nb4 13.Bd2 Bc6 14.a3
Nbd5 15.Ne2 b5 16.c3 a5 17.Ng3
e6 and there is no reason why Black
should be any worse, T.Casper-S.
Gross, Leipzig 1982. ]
[ b) 9...Qd7 10.Be3 Be6 ( or just
10...0-0-0 ) 11.Ng5 Bg8 12.0-0 h6
13.Nge4 Be6 14.Kh2 Nd5 15.Nxd5
Bxd5 16.Nf6+ Bxf6 17.Bxd5 e6
18.Bb3 0-0-0 19.Qg4 Rde8 20.c3
Rhg8 and the chances are more or
less even, R.Liiva-V.Babula,
European Junior Championship,
Vejen 1993. ]
10.0-0 This appears to be the only high-
level game to reach this position, so
there is plenty of scope for original play.
10...Rb8 11.Be3 Bd7 12.a4 Nh5
13.Kh2 Nd4 14.Bf2 Bc6 15.Nxd4
Most likely the wrong decision.
[ After 15.Bxd4 cxd4 16.Nb5 Qb6
17.Qe2 Bf6 18.Nd2 , the chances
are about even, which is a definite
improvement for White on what
happens in the game. ]
15...cxd4 16.Ne4 e5 17.fxe5?!
Another bad decision.
[ He should play 17.Bf3 exf4 18.Bxh5
gxh5 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Qxh5 Bxe4
( or 20...Qe8 21.Qg5 Qe5 22.Bg3
etc ) 21.dxe4 Qc7 22.Qd5+ Kh8
23.Bxd4 Qxc2+ 24.Kh1 Qxe4+
25.Qxe4 Rxe4 26.Bxg7+ Kxg7
27.Rf3 and although White is a pawn
down, he has decent drawing
chances in the endgame with his
active rooks. ]
17...Bxe5! QUESTION: Why is this
move better than straightening out the
doubled pawns?
ANSWER: While the latter is
positionally attractive pawn structure-
wise, it does nothing for Black
dynamically;
[ for instance, 17...dxe5 18.c3 Kh8
19.Qb3 Rc8 20.cxd4 exd4 21.Rac1
is roughly balanced. Whereas 17...
Bxe5 leaves White with serious
issues on the kingside, which are
very difficult to meet satisfactorily,
and he is almost entirely without
counterplay. ]
18.Bf3?
[ My computer suggests 18.Kg1 d5
19.Qg4!? as White's best chance,
though both dxe4 ( and 19...Rf5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20.Nd2 Qc7 look pretty good for
Black anyway ) 20.Qe6+ Rf7
21.Qxe5 e3 . ]
18...d5 19.Nd2 Qg5 QUESTION:
White's position seems absolutely
horrible; is that a fair assessment?
ANSWER: It is in fact right on the money;
White is close to a technically lost
position. However, as we will see
perfectly demonstrated in this game,
"technically lost" doesn't mean
"completely lost" because human errors
do occur.
[ Black might also play 19...Qd6
20.Rg1 Ng7 , intending to bring the
knight to f5 and then push the h-pawn
forward. ]
20.Rg1 Kh8?! QUESTION: I don't
understand this move; why is Black
concerning himself with the safety of his
king when there are no immediate
threats, nor anything on the horizon?
ANSWER: Perhaps he expected White
to exchange on h5, and then the open g-
file would come in handy.
[ Nevertheless, moving the king is a
waste of time, which might again be
spent on 20...Ng7! , followed by ...
Nf5, and Black dominates
completely. ]
21.Rg2 Ng7?! The lost tempo with the
king means this manoeuvre is now less
effective.
[ Black should switch directions here
and try 21...Bd7! , against which the
hardcore defending computer
suggests 22.Nf1 Nf6 23.h4! Qxh4+
24.Kg1 Qh3 25.Qd2 and White may
yet pull a successful defence
together. ]
22.Bg4 h5 23.Nf3 Rxf3
[ Black probably intended 23...Qf6
, but then noticed the fabulous
defence 24.Qd2! hxg4 25.Qh6+ Kg8
26.Ng5 Rfe8 ( nor does 26...Rf7
succeed in view of 27.Qh7+ Kf8
28.Re1! Re8 29.Bxd4 Ne6 30.Qxf7+
Qxf7 31.Nxf7 Nxd4 32.Nxe5 Rxe5
33.Rf2+! Rf5 34.Ref1 and again a
draw is the most likely result ) 27.Be1!!
and all of a sudden White has a
surprisingly strong counter-attack.
The immediate threat is 28 Qh7+ Kf8
29 Bb4+ and wins, while after Nf5
28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.hxg4 Re7 30.gxf5!
, Black has nothing better than to
assent to Qxg5 31.Bb4 Qh5+
32.Qxh5 gxh5 33.f6! Bxf6 34.Rf1
Kg7 35.Rxf6! Kxf6 36.Rf2+
etc with a probable draw. ]
24.Bxf3 Nf5 25.Kg1 Ne3 26.Bxe3
Qxe3+ 27.Kh1 Rf8?? This natural-
looking move allows White a very nice
shot.
[ Instead, Black should prefer
27...Kg7! 28.Qe2 Rf8 29.Re1 Bd6
, when he is certainly not worse. ]
28.Bxh5! gxh5? A further mistake on
Black's part.
[ He had to ignore the en prise bishop
and play 28...Kg7 29.Bg4 Bxg3
30.Re2 Qf4 , when White still has a
lot of work to do. ]
29.Qxh5+ Kg7 30.Re2? This makes
matters decidedly more complicated;
[ whereas after 30.Qg4+ Kh6 31.Re2
Qxg3 32.Qe6+ Rf6 ( or 32...Bf6
33.Rf1 ) 33.Qxe5 , White is just
winning. ]
30...Rf5 31.Qxf5 Qxe2 32.Rf1 Bd6
33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Rf5?
[ White fails to find the correct
coordination of his major pieces:
34.Rf2! Qe5 35.Qh4+ Kg7 36.Qg4+
Kh8 37.Rf7! Qe1+ 38.Kg2 Qd2+
39.Rf2 Qh6 40.Qc8+ Kg7 41.b4
Qg6 42.b5! Be8 ( 42...Qxg3+?
43.Kf1 wins at once ) 43.g4
and despite his two bishops, Black
is struggling to stay in the game. ]
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
34...Qe1+?
[ And here 34...Be7! 35.Qf7+ Kh6
is the right way to defend, when White
no longer has an obvious way
forward. ]
35.Rf1 Qe2
[ I suspect that both players were in
time trouble in the latter stages, and
that is why White decided to accept
the draw here, when he might yet
have won with 35...Qe2 36.Rf2!
etc as above. ]
1/2
Larino Nieto,D
Hamdouchi,H
50: Salou
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 Nh6!? QUESTION:
What's this? The knight doesn't appear
to have any kind of future on h6; White
can play h2-h3 and it is going nowhere,
right?
ANSWER: Black intends to play ...f7-f5,
and if White then captures on f5, Black
can recapture with the knight.
QUESTION: But what if White doesn't
capture on f5, isn't the knight just left
stranded?
ANSWER: For the moment, yes; but if
desired, Black can re-route the knight
via f7, where it can even contemplate
supporting ...e7-e5.
7.Nf3
[ White has made a couple of attempts
to disturb Black's set-up:
a) 7.f5?! gxf5 8.Qh5 Ng4 9.exf5
Nf6 10.Qg5?! h6! 11.Qxg7?! Rh7
12.Bxh6 Rxg7 13.Bxg7 Ng4
was a failed experiment in D.Larino
Nieto-A.Mirzoev, Madrid 2007, as the
h-pawn never got going and otherwise
White does not have enough for the
queen. ]
[ b) 7.h3 f5 8.Be3 0-0 9.Qd2 Rb8
10.g4!? Nd4 11.Nd1 fxg4 12.c3
Nc6?! ( 12...g3!? 13.f5 Nhxf5
seems okay for Black ) 13.f5! Nxf5?
a panic reaction; ( 13...gxh3 14.Bxh3
Nf7 is not necessarily fatal ) 14.exf5
Bxf5 15.hxg4 Bxg4 16.Nf2
and Black's three pawns are not worth
the piece here, R.Kagirov-A.Tuzhik,
Novosibirsk 2007. ]
7...f5 GM Hamdouchi prefers to make
this thrust at once;
B25 [ whereas GM Nakamura, who has
also played this line a few times, opts
for 7...0-0 first. Either way, it almost
2011 always leads to the same positions (i.
e. after 8 0-0 f5 or 8 h3 f5 9 0-0),
since there is nothing to be gained
from White delaying castling. For
example, 8.h3 f5 9.Bd2 Rb8
10.Qe2 b5 (discouraging the king
from going long) 11.0-0 b4 12.Nd1
Qc7 13.Kh2 Bd7 14.c3 bxc3
15.bxc3 Nf7 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Ne3
e6 with a dynamic position where
both sides have their chances, La.
Karlsson-Si.Lund, Sweden 2009,
though personally I would probably
prefer Black, even if I have hard
time describing why. ]
8.0-0 0-0 9.Kh1 We saw this
prophylactic move in the notes to the
previous game; before developing the
c1-bishop, White makes room for it to
drop back to g1 if need be.
[ The main alternative is the above-
mentioned 9.h3 and then:
A) 9...Nf7 seems almost impatient,
but there's nothing clearly wrong
with it; for example, 10.Be3 Nd4
11.Kh2 Bd7 12.Bg1 Bc6 13.Nxd4
cxd4 14.Ne2 e5 15.c3 ( inserting
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
15.exf5!? first might improve )
15...dxc3 16.Nxc3 exf4 17.gxf4
fxe4 18.dxe4 g5 19.Bd4 Bxd4
20.Qxd4 gxf4 21.Rxf4 Ne5
22.Rxf8+ Qxf8 with a complicated
game in view of the very open
kings, despite the simplifications; I
prefer Black's position, my
computer calls it equal, B.Roselli
Mailhe-H.Nakamura, Buenos Aires
2003.;
B) 9...Kh8 10.Be3 b5!? ( 10...Rb8
is more usual ) 11.Nh4 ( not
11.Nxb5?! Rb8 12.a4 a6 13.Na3
fxe4 14.dxe4 Rxb2 and Black is
fine; but 11.e5!? looks more
testing ) 11...b4 12.Ne2 fxe4
13.dxe4
B1) 13...Ba6 14.f5 Bxe2
15.Qxe2 Ne5 16.Rad1 Qe8
17.g4 ( my computer
recommends 17.b3!?
and I do prefer White here,
whose pieces are better
coordinated with good prospects
of making Black's life miserable
on the kingside ) 17...Nhf7 18.g5
Nd8 19.fxg6 Rxf1+ 20.Rxf1
hxg6 with chances for both sides,
H.Hamdouchi-S.Belkhodja,
French League 1998.;
B2) 13...Bxb2 can be met by
either 14.f5 ( or 14.e5!?
again with unclear play in either
case. );
C) 9...Bd7 10.Be3 ( 10.exf5?!
is rather obliging, allowing the h6-
knight to participate in the desired
manner: Nxf5 11.g4 Nfd4
12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Ne4 Qb6
14.Kh1 Rae8 15.Bd2 , A.Barsov-A.
Graf, Tashkent 1992, and now Nb4
, intending ...Bc6 and ...Nd5, is
somewhat better for Black )
10...Nd4 11.Qd2 Nf7 12.Kh2
( after 12.Rae1 Bc6 13.Kh2 Qd7
14.Bg1 Rae8 15.Nxd4 cxd4
16.Nd5 e6 17.Nb4 , a draw was
agreed in B.Golubovic-J.Dorfman,
Cannes 1996, which doesn't tell us
much but Black does appear to be
comfortable; e.g. fxe4 18.dxe4
Bb5 19.Nd3 Rc8 and I prefer
Black slightly ) 12...Kh8 13.Rae1
Bc6 14.Bg1 Qd7 15.Nxd4 cxd4
16.Ne2 e5 17.c3 dxc3 18.Nxc3
exf4 19.gxf4 a6 20.Ne2 Rae8
21.Nd4 Nd8 22.exf5 gxf5
with a symmetric pawn distribution
and roughly equal chances, U.
Bajarani-J.Duda, World Junior
Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk
2015. ]
9...Bd7 10.Be3 Nd4
[ The standard approach of pushing
the b-pawn forward is also
acceptable: 10...Rb8 11.Bg1 b5
( for 11...Nd4 see 11...Rb8 in the
next note ) 12.Qd2 b4 13.Nd1 Nd4
14.e5 Qb6 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.c3
bxc3 17.bxc3 dxe5 18.fxe5 dxc3
19.Nxc3 Qa5 20.d4 Rfc8 21.Rab1
Nf7 22.Rxb8 Rxb8 and Black does
not stand worse, even with his
kingside pieces currently shut out of
the game, F.Stahl-B.Malich, East
German Championship, Magdeburg
1964. ]
11.Bg1 By retreating the bishop, White
creates the option of trading knights on
d4, since there is no longer a potential
pawn fork. 11...Rc8 Black too makes
ready for a knight exchange, placing the
rook on the potentially half-open file.
[ Other games have seen:
a) 11...Nf7 12.Qd2 Bc6 13.Rae1
Qd7 14.Nd1 Rae8 15.Nxd4 cxd4
16.c3 dxc3 17.Nxc3 b6?! ( here
17...fxe4 18.dxe4 b5 may improve,
when there is no reason why Black
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
should be worse ) 18.d4 e6 19.d5
exd5 20.exd5 ( or 20.exf5!? Bxc3
21.Qxc3 gxf5 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Rc1
Nd8 with excellent play for a rather
useless doubled pawn ) 20...Bb7
21.Bd4 leaves White with some extra
space and the initiative on account of
his better placed pieces, D.Novitzkij-
S.Sivokho, St Petersburg 2005. ]
[ b) 11...Rb8 12.e5?!
(overly ambitious) ( 12.a4 Bc6
leaves the game fairly balanced )
12...Nxf3 13.Qxf3 dxe5 ( or
13...Bc6!? 14.Qe3 dxe5 15.Qxc5
Bxg2+ 16.Kxg2 exf4 17.gxf4 b6
18.Qc6 Qc8 19.Qxc8 Rbxc8 20.d4
Rfd8 , when Black's pieces are nearly
ideally placed, with the exception of
the knight on h6 which can be
easily remedied, whereas White
suffers from some annoying
structural weaknesses ) 14.Bxc5 b6
15.Ba3 Nf7 16.Rfe1 Re8 17.fxe5
Bxe5 18.Rad1 Bg7
( my unsentimental computer doesn't
hesitate to suggest 18...Bxc3
, arguing that after 19.bxc3 Rc8
20.c4 Bc6 21.Qf2 Bxg2+ 22.Qxg2
e5 , Black is better despite the
missing dark-squared bishop ) 19.d4
Rc8 and chances are roughly equal,
M.Meinhardt-L.Milov, Nuremberg
2012. ]
QUESTION: I'm finding it difficult to
come up with a plan that will help White
improve his position. Am I wrong to
assume that Black is just better here?
ANSWER: It can often feel like the
opposing side is better when you cannot
find something constructive to do.
However, that is usually a sign that you
need to look a bit deeper. One standard
piece of advice is to improve the
position of your worst placed piece.
Another possibility here for White is
simply to play as intended and remove
the centralized enemy knight from the
board.
12.Nxd4 This is certainly an attempt to
shake things up a bit.
[ In a later game, White inserted
12.Qd2 first, but it quickly emerged
that Black has nothing to fear: b5
( 12...Nxf3 13.Bxf3 b5 is another
option ) 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2 e5
15.c3 Qa5 16.Rad1 dxc3 17.Nxc3
exf4 18.Nd5 Qxd2 19.Rxd2 f3
20.Bxf3 Kh8 21.Kg2 Nf7 and now,
in a fairly equal position, White
suddenly blew up with 22.exf5?! Ng5
23.Nf4? Nxf3 24.Kxf3?? g5!
0-1 A.Marechal-H.Hamdouchi,
Belgian League 2012. ]
12...cxd4 13.Ne2 e5
[ Initially I was attracted to 13...Qb6
14.c3 on account of Qxb2
, but White should probably not fear
this since 15.Rb1 Qxa2 16.Nxd4
Rc7 17.c4 provides excellent
compensation for the pawn. ]
14.c3 dxc3 15.Qb3+ Kh8 16.Nxc3
exf4 17.Rxf4
[ QUESTION: Why not recapture
towards the centre with 17.gxf4 - ?
ANSWER: That is certainly a viable
alternative. It is very much a matter
of taste as to whether White prefers
to have a central pawn mass or
dynamic pieces. I lean towards the
decision in the game, though there's
nothing wrong with your suggestion;
for example, b6 ( or 17...Bc6!?
18.Bxa7 Qh4 19.Qb4 fxe4 20.dxe4
Rxf4 , which is difficult to assess )
18.Qa3 Qc7 19.Rac1 Qb8
with chances for both sides. ]
17...g5!? Black chooses the sharpest
continuation, sacrificing a pawn.
[ Instead, 17...b6 18.Qa3 Qc7
19.Nd5 Qb8 is assessed as more or
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
less equal by my computer, but in
all fairness I prefer White's chances
as his pieces looks better
coordinated. ]
18.Rff1 f4 19.Qxb7 Bg4 20.gxf4 gxf4
21.Bf3 Rb8 22.Qxa7 Rxb2 23.Rab1
Rxb1 24.Nxb1 Bxf3+ 25.Rxf3
After that forcing sequence it could look,
unless you are alert, as if Black has just
thrown a pawn away for nothing. In fact,
he has excellent compensation: the rook
on f3 is a poor blockader of the passed
f-pawn and the other white pieces are
far from working well together. That said,
White is not yet losing or even worse,
but now is the time to be careful, as
otherwise the balance in the game may
rapidly change. 25...Qg5 A slight
inaccuracy;
[ 25...Ng4
A) 26.Nd2 Qg5 is more precise,
preventing White from bringing the
queen back to f2; ( 26...-- );
B) while 26.Rf1 can be met by
26...Qf6! ( rather than 26...Qg5
27.Nd2 as below ) 27.Qd7 Qh4
28.Nd2 Qh3 29.Qxd6 f3 30.Qg3
Qxg3 31.hxg3 f2 32.Bxf2 Nxf2+
33.Kg2 Nxd3 34.Rxf8+ Bxf8
with some winning chances as long
as Black keeps the knights on the
board. ]
26.Nd2
[ As just intimated, he should take the
chance for 26.Qf2! , intending to
meet Ng4 with 27.Qg2 Qg6 28.Nd2
and White can begin to dream of
consolidating, even if Black has more
or less sufficient compensation for
the sacrificed pawn right now. ]
26...Ng4 27.Bd4? This looks like the
sort of move made in time trouble
(though I have no knowledge of whether
either of the players actually was short
of time at this juncture). White should
be aiming to get his opponent's initiative
under control, rather than trying to seize
the initiative himself.
[ Instead, 27.Rf1 is correct, clearing
the f3-square for the knight, when a
draw is the most likely result; e.g. Rg8
( or 27...Ne3 28.Bxe3 fxe3 29.Rxf8+
Bxf8 30.Qd4+ Bg7 31.Qxd6 exd2
32.Qb8+ etc ) 28.Nf3 Qh5
and now my computer spits the
following line out: 29.Qe7 Bf6
30.Qxd6 Qh3 31.Nd2 Be5 32.Qc5
Qxd3 33.Rxf4! Bxf4 ( or 33...Qxd2
34.Rxg4 ) 34.Bd4+ Be5 35.Bxe5+
Nxe5 36.Qxe5+ Rg7 37.Qe8+
with perpetual check. ]
27...Rg8 28.Rh3 It seems White is
trying to tie Black down defensively, but
in fact he is placing his own pieces on
poor squares, and the pin on the g7-
bishop is easily undone. 28...h6!?
[ Surprisingly, using the knight may be
even stronger: 28...Nh6! 29.Bxg7+
( 29.Bg1 Bc3! 30.Bd4+ Bxd4
31.Qxd4+ Rg7 comes to the same
thing ) 29...Rxg7 30.Qf2 Ng4 31.Qe2
( or 31.Qg1 d5! ) 31...Ne3 32.Qf2
Qe5 and White is beginning to have
real problems. ]
29.Nf3 Qb5 This sudden switch to the
queenside creates new difficulties for
White. 30.Bg1 Bf6 31.Qf7 Qb2 32.d4
Rg7 33.Qc4 Qb1? This obvious-
looking move throws most of Black's
advantage away.
[ Instead, the patient 33...Kh7 34.Qf1
Qc2 is very uncomfortable for White. ]
34.Qe2 Kh7 35.Nd2 Qxa2 36.Qd3
Kh8 37.Rf3 With his rook back from the
sidelines, White should now be able to
defend. 37...Bg5 38.h4 Bxh4 39.Rxf4
Be7 40.Nf1 Qe6 41.Rf5?! White is not
far so out of the woods that he can
conduct active operations.
[ His first priority must be the safety of
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
his king which has no pawn shield. To
that end White should prefer 41.Ng3
Qg6 42.Qe2 , although he needs to
see that Bh4 can be met by 43.Bh2!
Nxh2 44.Rxh4 Qxg3 45.Rxh6+ Kg8
46.Qc4+ Rf7 47.Qc8+ Rf8 48.Rh8+
Kxh8 49.Qxf8+ with a draw. ]
41...Qg6 42.Qg3?! Walking on a knife's
edge is a tricky business and this move
does not help.
[ Here White should play 42.Qf3
, intending d5 ( or 42...Ne5 43.Qg3! )
43.Ng3 dxe4 44.Nxe4 Ne5 45.Qf2
Nf3 ( or 45...Nd3 46.Qf1 ) 46.Rxf3
Qxe4 47.Qe3 Qg6 48.Qf2
and the game should end in a draw. ]
42...d5 43.Qf4?? A final and fatal
mistake.
[ The correct continuation is 43.Ne3!
dxe4 44.Qxg4 Qxg4 45.Nxg4 Rxg4
46.d5 and White keeps the draw
within reach. ]
43...dxe4
[ The immediate 43...Bd6!
is even stronger; e.g. 44.e5 ( or
44.Qf3 dxe4 45.Qxe4 Nf6 )
44...Nxe5 45.Ng3 Nd7 and White
doesn't even get a check. ]
44.Ng3 Bd6 45.Qxe4 Bxg3 46.Rf8+
Kh7 47.Qa8 A last hopeless trick in a
hopeless position.
EXERCISE: How does Black win most
swiftly?
ANSWER: 47...Qh5+ 48.Kg2 Ne3+!
[ In view of 48...Ne3+ 49.Bxe3 Bh4+
50.Kf1 ( or 50.Kh1 Bd8# ) 50...Qd1#
; ( and 50...Qb5# is mate too. Full
points to you if you saw this finish,
even if we don't count the points. )]
0-1
B25
Larino Nieto,D
Cheparinov,I
51: Zafra 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2
g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.f4 b6 QUESTION:
Why would Black want to play this
move? If the b-pawn is to be advanced,
then ...Rb8 and ...b7-b5 looks more
active.
ANSWER: That's a fair observation.
Nevertheless, as in the English Opening
(i.e. with colours reversed), Black has
many possible set-ups; and while this
version is far from common, it is
completely viable and has a bit of
pedigree, since it was once used by
Fischer. With 6...b6 and ...Bb7, Black
reinforces the c5-pawn, opposes
White's control of the long light diagonal,
and intends to strike at the centre with ...
f7-f5 again.
[ Before we continue, let's look briefly
at a few of Black's rarer 6th move
options:
a) 6...Nd4 7.Nd5 ( instead, 7.Nf3
allows Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 e6
10.Bg2 Ne7 11.0-0 Qd7 and Black
has no problems, S.Kartsev-L.
Gutman, Werther 2005; and 7.Nce2
Nf6 8.c3 Nxe2 9.Qxe2 0-0 10.Nf3
Bd7 11.0-0 Bc6 is also quite equal,
B.Koch-R.Fuchs, East German
Championship, Berlin 1953; while
7.Be3 e6 8.Nf3 Ne7 9.0-0 0-0
is another route to the main line of
Chapter Six, though Black is not
obliged to play this way ) 7...e6 8.Ne3
Ne7 9.c3 Ndc6 10.Nf3 0-0 11.0-0
d5 12.e5 d4!? ( 12...b5 13.d4 b4
seems safer ) 13.Nc4 Rb8
A) 14.a4 b6 15.Ng5 Bb7 16.Nd6
Na5 17.Nxb7 Nxb7 18.c4 Nf5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
19.Qe2 h5 20.Be4 Qe7 21.Bd2
and White can play for b2-b4 with
the better chances, A.Angelov-M.
Vasilev, Sunny Beach 2004.
( 21.-- );
B) 14.cxd4 cxd4 ( or 14...Nxd4
15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Bd2 ) 15.a4 b6
16.b3 and Ba3 looks good too. ]
[ b) 6...Bd7 7.Nf3 ( 7.Be3 transposes
to Game 24 ) 7...Rc8 ( after 7...Qc8
8.Nd5!? b5 9.0-0 e6 10.Ne3 Nge7
11.c3 a5 12.a4 b4 13.Nc4 Qc7
14.e5 , White is better, H.Bastian-W.
Ott, German League 1994, so Black
should probably resort to 8...Nf6,
challenging the d5-knight without
blocking the c8-h3 diagonal; naturally,
other 7th moves are possible for
Black, but in that case there is little
reason for ...Bd7 ) 8.0-0 Nd4 9.a4
( after 9.Ne2 Nxf3+ 10.Bxf3 b5
11.c3 Bh3 12.Bg2 Bxg2 13.Kxg2
Nf6 14.h3 Qc7 , Black has a quite
pleasant position, R.Kohlei-L.Gutman,
Kassel 1993 ) 9...Bg4 ( the computer
suggests 9...h5!? ) 10.Nd5 e6
11.Ne3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Ne7 13.Bg2
f5 14.c3 Ndc6 15.g4 ( 15.exf5 gxf5
16.Qh5+ also comes into
consideration ) 15...0-0 16.Qb3 Qd7
, J.Boersma-L.Gutman, Dieren 2005,
and now 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.exf5 Nxf5
19.Nxf5 Rxf5 20.Bh3 looks good for
White. ]
[ c) 6...h5!? 7.h3 ( alternatively, 7.Nf3
Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 e6 10.0-0
Qd7 11.Be3 Nge7 12.Kh1 0-0-0
13.Rab1 f5 14.e5 dxe5 15.Bxc5
was played in J.Iruzubieta Villaluenga-
J.Gil Capape, Cala Galdana 1994,
when h4 16.g4 Nd4 leads to
obscure play; while 7.Nh3 is seen in
the notes to Game 52 ) 7...e5!?
(following the same plan as in
Chapter Five) 8.Nf3 ( and 8.Be3
Nge7 9.Qd2 transposes to Game
28 ) 8...Nge7 9.0-0 exf4?!
(premature) ( 9...Nd4 is preferable
and unclear ) 10.Bxf4 0-0 11.Qd2
Kh7 12.Rae1 a6 13.Kh2 f6 14.Nd5
Nxd5 15.exd5 Ne5 16.d4 cxd4
17.Nxd4 and White has a definite
advantage, A.Muzychuk-A.Kosteniuk,
Women's World Blitz Championship,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. ]
7.Nf3
[ In I.Starostits-I.Miladinovic, Vaduz
2003, White attempted to interfere
with Black's plan by playing 7.Nge2
Bb7 8.0-0 Qd7 9.f5!? , which led to
a fascinating game: gxf5 10.Rxf5 e6
11.Rf1 0-0-0 12.Nf4 h5! 13.Nxh5
Bd4+ 14.Kh1 f5 15.exf5 Qh7!?
16.Bg5 ( possibly 16.g4 is critical )
16...Nf6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.g4 Bxc3
19.bxc3 Ne5 20.Qe2 Rdg8 21.h3
and now, rather than Qc7?
( 21...exf5! seemingly leads to a
forced draw; i.e. 22.Rxf5 Bxg2+
23.Qxg2 Qxf5 24.Qa8+ Kc7
25.Qxa7+ Kc6 26.gxf5 Rxh5
27.Qa4+ Kb7 28.Qe4+ Kc7 29.Qe3
Rgh8 30.Kg2 Rg8+ 31.Kh1 Rgh8
and so on ) 22.Bxb7+ Qxb7+ 23.Kh2
and White is winning. ]
7...Bb7 8.0-0 Qd7 9.Be3 The most
natural move.
[ White has also tried:
a) 9.Ne2 f5 10.exf5 ( or 10.c3 e6
11.Kh1 Nf6 12.exf5 exf5 13.d4 0-0
and Black is better, U.Garbisu de
Goni-A.Strikovic, Aviles 1992 )
10...gxf5 11.c3 Nf6 12.d4 e6
13.dxc5 bxc5 leaves Black with an
appealingly flexible position, V.Hِhn-
K.Rِderer, German League 1993. ]
[ b) 9.f5!? Nf6 10.Ne2 gxf5 11.Bh3
Qc7 12.Bxf5 e6 13.Bh3 0-0-0
14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 d5?! ( 15...Rde8
keeps the game balanced ) 16.Nd2
168
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qe5 was seen in J.Seret-C.Bernard,
Val Thorens 1988, and now 17.Rxf6
Bxf6 18.Nf3 Qxb2 19.Rb1 Qa3
20.Bxf6 dxe4 21.Ne1 would have
been good for White. ]
9...f5
[ If preferred, Black can prepare this
advance with 9...Nh6 ; for example,
10.h3 f5 11.Qd2 0-0 ( or 11...0-0-0!?
12.Rad1 e6 13.Rfe1 Rhe8 14.Bf2
Nf7 15.a3 e5 with another mess, G.
Giorgadze-H.Olafsson, Moscow
Olympiad 1994 ) 12.Rae1 Rae8
13.Kh2 Nd4 14.Bg1 Nf7 15.a3 e6
16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Ne2 e5 18.Qb4
h5 19.Qb3 h4 and in this very
unclear position a draw was suddenly
agreed, Kr.Georgiev-I.Miladinovic,
Chania 1999. ]
10.d4
[ Routine play does not trouble Black:
10.Qd2 Nf6 11.Kh1 0-0-0!? 12.Rae1
Kb8 13.Bg1 fxe4 14.dxe4!? ( after
14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Rxe4 e5
, Black has the better chances since
White's pieces are far from ideally
placed; while 14.Ng5 exd3 15.Ne6
Rdg8 16.cxd3 Nd8 just leaves White
a pawn down ) 14...Ba6! 15.Ng5
( 15.Rf2? Ng4 is clearly worse )
15...Bxf1 16.Bxf1 Rhe8 ( 16...e5!?
17.Bh3 Ng4 18.f5 h5 19.Ne6
offers White reasonable
compensation ) 17.Bb5 e5 18.fxe5
Rxe5 19.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.Nf7 Rde8
21.Nxe5 Rxe5 (the isolated e-pawn
means Black has the advantage, but
having regained the exchange White
mistakenly relaxes) 22.Qf4? b5!
23.a3 b4 24.axb4 cxb4 25.Bd4 Rf5
and facing the loss of a piece, White
called it quits in Y.Bernstein-R.J.
Fischer, Netanya 1968. ]
[ However, exchanging on f5 before
breaking in the centre is a serious
option: 10.exf5!? gxf5 ( my computer
prefers 10...Nh6!? 11.fxg6 hxg6
with some play for the pawn ) 11.d4
Nf6 ( 11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 0-0-0 13.a4
looks better for White ) 12.d5 Nd8
( 12...Nb4?! would be met by 13.Ng5 )
13.Kh1?! ( here 13.a4 0-0 14.Re1
may offer White a little something )
13...b5 14.Nh4 b4 15.Ne2 e6
16.dxe6 Qxe6 17.Bxb7 Nxb7
18.Bc1 0-0 19.a3 a5 20.Ng1 d5
and the best that can be said about
White's position is that it's not as bad
as it looks, P.Pazos Gambarrotti-A.
Zapata, Medellin 1987. ]
10...Nf6 11.d5 Nb4 12.Bh3
[ The immediate 12.Ng5 is met by
Nxe4! 13.Ngxe4 ( not 13.Ncxe4?!
Nxd5!; or 13.Ne6?? Bxc3! ) 13...fxe4
14.Bxe4 0-0-0 and Black is fine. ]
12...0-0 13.Ng5 h5 QUESTION: I'm not
sure where to begin understanding this
move. What is Black up to? Leaving the
g5-square permanently in the hands of
White's knight seems like a radical
decision if not a definite mistake.
ANSWER: It does seem very
provocative and bordering on
incomprehensible, but it does have a
clear purpose: Black is concerned about
the kingside light squares. First of all,
White was threatening 14 a3 Na6 15
exf5 gxf5 16 Qd3, which can now be met
by ...Ng4. Secondly, he believes that
White will very likely put his knight on
e6 and then follow up with g3-g4,
opening up for a direct attack on the
king, which would be very difficult to
meet in view of Black's cramped pieces.
So 13...h5 both defends against White's
immediate threat and a kingside attack
that is not yet happening.
[ The natural alternative is to hit the
knight with 13...h6 , when 14.Ne6
( after 14.Nf3 Nxe4! 15.Nxe4 Bxb2
169
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
16.Rb1 Nxd5 17.Re1 Bg7 18.Bd2
c4 , Black has three good pawns for
the piece ) 14...fxe4 15.Ng5 ( not
15.Nxf8?? Qxh3 ) 15...Qe8 16.Ngxe4
Nxe4 17.Be6+ Kh7 18.Nxe4 Bxb2
19.Rb1 Bg7 is possibly playable for
Black (my computer certainly seems
to think so), but White has pretty
good compensation since Black
remains quite cramped and
uncomfortable; presumably
Cheparinov did not wish to risk the
chance that he might fail to conduct
a successful defence over the
board. ]
14.a3 Na6 15.Ne6?! This obvious-
looking move is not the best, since Black
is not worried about losing the
exchange;
[ and given that the base of his centre
is already under pressure, White
should probably leave the knight
where it is and opt for 15.exf5 gxf5
A) 16.Bg2 Nc7 17.a4 , trying to
keep control of the position with a
slight advantage. Note that Ng4
18.Re1 Nxe3?? is not now a
solution due to 19.Qxh5!
and White wins ( 19.-- );
B) as noted above, 16.Qd3
is well met by Ng4;
C) while 16.Ne6 Ng4 17.Nxf8
Rxf8 18.Bf2 Nc7 also gives Black
sufficient counterplay; e.g. 19.Bg2
Ba6 20.Re1 ( or 20.Bf3 Bxf1
21.Qxf1 Bxc3 22.bxc3 Qa4
23.Qe2 Rf7 24.c4 b5 and so on )
20...Nxf2 21.Kxf2 Bd4+ . ]
15...Ng4 16.Bxg4 QUESTION: Why
doesn't White just take the rook?
ANSWER: Because he doesn't achieve
anything by doing so;
[ after 16.Nxf8 Rxf8 17.Bf2 ( 17.Re1
Nxe3 18.Rxe3 Bd4 re-establishes
the material status quo ) 17...Nc7
, his centre is falling apart and the
second rook hardly registers at the
moment; e.g. 18.Re1 ( not now
18.exf5? since Bxc3! 19.bxc3 Nxd5
20.Bxg4 Nxc3! is virtually winning for
Black ) 18...fxe4 19.Nxe4 Nxd5
20.c3 Ndf6 21.Nxf6+ Rxf6 22.Bg2
Bxg2 23.Kxg2 e5 and Black has
good play for the exchange.
In more general terms, the knight on
e6 is quite a nuisance and may well
be worth more than a rook; therefore
White weighs his options before
cashing in. ]
16...hxg4 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Ne4!? Nc7
[ The knight cannot be taken, since
18...fxe4?? 19.Nxg7 Kxg7 20.f5!
and 21 Qxg4 gives White a
tremendous attack. ]
[ Black is not eager to capture on b2
either because 18...Bxb2 19.Rb1
Bg7 20.c4 Nc7 21.Nxc7 Qxc7
22.Ng5 , followed by h2-h3, can
rapidly become dangerous for Black,
who is left with only a few pieces to
guard the king. ]
19.Nxc7
[ Not now 19.Nxf8?? Rxf8 20.Ng5
Nxd5 and White is fatally exposed on
the light squares. ]
19...Qxc7 20.Ng5 Rf6 21.c4 e6
22.Nxe6
[ White is not obliged to take the pawn,
but after 22.Re1 exd5 23.cxd5 Re8
24.Qa4 Rff8 25.Rad1 Ba8
, I still prefer Black's position. ]
22...Rxe6 23.dxe6 Re8 So White has
"won" the exchange after all, at the cost
of opening the position for Black's
powerful bishops on the long diagonals.
24.Re1? White goes wrong immediately;
[ 24.Bf2
A) 24...Rxe6 25.Re1 is the correct
move order; ( 25.-- );
B) or if 24...Bxb2 then 25.Ra2
170
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bg7 26.Re2 Qc6 27.Qd5 Qxd5
28.cxd5 Bxd5 ( or 28...Ba6
29.Rc2 ) 29.Rd2 Bc4 30.Rxd6
and White may be able to defend. ]
24...Rxe6? Returning the favour; there
is no hurry to pick up the e6-pawn.
[ Instead, after 24...Bxb2! 25.Rb1
Bc3 26.Re2 Rxe6 , Black should win
without too many headaches. ]
25.Bf2 Bd4 Keeping the pieces on the
board certainly has its appeal, and the
dream of utilizing of the beautiful a8-h1
diagonal would light Christmas candles
in the eyes of some. However, apart
from the immediate trap of 26 Rxe6??
Qc6 and wins, it turns out that this is
more difficult to achieve than anticipated.
Indeed, I can no longer find a clear path
to an advantage for Black, and soon he
is seriously worse.
[ Perhaps the best practical chance at
this stage is in the endgame:
25...Rxe1+! 26.Qxe1 Kf7 27.Qb1
Kf6 28.Qd1 Qc6 29.Qd5 Qxd5
30.cxd5 Ke7! , when White would
have to play very precisely to stop
the opposing pawns; e.g. 31.Rd1
Bxb2 32.h3! gxh3 33.Kh2 a5 ( not
33...Bxa3? 34.Ra1 ) 34.a4 Bc3
35.Kxh3 b5 36.Be1! Bd4 37.axb5
a4 38.Rd2 a3 39.Ra2 Bb2 40.Bc3!
Bxd5 41.Rxb2 axb2 42.Bxb2
and the opposite-coloured bishops
hold the draw. ]
26.Qa4! The only move, but good
enough. 26...Bxf2+? QUESTION: Why
does Black exchange his dark-squared
bishop, when it has a bigger reach than
its white counterpart?
ANSWER: That is a very good
observation; no, it doesn't make a lot of
sense. I suspect Black felt it to be the
only way to continue playing for a win,
but it is more like playing for the loss.
[ My computer gives preference to
26...Bc6 27.Qd1 ( or 27.Qc2 Be4 )
27...Bb7 28.Qa4 Bc6 with a draw by
repetition. ]
27.Kxf2 Be4 28.Qd1 Qf7 29.Kg1
Qb7 30.Qd2 Qc6 31.Re3 Kf7
White has consolidated his extra
exchange and now has a couple of
ways forward. He can aim to open the
queenside for his rooks, starting with b2-
b4, and placing the queen threateningly
on the long dark diagonal; or he can
play to open the kingside, which is his
choice in the game.
32.b3 b5 33.a4 b4 34.Rae1 Qa8
35.h3! QUESTION: Why is White giving
away his kingside pawns?
ANSWER: Well, he operates with the
thought that it will allow him to break
open the position with g3-g4, making
his rooks strong, leaving Black's king
exposed and, in particular, undermining
the key defensive bishop on e4. It is a
good idea, even if the execution in the
game leaves us unimpressed.
35...gxh3 36.g4? At this point I think
White misses his biggest opportunity to
win the game.
[ He should have prepared this
advance with 36.Kh2! a5 (a random
reply to illustrate White's idea, but I'm
not sure how much Black can really
improve on it) 37.Qe2 Bf3
( or similarly 37...Qh8 38.g4 Qh4
39.Rg1 and White's pieces are
coming to life ) 38.Qf2 Be4
and only then played 39.g4
, when Black is in all sorts of trouble. ]
36...fxg4 37.Qe2 Tripling the major
pieces seems utterly decisive, but he
has overlooked something. 37...Bd3!
Since the bishop cannot be taken (38
Qxd3?? Qg2 mate) Black gets to break
the pin, exchange a pair of rooks, and
then defend the two pawns he has just
been given.
171
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
38.Qf2 Rxe3 39.Rxe3 Bf5 It is hard to
see how either side can make any
relevant progress now, and indeed the
players soon agreed a draw. 40.Qd2 a5
41.Kh2 Qb7 42.Qb2 Qa8 43.Qd2
Qb7 44.Qb2 Qa8 45.Qd2
1/2
B25
Granda Zuniga,J
Demuth,A
52: Andorra 2016
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Nh3!? This slightly
offbeat move is mainly played to avoid
the heavily theoretical lines. In its favour,
the knight leaves the f-pawn free to
advance and avoids an exchange with ...
Nd4, though its position on the edge
can sometimes prove a liability.
6...h5!? A direct attempt to exploit
White's set-up, now that the further ...
h5-h4 cannot be prevented.
[ Naturally, all the usual options are
available too:
a) 6...e6 7.0-0 Nge7 transposes to
notes elsewhere depending on how
White continues: 8.Be3 (or 7 Be3) is
in the notes to Game 4, ( while 8.f4
(or 7 f4) is the notes to Game 29. )]
[ b) 6...e5 leads to direct
transpositions: 7.Be3 is Game 6;
( while 7.f4; or 7.0-0 Nge7 8.f4
is the main line of Chapter Seven. )]
[ c) 6...Rb8 7.0-0 b5 8.f4 b4 9.Nd5
e6 10.Ne3 Nf6 ( 10...Nge7 11.f5!
exf5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.Nd5 0-0
14.Qh5 gives White good play for the
pawn, S.Keskinen-A.Nokso Koivisto,
Naantali 1998 ) 11.f5 0-0 12.g4?!
( 12.Nf4 is preferable with mutual
chances ) 12...h6 13.Nc4 ( 13.fxg6
fxg6 14.g5 hxg5 15.Nxg5 Nh5
is nothing to fear either ) 13...g5
14.Nf2 Nh7 , when Black
consolidated the kingside and slowly
took over the initiative, Ye Jiangchuan-
Bu Xiangzhi, Taiyuan 2004. ]
[ d) 6...Nf6 is a logical response,
seeing as White cannot at present
play h2-h3. After 7.0-0 0-0 ( 7...h5!?
returns to the main game ) 8.f4 Bg4
9.Qd2 ( if 9.Qe1 Nd4 10.Qf2 h6
, White's position looks even more
clumsy ) 9...Nd4 10.Kh1 ( or 10.Nf2
Bf3 11.Ncd1 e5 12.c3 Ne2+ 13.Kh1
Bxg2+ 14.Kxg2 Nxc1 15.Rxc1 exf4
16.Qxf4 d5 and Black can have no
complaints, Sv.Pedersen-B.Brinck
Claussen, Danish League 1976 )
10...Qd7 11.Ng1 Be6 12.Nd1 d5
13.c3 Nc6 14.e5 and now, instead
of Ne8 as in A.Medina Garcia-P.
Benko, Malaga 1970, ( Palliser
suggests 14...Ng4!? , followed by ...
f7-f6 and ...Nh6, as the knight is
more useful on the kingside, though
either way Black has no problems. )]
7.0-0
[ Instead:
a) 7.Be3 is covered in the notes to
Game 27. ]
[ b) 7.Nd5 looks premature and is
effectively met by Bg4 8.f3 Bxh3
9.Bxh3 e6 10.Ne3 h4 11.f4 hxg3
12.hxg3 d5 and Black is already
doing rather well, W.Hug-G.Kasparov,
Switzerland (clock simul) 1987. ]
[ c) 7.f4 Bg4 ( 7...e5!? transposes to
Game 40 ) 8.Qd2 h4!? ( the normal
8...Nd4 9.Ng1 Qa5 10.h3 Bd7
11.Nf3 Rc8 12.0-0 e6 13.e5 Nxf3+
14.Bxf3 dxe5 15.Bxb7 Rb8 16.Bg2
Nh6 17.fxe5 Bxe5 is also quite
comfortable for Black, T.Kulhanek-J.
Plachetka, Czech League 2013 ) 9.Nf2
( or 9.gxh4?! Bxh3 10.Bxh3 e6
172
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and White is just worse ) 9...Bd7
10.Ne2 ( after 10.g4 , I like Palliser's
suggestion h3!? 11.Bxh3 Nf6
for Black ) 10...e5 11.c3 Nf6 12.Qe3
Qb6 and White's position is quite
unappealing, even if he did later win
the game, M.Krasenkow-B.
Grabarczyk, Polish Championship,
Sopot 1997. ]
7...Nf6
[ Another option is 7...Nh6!? 8.Nf4
( or 8.f3 Bd7 9.Ne2 e5 10.c3 Qb6
11.Kh1 0-0-0 with chances for both
sides, D.Suttles-P.Benko, US
Championship, New York 1965 ) 8...h4
9.Nce2 e6 10.c3 Ng4!?
A) 11.d4 hxg3 12.hxg3 Nh2
13.Re1 e5 14.Nd5 Bg4 15.Qd3
exd4 16.cxd4 Bxe2 17.Qxe2
Nxd4 18.Qd1 g5 19.e5??
( 19.Be3 and 20 Bxd4 keeps White
in the game ) 19...g4! 20.exd6+
Kf8 21.Re3 Qxd6 and Black won
quickly in C.Frick-E.Schmittdiel,
Bِblingen 1999.;
B) Not 11.h3 Nf6 12.g4? ( but
12.d4 is a complete mess ) 12...g5
and the f4-knight is embarrassed. ]
[ Pushing the h-pawn at once doesn't
really achieve anything: 7...h4?! 8.g4
Nf6 9.f3 Nd4?! 10.Nd5 Bd7 11.c3
Ne6 12.Ne3 Bc6 13.f4 Qb6 14.f5
gxf5 15.Nxf5 and White is in
command, A.Petrushin-A.Kondenko,
Sochi 2005. ]
8.Nd5 This makes more sense than on
the previous move because Black has
committed his knight to f6.
[ Alternatives don't give White
anything:
a) 8.Nf4 h4 9.Rb1?! ( 9.Ncd5
is more logical ) 9...hxg3 10.fxg3??
( but 10.hxg3 Ng4 11.Nh3 Bd7
is good for Black anyway ) 10...Ng4
and Black is already winning, R.
Patino-C.Alvarez de la Torre, Haifa
Olympiad 1976. ]
[ b) 8.Bg5?! doesn't prevent h4
and is therefore a waste of time:
9.gxh4 ( not 9.Bxh4?? Bxh3 10.Bxh3
g5 and White loses a piece ) 9...Ng4
10.Nd5 ( better than 10.Nf4?!
, K.Movsziszian-M.Bach, Hamburg
1998, as after Bxc3! 11.bxc3 f6
12.Nxg6 Rg8 13.Bh3 Rxg6 14.Bxg4
Rg8 , Black's soon-to-be extra knight
is stronger than White's three pawns )
10...f6 ( if 10...Bxb2 11.Rb1 Bg7
12.c3 f6 13.Bf4 Rxh4 then 14.Bg3
, followed by 15 d4 offers White
decent compensation ) 11.Bf4 Rxh4
12.Bg3 Rh6 13.c3 with chances for
both sides. ]
[ c) 8.f3 enables White to answer h4
( after 8...b6 9.Rb1 Bb7 10.Ng5
Nh7 11.Nxh7 Rxh7 12.f4 Qd7
13.Nd5 e6 14.Ne3 0-0-0 , Black has
a comfortable position, A.
Shchekachev-V.Kotronias, Reykjavik
1994 ) , with 9.g4 again, but otherwise
the pawn looks a bit odd on f3. ]
8...Nxd5
[ Deviating from N.Short-S.K.Williams,
British League 2003, which saw
8...Ne5 9.f3 h4!? ( 9...Nxd5 10.exd5
is still possible – see below ) 10.g4
Be6 11.Ndf4 Bd7 12.c3 Nc6
13.Rb1 e5 (the ginger GM, albeit not
a GM at the time, is never one to back
out of a knife fight or invite to one)
( otherwise 13...0-0!? 14.Qe1 e5
15.Nd5 Nh7 seems okay for Black )
14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Ne7 16.f4
(now things get complicated, and
mostly in White's favour) Qc8 17.Nf2
f5 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.d6! (messing
with Black's troops; all of a sudden
the light squares are getting a little
soft) Nc6 20.Qb3 ( 20.Be3 Nd8
21.d4!? is an attractive alternative )
173
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
20...Be6 21.Qb5 0-0?! ( 21...Qd7!?
is more resilient ) 22.Bg5 e4?!
23.Qxc5 b6 24.Qe3 Ne5 25.Bxh4
Qd7 26.Bg3 Qxd6 27.gxf5 gxf5
28.dxe4 and White is winning; in fact
the database give 1-0 right here, so
possibly Black lost on time. ]
9.exd5 Ne5 10.Ng5!? QUESTION:
This just looks ridiculous; what is White
doing?
ANSWER: White has a very concrete
idea in mind to counter Black's plan of ...
h5-h4.
[ The alternative is to copy Short and
play 10.f3 , though White then needs
to be careful over the d5-pawn: b5
11.Nf2 0-0 12.h3? too slow; ( 12.Re1
Re8 13.Bg5 is fairly equal ) 12...Nd7
13.Re1 Re8 14.Re2 Nb6 15.f4 Bb7
16.c4 , S.Fِrster-T.P‫ن‬htz, Jena 2009,
and now bxc4 17.dxc4 Ba6
wins a pawn, since 18.f5 is nothing to
be afraid of; e.g. gxf5 19.Rc2 Bxc4
20.Qxh5 Bxd5 21.Qxf5 e6 22.Qh5
f5 and Black is clearly better. ]
10...h4 11.f4 Ng4 12.Bf3!
Keeping calm under fire!
[ It is necessary too, since 12.c3 hxg3
13.hxg3 Bf5 and ...Qd7 is quite
pleasant for Black. ]
12...Nf6 13.g4 h3! Black cannot allow
h2-h3, whereas now the g-pawn is
isolated as a direct target. 14.Kh1 Qd7
15.Rg1 Rh4!?
[ My computer gives preference
15...b5 ]
[ or 15...Kf8 , but the text presents
White with some concrete problems
to solve. ]
16.Qe1 Hitting the rook.
[ If White tries 16.Qe2 Nxg4 17.Ne6
fxe6 18.Bxg4 , there is b6! 19.Bxe6
Qxe6! 20.Qxe6 ( not 20.dxe6 Bb7+
21.Rg2?? due to hxg2+ 22.Kg1
0-0-0 , followed by ...Rdh8 and wins )
20...Bxe6 21.dxe6 0-0-0 22.Rxg6
Bh6 and Black should soon regain the
pawn. ]
16...Rxg4! This was the point behind
Black's last move; the exchange
sacrifice is quite dangerous for White
on account on his weak king,
emphasized by the intrusive h3-pawn.
17.Bxg4 Nxg4 18.Ne6! If not for this
clever move, White would be clearly
worse. 18...fxe6 19.Rxg4 exd5
20.Rxg6 Bf6 Despite my computer
assessing this position in White's favour,
his vulnerable king means that Black
has sufficient counterplay; indeed, the
bishop pair and central pawns could
soon prove to be more important if
White does not continue aggressively.
21.Rg8+
[ Not 21.Rxf6?? due to Qg4 22.Qf1
Bd7! (even stronger than taking the
rook) 23.Rh6 d4! , when ...Bc6+ is
quickly fatal. ]
21...Kf7 22.Qg3 Qf5 23.Rd8?
[ The threat of Qg8 mate looks very
strong, but White should have played
23.Bd2 first and only after d4 then
24.Rd8 ; for example, Qh7 ( not
24...Qd5+?! 25.Kg1 Qg2+ 26.Qxg2
hxg2 27.b4! , when White has
definite chances ) 25.f5 ( or 25.Rg1
Be6 26.Rxa8 Bd5+ 27.Rg2 Bxg2+
28.Kg1 b6 ) 25...b6 26.Kg1 Bb7
27.Rxa8 Bxa8 28.Qg4 Bd5 29.Rf1
and while I doubt Black will lose this,
nor is White in any danger. The same
cannot be said about the game
continuation... ]
EXERCISE: Can you spot Black's best
move? (Hint: It doesn't win on the spot
but is very dangerous for White.)
ANSWER: 23...Qg4!! A beautiful
resource! 24.Be3
[ If 24.Qxg4 Bxg4 25.Rxa8
, then the ice cold Bd4! decides; i.e.
174
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
26.Be3 Bxe3 27.Rf1 Be2
and ouch! ]
24...Qxg3? Exchanging queens lets
White off the hook.
[ Black should have played 24...d4!
at once:
A) as after 25.Qxg4 Bxg4 26.Rxa8
dxe3 , there's no stopping the e-
pawn when supported by such a
pair of bishops. ( 26...-- );
B) So White would have to play
25.Bf2 and then:
EXERCISE: What is Black's best
move?
ANSWER: 25...Bh4!
, which forces 26.Qxg4 Bxg4
27.Bxh4 ( not 27.Rxa8?? Bxf2
and mate in a couple of moves )
27...Rxd8 28.Kg1 Rc8 29.b3 d5
and leaves White having to try and
defend a very unpleasant
endgame. ]
25.hxg3 d4 26.Bd2 e6
[ After 26...e6 27.Rxc8! Rxc8 28.Kh2
, White should expect to hold the
draw, even if Black might yet have
made him work for it. ]
1/2
B26
Piorun,K
Kveinys,A
53: Bad Wiessee 2015
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4
[ The current game saw 1.Nf3 c5
2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.e4
d6 6.d3 e5 7.Nc3 . ]
1...c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7
5.d3 d6 6.Nf3 This naïve-looking
knight deployment is comparatively rare
after 5...d6, occurring in just 1% of
games. Nevertheless, the position itself
has a certain significance because it
can also arise due to White having
played Nf3 earlier on, while subsequent
transpositions increase its incidence
even more. For instance, continue to
move seven below and the number of
games in the database more than
doubles, while 6...Nf6 7 0-0 0-0 in the
next game sees a five-fold boost. So it
has to be taken at least a little seriously.
6...e5 Adopting a Botvinnik formation
makes sense, since f3-knight will now
have to move again if White is to
advance the f-pawn.
[ Instead, 6...Nf6 is examined in the
next game; ]
[ and we should at least mention
Black's other two main moves:
a) 6...e6 7.Bg5!? (an interesting
attempt to justify White's set-up)
( instead, 7.0-0 Nge7 8.Nh4 0-0
9.f4 is an inferior version of Chapter
Six, e.g. Rb8 10.Kh1 Nd4 11.Ne2
Nxe2 12.Qxe2 b5 13.c3 b4 14.c4
Nc6 15.Rb1 Nd4 16.Qf2 f5
and Black is better, M.Krstic-R.
Pogorelov, Budapest 1990 ) 7...Nge7
8.Qd2 h6 9.Be3 e5 ( after 9...Nd4
10.0-0 Nec6 11.Ne1 Qa5 12.Nd1
Qa6 13.a3 b5 14.Rb1 , I prefer
White, who can break on both sides
of the board, A.Kogan-M.Ashley,
Budapest 1997 ) 10.0-0 Be6 11.Ne1
Qd7 12.a3 Bh3 13.f4 Nd4 14.Rb1
exf4 15.Bxf4 Bxg2 16.Qxg2 0-0
and Black has no problems here,
though he was outplayed in V.
Smyslov-A.Kotov, Moscow 1943:
17.g4 Rad8 18.Kh1 Ne6 19.Bd2 d5
20.Nf3 d4?! ( 20...dxe4 21.Nxe4
Nd5 was better, according to
Smyslov ) 21.Ne2 Nc6 22.Qh3 Kh7
23.Ng3 f6 and now 24.Nf5! gxf5
25.gxf5 Nc7 26.Rg1 gave White
excellent play for the piece, with the
175
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
immediate threat of 27 Bxh6 Bxh6 28
Rg6 and wins. ]
[ b) 6...Rb8 7.Be3 Nd4 ( or 7...b5
8.d4!? b4 9.Ne2 Qb6 10.0-0 Nf6
11.dxc5 dxc5 12.Nd2 , J.Mohebbi-E.
Prevot, French Championship, Rouen
1987, and now Ba6 looks quite nice
for Black ) 8.0-0 ( after 8.Bxd4 cxd4
9.Ne2 Bg4 10.c3 dxc3 11.Nxc3 Nf6
12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nd7 14.0-0 Ne5
15.Bg2 0-0 16.Rc1 Nc6 and I prefer
Black due to his control of the dark
squares, C.Acor-G.Kacheishvili,
Philadelphia 2016 ) 8...Bg4 9.Bxd4
cxd4 10.Ne2 Qd7 11.Qd2 e5 12.c3
dxc3 13.Nxc3 Ne7 14.Ne1
and the players agreed a draw in H.
Hamdouchi-D.Prasad, Yerevan
Olympiad 1996. ]
7.0-0
[ Castling straight away is the most
consistent continuation, though not
compulsory:
a) 7.Nd2 Nge7 8.Nc4 Be6 9.h4!?
( 9.0-0 0-0 transposes below ) 9...h5
10.Nd5 Bg4 11.Bf3 Nxd5 12.exd5
Nd4 13.Bxg4 hxg4 14.c3 Nf3+
15.Ke2 f5 16.Qa4+ Kf7 17.Nd2
Nxd2 18.Bxd2 with a curious position
where both players have given up the
right to castle, D.De Vreugt-Bu
Xiangzhi, Lausanne 2000. ]
[ b) 7.Bg5 is somewhat pointless
since an extra ...f7-f6 does not harm
Black's position in any way; e.g. Nge7
8.Qd2 f6 9.Be3 Nd4 10.0-0 0-0
11.Ne1 b6 12.Nd1 Bb7 13.f4 exf4
14.Bxf4 d5 15.exd5 Bxd5 16.Nc3
Bxg2 17.Qxg2 Qd7 and White's brief
initiative has been completely
neutralized, N.Delgado Ramirez-D.
Flores, Villa Martelli 2010. ]
7...Nge7 8.Be3 This leads, after Nh4
and f2-f4, to a version of 7 Nf3 lines in
Chapter Seven.
[ a) 8.Nh4 0-0 9.f4 is similar to the
game continuation; e.g. exf4 10.Bxf4
( or 10.gxf4 f5 11.Be3 Nd4 12.Qd2
Nec6 13.Nf3 Qa5 14.Rad1 Bd7
15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Nxf3+
17.Bxf3 Nd4 18.Bg2 Rae8
and the chances are completely even,
Be.Larsen-B.Ivkov, 3rd matchgame,
Bled 1965 ) 10...Be6 11.Qd2 d5
12.Bh6 d4 13.Ne2 Ne5 14.h3 N7c6
and Black has no problems
whatsoever, E.Rozentalis-F.Manca,
Padova 2013. ]
[ b) 8.a3 is an obvious alternative
based on Black's pawn structure: 0-0
9.b4!? ( 9.Rb1 is also possible )
9...cxb4 ( after 9...h6 10.Rb1 b6
11.Nd2 Be6 12.Nd5 Rc8 13.Nc4
f5?! 14.b5 Nb8 15.f4 Nxd5 16.exd5
Bf7 17.g4 , White had a strong
initiative in O.Dzuban-N.Rashkovsky,
Alma-Ata 1989 ) 10.axb4 Nxb4
11.Ba3 Na6 ( 11...Nec6 is probably
better ) 12.Nb5 Nc5 13.d4 Nxe4
14.dxe5 d5 15.c4 Bd7 was D.Li-
Zhou Jianchao, Chinese Blitz
Championship, Shenzhen 2016, and
now 16.Nbd4 promises White the
better chances. ]
[ c) 8.Nd2 0-0 9.Nc4 makes sense
too, rerouting the knight to target the
light squares, and has even been
played by the 16th World Champion:
Be6 ( after 9...Rb8 10.a4 Be6
11.Ne3 a6?! 12.Ncd5 b5?! 13.axb5
axb5 14.c3 b4 15.Nc4 h6? 16.Ra6
Rc8 17.Qa4 , Black suddenly found
himself in huge trouble, Ma.Carlsen-
A.Grischuk, chess.com blitz 2016 )
10.a4 Qd7 ( or 10...h6 11.Ne3 Qd7
12.Ncd5 Bh3 13.Bxh3 Qxh3 14.c3
Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Kh7 16.Qf3!? f5
17.Qg2 Qxg2+ 18.Kxg2 Rf7 19.exf5
gxf5 20.f4 Re8 and Black has no
reason to complain but was ground
176
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
down anyway, Ma.Carlsen-M.Sebenik,
Chess.com Pro League 2017 ) 11.Bd2
f5 12.Nd5 Kh8 13.c3 Bg8 14.f4
Nxd5! (improving on an earlier game,
V.Bologan-M.Brodsky, Nikolaev
1995) 15.exd5 Ne7 16.fxe5 dxe5
17.Re1 Nxd5 18.Nxe5 Qd6
and Black has equalized, G.
Bakhtadze-M.Brodsky, Krasnodar
1998. ]
8...0-0 9.Qd2 Nd4 10.Nh4
[ This makes more sense than 10.Bh6
Bxh6 11.Qxh6 f6 12.Nxd4 ( or
12.Qd2 Qa5 ) 12...cxd4 13.Nd5
Nxd5 14.exd5 Bf5 15.Qd2 Rc8
16.Rfc1 Rf7 17.c4 dxc3 18.Rxc3
Qb6 , when Black has whatever
chances are going, Al.Karpov-S.
Iskusnyh, Prokojevsk 1997. ]
[ Or 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nf5
12.Rab1 a5 13.a4 Bd7 14.b3 b5
15.axb5 Bxb5 16.Rfe1 Qc7 17.Qc1
Nxe3 18.Qxe3 a4 19.bxa4 Bxa4
and Black has a comfortable game,
Cao Sang-A.Salem, Jakarta 2013. ]
10...Be6
[ Black must be careful over pushing
the f-pawn; after 10...f5?! 11.exf5
gxf5 12.Bg5 ( 12.f4 is promising too )
12...Ne6 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nd5 Qd8
15.f4 Bh6 16.Rae1 Kh8?!
, as in L.Karsa-G.Gauglitz, Zalakaros
1989, White could have played
17.Qc3 Bg7 18.fxe5 , intending Bxe5
19.Rxe5 dxe5 20.Qxe5+ Ng7
21.Nc7 Rb8 22.Na6 Ra8 23.Nxc5
with a significant advantage. ]
11.f4 exf4 12.Bxf4 QUESTION:
Wouldn't it be better to play 12 gxf4 - ?
ANSWER: Not necessarily. By
recapturing with the bishop White keeps
some dynamic attacking potential;
[ whereas 12.gxf4 could be met by f5
, which more or less puts an end to
his kingside hopes. ]
12...Qd7
[ My friendly computer prefers
12...Qb6 13.Rab1 ( or 13.Nd1 d5
14.c3 Ndc6 ) 13...Rad8 14.Nd5
Nxd5 15.exd5 Bg4 16.Kh1 Rde8
17.c3 Nf5 18.Nxf5 Bxf5 and Black
has a very nice position, J.Speelman-
L.Portisch, London 1982. ]
13.Rae1 Rae8 14.Nd1 d5 15.c3
Ndc6 16.Nf2 At this point the position
might be considered roughly equal, but
due to a series of inferior moves, Black
manages to lose quite quickly.
16...b6
[ While this is not a mistake, it looks
better to play 16...f6 (threatening ...
g6-g5 and preventing e4-e5) 17.exd5
Nxd5 18.Bh6 f5 , when Black is fine.
]
[ Or if he really wants to push the d-
pawn then 16...d4 17.e5 ( or 17.c4
Ne5 ) 17...dxc3 ( or 17...c4!? )
18.bxc3 Nd5 19.Ne4 Nxf4 20.gxf4
b6 21.Nf3 Ne7 and objectively
speaking Black should again be fine,
even if I might prefer White. ]
17.e5 d4
[ Here Black should probably opt for
17...Nf5 18.Nf3 ( or 18.Nxf5 Bxf5
19.d4 cxd4 20.cxd4 f6 ) 18...d4
19.Ne4 ( not 19.c4?! Ne3! 20.Bxe3
dxe3 21.Qxe3 Qc7 22.Qf4 Bc8
and Black regains the pawn with the
better position ) 19...Bxa2 20.Nf6+
Bxf6 21.exf6 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 h5
23.c4 Re8 24.Bh3 and while White
has excellent compensation for the
pawn, Black is at least still fighting. ]
18.c4 Qc7?! Putting the queen
opposite the white bishop is asking for
trouble.
[ Playing 18...Nf5?! is no good either
now in view of 19.Nxf5 Bxf5 20.g4!
Be6 21.Bh6 Qc7 22.Bxc6 Qxc6
23.Ne4 and White's kingside initiative
177
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is beginning to take shape. ]
[ The best option at this point looks to
be 18...Kh8 , after which Black is
more able to react to events. For
example, 19.Nf3 ( both 19.Ne4 Nxe5
20.Bxe5 Bxe5 21.Nxc5 bxc5
22.Rxe5 Qd6; and 19.Bh6 Bxh6
20.Qxh6 Ng8 21.Qd2 Qc7
are fine for Black ) 19...Nf5 20.Ne4
( and not 20.Ng4? Nxg3! ) 20...Ne3
21.Bxe3 dxe3 22.Rxe3 Nxe5
23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Nxc5 Qd4
25.Nxe6 Rxe6 26.Qf2 Bg7 27.Rxe6
fxe6 28.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 29.Kh1 Rxf1+
30.Bxf1 Bxb2 with a drawn
endgame. ]
19.Nf3 Nf5 20.Ng4! Kh8
[ This time 20...Nxg3 fails to 21.hxg3
Bxg4 22.e6 Qc8 23.exf7+ Rxf7
24.Ng5 and with the additional threat
of Bd5, White should be winning. ]
21.Nf6 Rd8? This is a definite error;
[ though even 21...Re7 22.Ng5 h6
23.Bxc6 Qxc6 24.Nge4 is in White's
favour. ]
22.Ng5 Rather amazingly, Black is now
complete toast. 22...Ne3
[ If 22...Bxf6 23.exf6 Qc8 24.Rxe6
fxe6 25.Bxc6 Qxc6 26.f7
, threatening Be5+ with decisive
penetration on the dark squares; ]
[ while 22...h5 is met by 23.Nxh5!
Qd7 ( or 23...gxh5 24.Qe2 ) 24.Nf6
Bxf6 25.exf6 and White is winning, e.
g. Nb4 26.Nxe6 fxe6 27.a3 Na6
28.g4 Ne3 29.Bxe3 dxe3 30.Qxe3
Qd4 31.Qxd4 Rxd4 32.Rxe6 Rxg4
33.Re7 and so on. ]
23.Ngxh7 Nxe5 Black steals a pawn
and walks into a pin.
[ 23...Nxf1 24.Rxf1 is equally
hopeless, as White will soon recoup
the exchange with interest. ]
24.Rxe3 dxe3 25.Qxe3 About that
pin... 25...Ng4
[ 25...Rxd3 26.Qe1 doesn't change
anything. ]
26.Nxg4 . Having avoided being on the
losing end of a miniature (25 moves or
less), Black resigned.
1-0
B25
Danielsen,Hen
L'Ami,A
54: Reykjavik 2015
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
[ This time White played 2.Nf3
, transposing below after d6 3.g3 Nf6
4.d3 Nc6 5.Bg2 g6 6.0-0 Bg7
7.Nc3 . ]
2...Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6
6.Nf3 Nf6 Palliser recommends this line
as the simplest response; Black
develops the knight to its most natural
square and castles.
7.0-0 0-0 8.h3 Preventing ...Bg4, as
well as ...Ng4, so that the c1-bishop can
be developed to e3 safely. White has
tried many other things in this position.
None of them really promises an
advantage, but playing a reversed
English or King's Indian White can't
really expect any advantage; instead,
the battle is postponed to the
middlegame, while both sides are
thrown on their own resources from an
early stage.
[ Let's look at the various alternatives
anyway:
a) 8.Ne1 e5 ( or 8...Rb8 9.f4 Bg4
10.Qd2 Nd4 11.h3 Bd7 12.g4 b5
13.Ne2 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 , F.Cruz
Ravina-D.Larino Nieto, Malaga 2009,
and now Bc6 looks pleasant for
Black ) 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 Ng4
11.Qd2 Be6 12.Nf3 Nd4 13.Kh1
178
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qd7 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nxe6 fxe6
16.Bh3 h5 with a complicated
position and chances for both sides,
S.Mamedyarov-B.Gelfand, Wijk aan
Zee 2008. ]
[ b) 8.Nh4 e5 ( 8...Rb8 is fine too )
9.Bd2 ( or 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 h6
11.Bd2 Nd4 12.Kh1 Bg4 13.Qc1
Kh7 and Black is comfortable, V.
Malaniuk-M.Chiburdanidze, Baku
1979 ) 9...Rb8 10.Qc1 Nd4 11.Kh1
b5 12.Bg5 Qd7 13.Qd2 Bb7
14.Rae1?! b4 15.Nd5? Nxd5
16.exd5 f6 17.Be3 g5 18.Nf3 Bxd5
saw Black a pawn up on the way
towards the win, M.Sadler-D.Hausrath,
Dutch League 2001. ]
[ c) 8.Be3
A) 8...Ng4 9.Bd2 Nf6!? ( 9...Nge5
keeps the game going, c.f. line 'd'
below ) 10.Be3 Ng4 11.Bd2 Nf6
is one way to agree a quick draw,
G.Guseinov-Rau.Mamedov, World
Blitz Championship, Berlin 2015.;
B) Here 8...Rb8 will likely
transpose to our main line after
9.h3 ( or 9.a4 . )]
[ d) 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bd2 ( or 9.Be3 Ng4
10.Bd2 Nge5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Be3
b6 13.Qd2 Kh7 14.f4 exf4 15.gxf4
Bb7 16.f5 Ne5 17.Bh3 e6 18.fxe6
fxe6 19.Rxf8 Qxf8 20.Qg2 Qe7
and despite an inferior pawn structure,
I prefer Black's position because of
the well-placed knight on e5 and
weak squares in White's camp, P.
Peelen-O.Reeh, Amstelveen 1994 )
9...e5 ( as usual there is nothing
wrong with 9...Rb8 ) 10.a3 Be6
11.Rb1 a5 12.a4 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5
14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Be3 c4 16.dxc4
Bxc4 17.Qxd8 Rfxd8 18.Rfd1
and although my computer assesses
this as close to equal, I think
White's position is somewhat
preferable, or at least easier to play,
as proved to be the case in B.
Spassky-M.Tal, Tbilisi (10th
matchgame) 1965. ]
[ e) 8.Re1 has ideas of e4-e5, which
Black can answer by Bg4 ( or 8...e5
9.Nd2 Rb8 10.a4 a6 11.Nc4 b5
12.axb5 axb5 13.Ne3 b4 14.Ncd5
Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Be6 16.Be3 Ne7
17.Ra7 Bxd5 18.exd5 Nf5
and Black is fine, W.Hug-S.Gligoric,
European Team Championship, Bath
1973 ) 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Nd7 ( after
10...Rb8 11.Bg2 b5 12.a3 Nd7?!
13.e5! Nd4 14.exd6 exd6 15.Nd5
Nb6 16.Ne7+ Kh8 , V.Kramnik-V.
Anand, Moscow rapid 1994, then
17.c3! Re8 18.Bg5 f6 19.cxd4 Rxe7
20.Bf4 gives White good play,
whether or not Black takes the pawn )
11.Be3 b5 12.Ne2 Bxb2 13.Rb1
Bg7 14.d4 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4
16.Bxd4 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 a6
left Black a pawn up in A.Grashuis-E.
L'Ami, Vlissingen 2011. ]
8...Rb8
[ Once again, 8...e5 is a sensible
alternative; e.g. 9.Be3 Nd4 10.Kh2
b5 ( or 10...b6 11.Qd2 Qd7 12.Nh4
Bb7 13.a4 d5 and Black's position
already looks very pleasant, L.Galego-
A.P.Santos, Portuguese
Championship, Lisbon 2002 ) 11.a3
Bd7 12.Ne2 a5 13.c3 Nxe2
14.Qxe2 Qe7 15.Nd2 Bc6 16.b4
axb4 17.axb4 cxb4 18.cxb4 Qe6
19.Rfc1 Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Ra8
21.Rxa8+ Bxa8 22.Qd1 d5
and even Smyslov at his peak was
unable to make any impression on
Black's defences, V.Smyslov-O.
Moisieev, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1951. ]
9.a4 As in Chapter Eight, White has the
choice between advancing the a-pawn
179
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
or allowing Black to play ...b7-b5
undisturbed. There seems to be no
consensus as to which is better since
each is played with equal frequency, but
I would personally prefer the former;
White's attack is not so strong that
Black's counterplay can simply be
ignored.
[ Here are a few examples of White
doing so: 9.Be3 b5 10.Qd2
( it is not too late for 10.a3 a5
11.Qd2 b4 12.axb4 axb4
, transposing to the next note;
whereas 10.e5?! dxe5 11.Bxc5 b4
12.Ne4?! Nxe4 13.dxe4 Qa5 14.Be3
Ba6 15.Re1 Rfd8 16.Qc1 Nd4
is good for Black, A.Reinhard-R.J.
Fischer, Bay City 1963 ) 10...b4
11.Ne2 ( or 11.Nd1 Ba6 12.Bh6 c4
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.dxc4 Bxc4 15.Re1
Qa5 16.Ne3 Be6 17.Ng5 Qe5 18.f4
Qc5 19.Qf2 Rb5 20.Rac1 Bd7
21.Nd1 Rc8 22.Nf3 e5 and Black
has the initiative, A.Morozevich-L.
McShane, Biel 2004 ) 11...Nd7 ( or
11...a5 12.Bh6 e5 13.g4 c4
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.dxc4 Nxe4
16.Qd5?! f5 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.Ng3
Ne7 19.Qd1 Ng6 with strong play for
Black, P.Paneque-J.Becerra Rivero,
Havana 1994 ) 12.Rab1 Qa5 13.Nc1
Ba6 14.Bh6 c4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7
16.dxc4 Bxc4 17.Rd1 Rfc8 18.Nh2
Be6 19.b3 Rb5 20.Nf1 Nf6
and again Black has the better
chances, M.Lazic-A.Huzman,
Belgrade 1988. ]
9...b6 QUESTION: What's this? Is that
all it takes to stop the b-pawn from
advancing two squares? Can't Black just
play ...a7-a6 and then follow up with ...
b7-b5 anyway?
ANSWER: Let's take the questions in
bite-sized morsels. No, White's 9 a4
doesn't prevent Black from playing ...b7-
b5, who can indeed prepare it by playing
...a7-a6 first. Then again, White's a2-a4
also left a weakness behind, the b4-
square, which might come in handy;
and instead of pushing the b-pawn
further, Black can open the centre with
...d6-d5, reaching a version of the
King's Indian Fianchetto with colours
reversed.
[ But to return to your question about
9...a6 , in fact Black does more often
play this way, so let's have a look at
it: 10.Be3 b5 ( or 10...e5!? first )
11.axb5 axb5 12.Qd2 ( 12.e5
is an idea we know from the English
Opening, but it isn't very dangerous
with colours reversed; e.g. dxe5
13.Bxc5 Qc7 14.Re1 b4 15.Na4
Rd8 16.Nd2 Nd4 17.Nc4 Nd5
18.Bxd4 exd4 19.b3 Bb7 20.Qd2
e5 and Black has a perfectly
satisfactory position, E.Mednis-R.J.
Fischer, US Championship, New York
1958 ) 12...b4 13.Nd1 ( or 13.Ne2
Bb7 14.Bh6 Ra8 15.Rab1 e6
16.Rfe1 Qc7 17.Qe3 Rfe8 18.Bxg7
Kxg7 19.g4 Nd7 20.Ng3 Ra2 21.c3
Nce5 22.cxb4 cxb4 23.d4 Nxf3+
24.Bxf3 Qb6 and the chances are
more or less even, E.Inarkiev-L.Van
Wely, Russian Team Championship
2008 ) 13...Re8 ( or 13...Bb7 14.Bh6
Ra8 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Ne3 Rxa1
17.Rxa1 Qc7 18.c3 Ra8 19.Rxa8
Bxa8 20.Nd5 and the players agreed
a draw in V.Zvjaginsev-A.Dreev,
Krasnoyarsk 2007 ) 14.Kh2 c4
15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 cxd3
17.Ng5!? dxc2 18.Ne3 Nd4 19.f4?
( 19.Nd5 is the correct continuation,
leading to equality ) 19...Ne6 20.e5
dxe5 21.Nxf7 , Ale.Moreno-A.Blanco
Gramajo, Pinar del Rio 1995, and
now the computer shows that Qd2!
would have refuted White's attack. ]
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
10.Be3 Bb7 11.Qd2
[ Another option is to start with 11.Nh4
, clearing the path for the f-pawn,
though after e5 12.Qd2 Nd4 13.Bg5
Ne6 14.Bh6 d5 15.Bxg7 Nxg7
, White was yet to push it and Black
was doing fine, A.Kogan-G.Arsovic,
Serbian Championship, Sabac 1998. ]
11...Re8 Safeguarding the dark-squared
bishop from exchange.
[ The immediate central counter-
punch 11...d5 has also been tried; e.
g. 12.Bf4 dxe4 13.dxe4 Qxd2
14.Nxd2 Rbd8 15.Rfd1
, T.Markowski-J.Polgar, Oviedo
(rapid) 1993, and now Nd4 16.Rac1
Rd7 , followed by ...Rfd8, looks more
than comfortable for Black. ]
12.Bh6 Bh8 13.Ng5 Nd4 14.f4 e6
[ Again 14...d5!? comes into
consideration; e.g. 15.g4 ( or 15.f5
dxe4 16.dxe4 Qc7; and not 15.e5?
due to Nf5! ) 15...dxe4 16.dxe4 Nxg4
17.hxg4 f6 and the knight cannot
withdraw from g5 in view of ...Nf3+,
winning the queen. ]
15.g4
[ It might be worth throwing in
15.Nb5!? at once, aiming to remove
the strong knight from d4, while
capturing on b5 would leave White
with a backward pawn on an open
file. ]
15...Nd7 16.f5 White's kingside attack
is gaining pace so Black needs now to
play precisely, which he unfortunately
fails to do in the game. 16...Ne5
[ Opening the e-file with 16...exf5
is a more active defence: 17.gxf5 ( or
17.exf5 Ne5 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Qg2
d5! 20.Nxd5 Rd7 21.Nf4 c4
and Black gains full compensation for
the pawn due to his perfectly
centralized pieces ) 17...gxf5 18.exf5
d5! (Black doesn't want a white knight
on d5 while the pawn is still on d6)
19.Bxd5 ( not 19.Nxd5?? Ne2+
20.Kh2 Be5+ 21.Nf4 Qf6
and Black is winning ) 19...Bxd5
20.Nxd5 and now my computer spits
out a long and entertaining variation,
that I must share with you: Re2!
21.Qf4 Be5 22.Qg4 Bh2+ 23.Kh1
Ne5 24.Nf6+ ( or 24.Qh4 Qxd5+
25.Ne4 Ng6 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.c3
Be5! 28.cxd4 Rh2+ 29.Kg1 Qxd4+
and so on ) 24...Qxf6 25.Ne4+ Nxg4
26.Nxf6+ Nxf6 27.Rg1+ Bxg1
28.Rxg1+ Kh8 29.Bg7+ Kg8
30.Bh6+ with a draw by perpetual
check. ]
17.Nb5!? With the same ideas as in the
note at move fifteen. 17...Ndc6?!
[ Here Black should definitely give
preference to 17...exf5! 18.gxf5 d5
, when 19.Nxd4 cxd4 20.exd5 ( or
20.Qf4 Qd7 ) 20...Bxd5 21.Rae1
Rc8 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 23.Ne4 Nd7
leaves White with next to nothing. ]
18.Qf2 Threatening to win directly with
Qh4 and Bg7 etc. 18...a6?!
[ It was essential to cover f7 with
18...Qe7 . White is clearly better after
19.f6 Qd8 20.c3! a6 21.Qh4 Bxf6
22.Nxd6 Bxg5 23.Qxg5 Qxg5
24.Bxg5 Rf8 25.Rad1 , but then h6!
26.Bf6 ( or 26.Bxh6 Rfd8 ) 26...Nd7
at least keeps Black in the game. ]
19.fxg6 fxg6 20.Nf7 Qd7 21.Nbxd6
Ba8?? After this final mistake the game
is essentially over; Black will end up the
exchange and a pawn down.
[ He had to play 21...Nxf7 22.Qxf7+
Qxf7 23.Rxf7 Ba8 24.Rf4
, even if it sucks for Black. ]
22.Nxe5 Bxe5 23.Nxe8 Qxe8 24.c3
The rest of the game is close to
irrelevant; Black might as well have
resigned here.
24...Qe7 25.h4 Bd6 26.Bg5 Qc7
181
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
27.Qf6 Qd7 28.Bh6 Ne5 29.Bh3
Nxd3 30.g5 Bh2+ 31.Kxh2 Qd6+
32.e5
1-0
B26
Garcia Padron,J
Baron Rodriguez,J
55: Spanish League 2013
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Nge2 So we reach the
last of the three destinations for the
knight, and the most important, since
White may have already put the knight
on e2 – as was indeed the case in the
current game, which saw 3 Nge2 d6 4
g3 g6 5 Bg2 Bg7 6 0-0 e6 7 d3 etc.
6...e6 As with 6 Be3 and 6 f4, this
flexible pawn move is Black's most
popular response.
[ The main alternative is 6...Nf6
, which we will examine in Games 56
and 57. ]
[ In the meantime, we should have a
brief look at Black's other possibilities
as well.
a) 6...h5!? is quite tempting, after
which 7.h3 e5 8.Be3 Nge7 9.Qd2
looks like best play for both sides,
transposing to Game 27. ]
[ b) 6...Rb8 7.0-0 b5 ( 7...Nf6 8.f4
0-0 9.h3 transposes to 6...Nf6 lines;
while 7...e6 8.Be3 Nd4 9.Qd2 Ne7
features in the notes to Game 13 ) 8.f4
( 8.a3 led to a quick draw in B.
Spassky-V.Korchnoi, World Team
Championship, Lucerne 1985: e6
9.Be3 Nge7 10.b4 cxb4 11.axb4 a6
12.Rb1 0-0 13.Qd2 ½-½ ) 8...b4
( 8...e6 can be met by 9.e5! d5
10.Be3 Qb6 11.a4 a6 12.axb5 axb5
13.Bf2 Nge7 14.Nc1 Nf5 15.Nb3
Nfd4 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Ne2 f6
18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.c3 fxe5 20.fxe5
Bxe5 21.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 22.cxd4
Qxd4+ 23.Kh1 with good play for the
pawn in view of Black's vulnerable
king, V.Smyslov-I.Boleslavsky,
Voronovo 1952 ) 9.Nd5 Nd4 ( 9...e6
10.Ne3 Nge7 11.f5 seems more
promising for White ) 10.f5 gxf5
11.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 12.Be3 e6
( 12...Bxb2!? 13.Rb1 Be5
looks perfectly acceptable too )
13.Bxd4 cxd4 14.Nf4 Nf6 15.exf5
e5 16.Qe2 0-0 and Black is fine, H.
Simonian-V.Belikov, Alushta 2008. ]
[ c) 6...e5 is similar to lines
considered elsewhere unless White
opts for an early Nd5; e.g. 7.0-0
( here 7.Be3 transposes directly to
Game 7; while Spassky has used
7.Nd5!? to make several more short
draws, e.g. Nge7 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bf6
0-0 10.Nec3 Bxf6 11.Nxf6+ Kg7
12.Nfd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Ne7 14.Ne3
f5 15.exf5 Nxf5 16.0-0 Nxe3
17.fxe3 Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Be6
½-½ B.Spassky-L.Christiansen,
Linares 1985; and 7.h4 h6 8.Nd5
doesn't really improve on this at all )
7...Nge7 8.f4 0-0 9.Nd5 ( for 9.Be3
see Game 7 again ) 9...Nxd5 10.exd5
Ne7 11.c4 ( or 11.Nc3 Qb6 )
11...Nf5 12.Rb1 Re8 13.fxe5 Bxe5
14.a3 a5 15.Bd2 a4 16.Be4 Bd7
17.Qc1 b5! and Black took over the
initiative, C.Schrِder-K.Podzielny,
German League 1990. ]
7.0-0 Nge7 8.Be3
[ White has other options here:
a) 8.a3 0-0 9.Rb1 and 10 b4 will
likely transpose (e.g. after b6 10.b4
) to Murey's variation examined in the
notes to Game 58. ]
[ b) 8.f4 0-0 9.g4 ( for 9.Be3 Nd4
10.Qd2 see below ) 9...f5 is no more
182
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
impressive for White than Game 29;
for example, 10.gxf5 exf5 11.Ng3
Nd4 12.Nce2 fxe4 13.dxe4 Bg4
14.c3 Nxe2+ 15.Nxe2 Qd7 16.Qb3+
d5 17.Ng3 c4 18.Qa3 d4
and Black has at least equalized, R.
Hoen-D.Byrne, Tel Aviv Olympiad
1964. ]
[ c) 8.Bg5!? is an attempt to give this
line independent significance, though
it should not really trouble Black: h6
( or just 8...0-0 9.Qd2 Nd4 10.Nxd4
cxd4 11.Ne2 e5 12.c3 f6 13.Bh6
dxc3 14.bxc3 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 Be6
16.c4 Qd7 17.a4 f5 and White soon
offered a draw, B.Spassky-U.
Andersson, Reykjavik 1988 ) 9.Be3
Nd4 10.Qd2 (preventing Black from
castling for the moment) Rb8 ( or
10...Nec6 11.Rab1 Rb8 12.a3 b6
13.b4 Bb7 14.f4 f5 15.bxc5 dxc5
16.e5 0-0 and Black is solid enough,
S.Hemant-G.Gopal, Kolkata 2015 )
11.Rab1 b6 12.b4 Bb7 13.bxc5
dxc5 14.g4?! ( 14.a4 is preferable )
14...Qd7 15.h3 f5! 16.gxf5 gxf5
17.Nf4? Rg8 18.Kh1 e5 19.Nfd5 f4
20.Bxf4 exf4 21.Qxf4 Rc8
and Black should win, H.Westerinen-J.
Gomez Esteban, Ceuta 1993. ]
8...Nd4
[ It's interesting to note 8...Qb6!?
9.Rb1 a5 10.Qd2 0-0 11.a3 Bd7
12.Bh6 Nd4 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Nxd4
cxd4 15.Ne2 Bb5 16.b4 Nc6 17.f4
axb4 18.axb4 e5 19.Kh1 Ra2 20.f5
f6 21.fxg6 hxg6 22.Bh3 Nd8
, when Black has a decent position
with a quite modern appearance, as
in L.Paulsen-A.Anderssen, 6th
matchgame, London 1862, the first
recorded game with the Closed
Sicilian. ]
9.Rb1 QUESTION: What exactly is
going on? Does White put the rook on
b1 so that he can recapture with the
knight if Black exchanges on e2? It
seems a little artificial.
ANSWER: No, White has a different
idea in mind, which you will see in what
follows. Nevertheless, 9 Qd2 and 9 f4
are the "normal" continuations, so let's
look at those too.
[ a) 9.f4 0-0
A) Here 10.Rb1 is covered in the
main line.;
B) 10.Qd2 Rb8 ( or 10...f5!?
, stopping White's plans of an
immediate kingside attack: 11.Nd1
Qc7 12.c3 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Bd7
14.Nf2 Rae8 15.Qd2 b6 16.Rad1
Bc6 17.Rfe1 Qb7 and Black has
reason to be dissatisfied with the
outcome of the opening, J.Ost
Hansen-R.Bellin, Winterthur 1974 )
11.Nd1 ( as usual 11.g4
is a bit optimistic and should not
worry Black unduly: f5 12.gxf5
exf5 13.Ng3 Be6 14.Nd1 Qd7
15.c3 Ndc6 16.Nf2 b6 17.Qe2 d5
and Black is doing fine, P.Blatny-G.
Shahade, New York 2001 ) 11...b5
12.c3 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 b4 14.c4
( or 14.d4 bxc3 15.bxc3 cxd4
16.cxd4 Qa5 17.Rf2 Ba6 18.Qd2
Qa3 19.Rc1 Rfc8 and Black
dominates on the queenside, F.
Erwich-Ta.Horvath, Haarlem 1996 )
14...Nc6 15.Nf2 Nd4 16.Qd2 Bb7
17.Kh1 f5 18.Rae1 Qa5 19.b3
Qc7 and Black has a very pleasant
game, S.Maze-A.L'Ami, Reykjavik
2013.;
C) Instead, 10.Bf2 prepares to
exchange knights now that a pawn
fork is avoided, but Black can
reinforce the outpost with his
second knight: 10...Nec6 11.Rb1
Rb8 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 ( or even
12...cxd4!? 13.Ne2 e5 14.h3 Be6
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
15.c4 b5 16.f5 Bd7 17.g4 Bh6
18.h4 f6 and Black's flexible set-up
on the kingside will make it difficult
for White to break through,
whereas the queenside is likely to
cause White headaches, J.Barle-A.
Kovacevic, Pula 2010 ) 13.Ne2 b6
14.c3 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bb7
with equality, J.L.Roos-L.Cserna,
West Berlin 1984. ]
[ b) 9.Qd2 0-0 ( or 9...Qa5!?
, preventing Nd1, when 10.Nd1 Bd7
11.Rc1 0-0 12.Bh6 e5 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.c4 f6
16.Rb1 b5 saw Black taking over the
initiative, J.Babb-S.Shipov, Winnipeg
2005 )
A) 10.f4 transposes to 9 f4 lines
above.;
B) 10.Rae1 Rb8 11.Nd1 b6
12.Nc1 d5 13.c3 Ndc6 14.Bh6
dxe4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Bxe4 Bb7
17.Ne3 Qc7 and Black has
equalized rather effortlessly, N.
Short-P.Leko, Wijk aan Zee 2000.;
C) 10.Nd1 Nxe2+ ( or 10...b6
11.c3 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 Bb7 13.d4
cxd4 14.Bxd4 e5 15.Be3 d5
16.exd5 Bxd5 17.Bxd5 Qxd5
and Black has every reason to be
happy with the outcome of the
opening, A.Herzog-S.Kindermann,
Austrian League 2000 ) 11.Qxe2
b6 12.h4 Bb7 13.h5 Qd7 14.Bg5
Rae8 15.c3 f6 16.Bd2 f5 17.Ne3
d5 18.Rad1 Qb5 19.a4 Qd7
20.Rfe1 Bc6 with a complex
position and chances for both sides,
Mi.Adams-J.Timman, Wijk aan Zee
2002.;
D) 10.Nc1 Rb8 ( or 10...e5!?
11.f4 f5 12.Nd5 Rb8 13.c3 Ndc6
14.fxe5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Nxe5
16.Ne2 b5 17.Nf4 Qf6
and Black is probably within reach
of equality, although I prefer
White's position for some reason, J.
Alonso Moyano-P.Garcia Castro,
Spanish League 2015 ) 11.Nd1 b5
12.c3 Ndc6 13.d4 ( or 13.a3 a5
14.Ne2 b4 15.axb4 axb4 16.Bh6
Na5 17.Nc1 bxc3 18.bxc3 Nb3
19.Nxb3 Rxb3 20.Bxg7 Kxg7
and a draw was agreed, S.Drazic-A.
Kovacevic, Rijeka 2009 ) 13...c4
( 13...Ba6!? 14.dxc5 dxc5
15.Qxd8 Rfxd8 16.Bxc5 b4
gives Black decent play for the
pawn ) 14.Bh6 e5?! ( and here
14...Bxh6 15.Qxh6 f5
might improve ) 15.d5 Na5 16.b4!
cxb3 17.axb3 Bxh6 18.Qxh6
give White a strong initiative in L.
McShane-S.Karjakin, online blitz
2004. ]
9...0-0
[ Here 9...Nec6 , preventing b2-b4, is
a logical and frequently played
alternative. For example, 10.Qd2
( 10.a3!? , preparing b2-b4 again, is
worth a thought, and if a5 then
11.a4!? , claiming the b5-square,
though Black should be safe enough )
10...0-0 11.Nc1 b6 12.Nd1 e5
13.c3 Ne6 14.f4 Nc7 15.Ne2 d5
16.f5 d4 17.cxd4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4
cxd4 19.Bh6 Ne8 20.Nf2 Nf6
and the chances are about even,
objectively speaking, even if I would
probably prefer White's position, Ni
Hua-Ye Jiangchuan, FIDE World
Championship, Tripoli 2004. ]
10.b4 This is the key idea behind
White's ninth move.
QUESTION: I'm not sure I understand
why this is something we would even
consider.
ANSWER: The attack on the kingside,
while a wonderful idea, does not always
work, and it is even less likely to
184
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
succeed here as the knight on e2 is
rather in the way. So instead White
opens up the b-file, while eroding the
protection for Black's knight on d4.
QUESTION: So does that mean that
White is better in this line?
ANSWER: No, not at all, but it poses
different problems and takes the game
in an entirely different direction than
Black may be used to in the Closed
Sicilian.
[ a) White can also prepare the b2-b4
push with 10.a3 Rb8
A) 11.b4 b6 12.Qd2 Bb7 13.Rfc1
Qd7 14.Bh6 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 f5
16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Ne2 e5
and Black should not have many
issues, L.Galego-E.Pupo,
Cienfuegos 1997. ( 17...-- );
B) Or 11.Qd2 b6 ; ( rather than
11...b5!? 12.b4 a6 13.Rfc1 Re8
14.Bh6 Bh8 15.Nd1 Bb7 16.c3
Nxe2+ 17.Qxe2 , when White has
a certain initiative, S.Maus-M.
Borriss, German League 1993. )]
[ b) 10.f4 Rb8 11.b4
is also possible: cxb4 ( or 11...b6
again; but not 11...b5?! 12.bxc5 dxc5
13.e5 Bb7 14.Bxb7 Rxb7 15.Ne4!
and Black has serious problems with
the queenside pawns, S.Galdunts-T.
Nalbandian, Voskresensk 1993 )
12.Rxb4 Ndc6 13.Rb1 b6 14.Nb5
a6 15.Na3 d5 16.c4 Qd6 17.Nc2
dxc4 18.dxc4 Qc7 and chances are
probably fairly even, since White has
more space but the c4-pawn is weak,
S.Galdunts-E.Tangborn, St Ingbert
1991. ]
10...Nec6
[ That the position is roughly equal is
shown by the fact that Black has
several playable options here:
a) 10...b6 11.e5 Nd5!
A) 12.exd6 Nxe2+ 13.Nxe2 cxb4
14.Bd2 a5 15.a3 Ra7 16.axb4
Nxb4 17.Bxb4 axb4 18.Qd2 Qxd6
and Black is at least no worse, B.
Spassky-M.Chandler, German
League 1987. ( 18...-- );
B) After 12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Bxd4
( and 13.Bxd5 Bh3 14.Re1 dxe5
15.Bxa8?? Qxa8 wins at once )
13...cxd4 14.Nxd4 Bb7
, Black has good play with the
bishop pair. ]
[ b) 10...Nxe2+ 11.Nxe2 cxb4
12.Rxb4 d5 ( or 12...b6 ) 13.c4 dxc4
14.Rxc4 b6 15.Ra4 Bd7 16.Ra3
Nc6 and Black has no problems, H.
Westerinen-D.Komljenovic, Benasque
1993. ]
[ c) 10...cxb4 11.Nxd4 bxc3
is also possible; e.g. 12.f4 Qa5
13.Qe1 d5 14.e5 f6 with chances
for both sides. ]
11.a3 Rb8 12.Qd2 b6 Reinforcing the
queenside is the safest option.
[ As we saw above, counter-punching
with ...b7-b5 isn't always without
consequences, and Black needs to
be careful here too; for example,
after 12...b5 13.f4 cxb4 14.axb4
Bb7 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Nd1 Rc8
17.c3 Nc6 18.f5 Re8 19.d4
, White has a useful initiative, M.Lyell-
A.Boruchovsky, Douglas 2015. ]
13.f4 f5 QUESTION: It seems like both
players are playing on both flanks. Is
that advisable?
ANSWER: Play where you are strongest
is the standard rule, but in this case it is
unclear where either player has the
advantage, so playing on both sides of
the board seems perfectly okay. Here
Black makes a pre-emptive strike,
staking his claim to some kingside
territory before the battle continues.
14.Nc1 cxb4!? Black breaks formation
to challenge White on the queenside
185
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and perhaps create a passed pawn.
[ Otherwise, Black could just sit tight
with, say, 14...Bb7 ]
[ or 14...Qc7 , when the game
remains in the balance. ]
15.axb4 a5 16.N3a2 axb4?!
There is no call to resolve the tension
on the left flank.
[ 16...fxe4! is preferable; for example,
17.b5 ( both 17.dxe4 Ba6 18.Rd1
Qc7; and 17.Bxe4 d5 18.Bg2 Qc7
are fine for Black; while 17.bxa5 Nf5
18.Bxb6 is met by Bd4+! 19.Kh1 e3
20.Qe1 Bxb6 21.axb6 Rxb6
and Black is in command of the
game ) 17...Na7 18.dxe4 Naxb5
19.c3 Na3 20.cxd4 Nxb1 21.Qd3
b5 22.Ne2 Na3 23.Qxa3 b4 24.Qb2
leaves a position that is difficult to
assess: White has two knights for
rook and pawn, but Black's two
connected passed pawns can easily
cause headaches for White. ]
17.Nxb4
[ In similar fashion, White might do
better to insert 17.exf5 , when Rxf5
18.Nxb4 Qc7 19.Nxc6 Nxc6 20.Ne2
Ra5 21.c4 offers him somewhat
better chances. ]
17...Nxb4 18.Rxb4 Nc6 19.Rb1 fxe4
20.dxe4 Ba6? Black mixes up his move
order;
[ he should play 20...Na5! 21.Qb4
and only then Ba6 22.Rd1 Nc4
23.Bf2 Qc8 , when he looks to have
everything covered. ]
21.Rd1 Na5 22.Bh3! Now Black faces
definite problems as his b-, d- and e-
pawns are all vulnerable. 22...Qc8
23.Bd4 Presumably trying to keep
control of the position;
[ whereas after 23.Qxd6 Re8 24.Bf2
Nc4 25.Qd7 Qxd7 26.Rxd7 e5!
and something like 27.Bg2 exf4
28.gxf4 Rbd8 29.Rxd8 Rxd8 30.Nd3
Bc3 , Black limits losses to a single
pawn and his active pieces offer
him reasonable drawing chances. ]
23...Nc4 24.Qc3 Rf7?! This is probably
the wrong rook.
[ 24...Rb7 looks more accurate,
intending 25.Nd3 Bxd4+ 26.Qxd4
Rc7 27.Nb2 ( or 27.Nf2 Rff7 28.Ng4
Qf8 ) 27...Re8 28.Nxc4 Rxc4
29.Qxb6 Rc6 and Black may yet
survive. ]
Open positions such as this, with tactical
possibilities across the whole board, can
be very difficult for humans to handle,
especially when short of time as was
likely the case here. Computers, on the
other hand, are in their element and
duly rip the rest of the game to shreds. I
will point out the main issues but not
dive too much into the thinking behind
the moves, because I doubt the players
had much time for reflection.
25.Ra1?
[ To begin with 25.Bxg7 Rxg7
26.Nb3! , threatening both Qf6 and
Nd4, promises White a clear
advantage. ]
25...Bb5? The bishop is very vulnerable
on b5;
[ whereas after 25...Bb7
, Black seems to be doing more or
less okay. ]
26.Nb3?
[ Exchanging on g7 is even stronger
now: 26.Bxg7 Rxg7 27.Nb3 Re7
28.Qb4 and Black's position is
creaking at the seams. ]
26...Kh8?? A hideous move.
[ After 26...Bf8! 27.Nd2 Nxd2
28.Qxc8 Nf3+ 29.Kg2 Rxc8 30.Kxf3
Re8 , White has no more than a slight
advantage in the endgame. ]
27.Qb4?
[ Here 27.Bxg7+! Rxg7 28.Ra7
leaves Black's position on the verge
186
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
of collapsing. ]
27...Ba6?
[ The bishop belongs on d7, though
27...Bd7 28.Bxg7+ Rxg7 29.Ra7
still looks pretty bad for Black. ]
28.Bxg7+ Good enough, even if it's not
the best this time.
[ 28.Rxa6! Qxa6 29.Bxe6
is game over; e.g. Rc7 30.Bxg7+
Kxg7 31.Qc3+ Kh6 32.g4
and Black has no good defence to g4-
g5+ and Qh3 mate. ]
28...Kxg7 29.Nd4 Ne3 30.Re1 Qc5?
31.c3?
[ Here 31.Nxe6+ looks quite
enticing. ]
31...Nc4 32.Rxa6 e5 . Black either
finally resigned or, more likely, lost on
time. At least we were spared further
lemons from each side.
B25 8...Rb8
Grigoryan,K
Gomez Garrido,C
56: Barbera del Valles 2015
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
[ The move order in the game was
2.Ne2 d6 3.Nbc3 Nf6 4.g3 g6
5.Bg2 Bg7 6.d3 Nc6 , reaching the
first diagram below. An early Ne2 is
mostly used to try and tease Black
away from a favourite set-up in the
open Sicilian, with White then
throwing in d2-d4 after all. The main
drawback, if we intend to stick with
the Closed, is that White is committed
to playing lines with the knight on e2,
which are not to everybody's taste,
even if Spassky used to play them all
the time. ]
2...Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6
6.Nge2 Nf6 This move has been
recommended in several repertoire
books, albeit not necessarily with the
same continuation in mind. Notice that
the positions bear a close resemblance
to those after 6 Be3 Nf6 7 h3 Chapter
Four, so here we will just consider lines
where White avoids, or at least defers,
developing the c1-bishop to e3.
7.0-0
[ The game actually saw 7.h3 Rb8
( while 7...0-0 8.Be3 transposes
directly to Game 20 ) 8.f4
( via this move order, 8.Be3
(which has been tested by Russian
super-GM Rublevsky) b5 9.Qd2 b4
10.Nd1 0-0 11.0-0 reaches a
position examined in the notes to
Game 19 ) 8...0-0 ( not 8...b5? 9.e5 )
9.0-0 and so on. ]
7...0-0 8.h3 Since h2-h3 is useful with
either Be3 or f2-f4, it makes sense to
play it first and maintain White's options.
[ Other moves will generally transpose
below after 9 f4 Rb8, although each
side can aim for independent play;
for example:
a) 8...Ne8 9.f4 Nc7 ( if 9...f5 10.Be3
Nd4 11.Rb1 a5 12.a4 Nc7 13.exf5
gxf5 14.Kh2 Rb8 , I.Smirin-A.
Huzman, Pula 2000, then 15.Bg1
, intending Nxd4, seems somewhat
better for White ) 10.a4 Rb8 11.Be3
Nd4 12.Bf2 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Ne6
14.Qd1 b6 15.Ra2 Nd4 16.Nd5
Nc6 17.c3 f5 should be about even,
Wang Yue-A.Giri, Tromsّ Olympiad
2014. ]
[ b) 8...Nd7 9.Bg5!? ( or 9.f4 b6
10.g4 Bb7 11.Ng3 e6 12.Nce2 Qc7
13.c3 f5 , L.Kritz-Le Quang Liem,
Lubbock 2013, when 14.exf5 gxf5
15.gxf5 exf5 16.Nh5 and Neg3 looks
best, even if no more than equal )
9...Nd4 10.Qd2 Ne5 11.f4 Nec6
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
12.f5 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Nd4 14.Qd2
gxf5 15.Nd5 f6 16.Be3 fxe4
17.dxe4 Nc6 and I'm not sure how to
assess this position, in view of the
peculiar pawn structure for both sides,
M.Tal-A.Petrosian, Riga 1981. ]
[ c) 8...Bd7 9.f4 ( or 9.g4 Ne8
10.Ng3 Nc7 11.f4 e5?! 12.f5 f6
13.h4 and White had an almost
unopposed initiative, L.Kubbel-A.
Mikhailov, Moscow 1931 ) 9...Qc8
10.Kh2 Rb8 11.a4 Nb4 12.g4 Qc7
13.Ng3 Rbd8 14.f5 Bc6 15.Nb5
Qb8 16.c3 Na6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.d4
saw White gaining ground across the
whole board, I.Starostits-J.Diekmann,
Assisi 2003. ]
[ d) 8...e5!? 9.f4 ( 9.Be3 transposes
to Game 20 ) 9...exf4 10.Nxf4 Rb8
11.Be3 b5 12.Qd2 b4 13.Nd1 a5
14.Kh1 Be6 15.Ne2 Qc8 16.Kh2
Nd7 17.Bh6 Nde5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7
19.Ne3 with chances for both sides, V.
Panbukchian-V.Okhotnik, Malakoff
2009. ]
9.f4 This is the virtually the same as the
main line of Chapter Eight, except that
the white knight is placed less actively
on e2. On the plus side, the g2-bishop
remains unobstructed, which means that
9...b5? again runs into 10 e5!, winning
material; so Black needs either to
secure the c6-knight first or retreat the
other one from f6. The text move is the
most popular option; we will look at the
latter in the next game.
[ Again, 9.Be3 is seen in Game 19. ]
9...Bd7 Both Gallagher and Rogozenko
recommend this solid move for Black,
[ whereas Palliser prefers 9...Nd7
which we will examine in the next
game; ]
[ along with 9...Ne8 . ]
10.g4
[ And here 10.Be3 featured in the
notes to Game 22. ]
10...b5 11.Ng3 QUESTION: Where is
the knight best placed? On e2, f3, h3 or
somewhere else?
ANSWER: It depends on the position,
which sounds like a cop-out but is
nevertheless the truth. From the g3-
square, the white knight supports the
advance of the kingside pawns and
makes way for its colleague to retreat;
on the other hand, it clearly has no
influence at all on the central dark
squares.
11...b4
[ Given the comment in the previous
note, sinking the knight into d4 also
makes sense: 11...Nd4 12.f5 Bc6
( or 12...Ne8 13.Nce2 e6 14.c3
Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 b4 16.c4 Qh4
17.Qf2 Bd4 18.Be3 Be5 led to a
draw by repetition, L.Kritz-K.Troff,
Dallas 2014 ) 13.g5 Nd7 14.h4 c4
15.dxc4 Be5 16.cxb5 Nxb5 17.Nce2
Na3 18.c3 Nc4 19.b3 Qb6+
20.Nd4!? (otherwise ...Ne3 follows)
Bxg3 21.bxc4 Be5 22.Be3 Nc5
and Black should not be worse, B.
Jobava-Z.Andriasian, European
Championship, Legnica 2013. ]
12.Nce2 a5
[ Black has other options too:
a) 12...Ne8 13.f5 Nc7 14.g5 Nd4
15.h4 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 Nb5 17.Rb1
Qa5 18.f6!? with a sharp position
where both players have their
chances, S.Rublevsky-I.Kurnosov,
World Blitz Championship, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2013; if exf6 19.gxf6 Bxf6
20.Rxf6 Qxa2 , then 21.Qd2 Qxb1
22.h5 and 23 Qh6 gives White
sufficient play for the exchange. ]
[ b) 12...Qb6 13.Kh1 (the threat of ...
c5-c4+ is real) Ne8 is an attractive
alternative; e.g. 14.f5 Nc7 15.h4
Nd4 16.g5 Be5 17.Nxd4 cxd4
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
18.Bf4 Qc5 ( the immediate 18...a5!?
, intending ...a5-a4 and ...b4-b3,
looks better ) 19.Bh3 Bc6 20.Qd2
Bxf4 21.Rxf4 Qe5 22.Kh2 a5 ( or
22...d5 23.Re1 ) 23.h5 e6 24.Raf1
and White had a slight pull in Ba.
Jobava-J.Duda, Wijk aan Zee 2014. ]
13.Rb1
[ Morozevich once tested 13.a4!?
, which is somewhat counterintuitive,
but after bxa3 14.Rxa3 Ne8 15.c3
Nc7 16.f5 Ra8 17.Nf4 Ne5 18.g5
Bc6 19.c4 Qb8 20.h4 a4 21.h5
Ra6 22.Rf2 Rb6 23.Nf1 Rb3
24.Ne3 , White had more-or-less
contained Black's queenside
counterplay and was quite ready to do
bad things on the other flank, A.
Morozevich-Z.Efimenko, European
Cup, Rethymnon 2003. ]
13...Ne8 14.f5 Nd4 15.g5 Ba4!?
Seeking to provoke a weakness in
White's queenside, but this plan is
rather slow.
[ Either 15...Nc7 , followed by ...Ncb5
and ...a5-a4; ]
[ or 15...a4 first, seems more to the
point. ]
16.b3 Bc6 17.h4 a4 QUESTION: It
looks like both sides are making
progress, White on the kingside and
Black on the queenside. Which is more
dangerous or important?
ANSWER: Both are equally important.
With the enemy attack aimed at his king,
Black would obviously prefer to break
through on the queenside more quickly,
in order to distract White from his
ambitions on the kingside. Obviously if
Black's defences are able to hold their
own, he can be more patient on the
queenside, but that is a fine balance to
strike. Normally, I would recommend
zeroing in on your target and then
attacking with full force as soon as
possible.
18.h5 axb3 19.axb3 Ra8 QUESTION:
Now Black claimed the a-file as well.
Should White be worried?
ANSWER: Not especially, since the a-
file is not very significant at the moment.
QUESTION: Isn't a2 a penetration
square?
ANSWER: It is, but the rook can't
achieve much there by itself. If we
compare this position with that in Game
44, say, we can see that White is
further forward on the kingside here, so
Black needs first of all to neutralize the
enemy attack.
[ To that end 19...Nc7 suggests itself:
20.Bb2 ( or if 20.Be3 Ncb5 21.Qd2
, then Ra8 ) 20...Nxe2+ ( after
20...Ncb5 21.Nxd4 cxd4 22.Qg4
Bd7 23.hxg6 fxg6 24.Rf2 Be5
25.Rbf1 , things start to look a little
uncomfortable for Black ) 21.Qxe2
Bxb2 22.Rxb2 Nb5 23.hxg6 fxg6
with a complex position and chances
for both sides. ]
20.fxg6 hxg6 21.hxg6 fxg6?
Allowing White to mobilize the e2-knight
as well is a serious mistake.
[ Black had to play 21...Nxe2+
22.Nxe2 fxg6 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8
A) when 24.Nf4 Bd4+ 25.Kh1
Ng7 26.Qf3 ( not 26.Nxg6+?! Kf7
and 27...Qh8 ) 26...Kg8 27.Nxg6
Qe8 28.Nf4 Ra2 gives Black
excellent compensation for the
pawn.;
B) White can try 24.d4 instead,
when 24...Kg8 ( but after 24...Qc8
25.Be3 Qg4! 26.dxc5 Bxe4
27.Nf4 Qxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Kf7
, Black should expect to hold )
25.Be3 cxd4 26.Nxd4 offers him a
promising initiative. ]
22.Rxf8+ Bxf8 23.Nf4! Clearly Black's
strategy has failed, since his play on the
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
queenside is no longer going anywhere,
whereas White's kingside attack is
beginning to make an impact. In fact, it
is already difficult to see a defence for
Black.
23...Bg7
[ Black cannot save the g-pawn with
the king, since 23...Kh7 24.Nxg6
( while building up with 24.Bb2; or
24.Qg4 is even stronger ) 24...Kxg6?
25.Qh5+ wins easily for White. ]
24.Nxg6 e6 25.Nh5?! Slightly too
eager.
[ Bringing the queen forward first with
25.Qh5! is more accurate; e.g. Ra5
( or 25...Ra7 26.Bb2 Rf7 27.Qg4
Bd7 28.Nh5 e5 29.Qh4 , threatening
Nxg7 etc ) 26.Be3 Nxc2 27.Rf1!
Nxe3 ( or 27...Ra1 28.Bc1 ) 28.Rf8+!
Bxf8 29.Qh8+ Kf7 30.Qxf8+ Kxg6
31.Qg8+ and White wins. ]
25...Ra2
[ Or 25...Ra7 26.Qg4 e5 27.Qh4
and Black is in real trouble; e.g. Qd7
28.Nf6+! Bxf6 29.gxf6 Qh7
30.Ne7+! Rxe7 31.Qg5+ and White
should win. ]
26.Qg4 Rxc2 27.Be3 Nf5
[ 27...Nf5 a futile trick, hoping for
28.exf5?? Rxg2+ and Black wins. ]
28.Bf2!? This is good enough;
[ but 28.Bh3! is absolutely
devastating: Nxe3 29.Qxe6+ Kh7
30.Ne7 , threatening mate on g8. ]
28...Rxf2 Desperation, since everything
loses at this point. 29.Kxf2 Bd4+
30.Ke2 Qa8
[ Or 30...Neg7 31.Nxg7 Kxg7
32.exf5 exf5 33.Qxf5 Qe8+ 34.Be4
d5 and now 35.Qf8+! is simplest,
leading to an easily winning
endgame. ]
31.Rd1 Nc7 32.Nf6+ Kg7 33.Nf4 Nb5
34.Nxe6+ Kf7 35.Qxf5 Qa2+ 36.Kf1
Qc2 37.Qh7+ Kxe6 38.Bh3+
. And with mate on the next move,
Black decided that this was enough.
1-0
B25
Jobava,Ba
Cvitan,O
57: European Club Cup, Skopje 2015
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ This game too took a roundabout
route, with first 2...d6 3.Nge2 g6
4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.d3
, and then Rb8 7.0-0 Nf6 8.f4 0-0
9.h3 , before finally reaching our main
line. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Nge2
Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.h3 Rb8 9.f4 Nd7
Seeing as White is planning to push the
g-pawn, the knight will probably have to
move in any case, and retreating it now
enables Black to play ...b7-b5 without
being hit by e4-e5.
[ Sometimes Black opts to drop it back
the other way with 9...Ne8 and then:
A) 10.g4 b5 11.Ng3 b4 12.Nce2
a5 13.Rb1 a4 14.Be3 Be6!?
15.b3 ( 15.c4 is safer ) 15...axb3
16.axb3 Nc7 17.f5 Bd7 18.Qd2
Re8 19.Bh6 Bh8 20.Nh5?!
( 20.Rf2 is better ) 20...Nb5 21.fxg6
hxg6 22.Qg5 Ne5 23.Qh4 Ra8
24.Neg3 Nd4 25.Rf2 Ra2
and Black has made all the
progress, while White's supposed
attack is going nowhere, A.Burehall-
M.Tal, Stockholm 1961.;
B) 10.f5 b5 ( 10...e6!?
is also possible ) 11.g4 b4 12.Nd5
e6 13.Ndf4 Nd4 14.Kh1 Nc7
15.Rb1 d5 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.fxe6
fxe6 18.exd5 e5 19.Ne2 Rxf1+
20.Qxf1 Bb7?! 21.Ng3?! ( 21.c4
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is better, but Black could have
taken on d5 last move ) 21...Nxd5
and Black regained the pawn with
advantage, S.Conquest-S.Collins,
British Championship, Edinburgh
2003.;
C) 10.Be3 Nc7 ( or just 10...b5
since 11.e5 b4 is nothing to worry
about; 10...Nd4 11.a4 Bd7 12.Bf2
Nc7 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2 e5
15.c3 dxc3 16.bxc3 b6 17.d4
looks more promising for White, Al.
Ivanov-D.Vigorito, US
Championship, Tulsa 2008 ) 11.Qd2
b5 12.Rae1 b4 13.Nd1 Rb5!?
14.f5 Ra5 15.Nc1 Nb5 16.Bh6
Ne5 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Ne3 Ra4
19.fxg6 hxg6 ( 19...fxg6
looks safer ) 20.Nf5+! (this is worth
at least a draw) gxf5 21.Qg5+ Kh7
22.exf5 ( or 22.Rf4!? Ng6 23.exf5
Nxf4 24.Rxe7! Bxf5! 25.gxf4
Qc8! ) 22...Rg8 23.Qh5+ Kg7
24.Bd5?? ( 24.Rf4 is correct )
24...Rh8 and ½-½ M.Kuijf-F.Hellers,
Groningen 1989, though the
computer in fact claims that Black
is now winning; e.g. 25.Qg5+ Kf8
26.f6 Rh7 and so on. ]
10.Kh2!? QUESTION: Why is White
placing his king on h2 so soon? Is there
something to be concerned about?
ANSWER: I don't see anything, no, so
the king move does indeed look a little
odd. However, GM Jobava often plays
the opening atypically, trying to force
his opponents to think for themselves
rather than necessarily obtain an
advantage.
[ Naturally, we should look at "normal"
moves as well:
a) 10.g4 b5 11.Ng3 b4 ( or
11...c4!? 12.Kh2 b4 13.Nce2 Qb6
14.d4 c3 15.bxc3 bxc3 16.Be3 e5
17.d5?! Qxe3 18.dxc6 , Z.Rahman-J.
Rowson, Dresden Olympiad 2008,
and now exf4 19.Nxf4 Ne5 20.Qxd6
Rb2 21.Nd5 Qd2 sees Black doing
well ) 12.Nce2 a5 13.Rb1 Nd4 14.f5
Nxe2+ 15.Nxe2 e6 ( or just
15...Ne5 ) 16.Bf4 Ne5 17.Qd2 exf5
18.exf5 gxf5 19.gxf5 Kh8 20.Bg5
( or 20.Rbe1 Rg8 21.Ng3 Bb7
22.Bxb7 Rxb7 23.Kh1 Qh4
and Black should be fine ) 20...Bf6
21.Bxf6+ Qxf6 22.Qf4 Rg8
and I prefer Black's position at this
stage, though he later went wrong
and lost, L.Kritz-E.Alekseev, Biel
2006. ]
[ b) 10.Be3 b5 11.Qd2 ( again 11.e5
is well met by b4 ; e.g. 12.Bxc6 bxc3
13.bxc3 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Bg2
Bb7 16.Bxb7 Rxb7 17.Bxc5
, J.Barle-O.Cvitan, Vienna 2009, and
now Qd5 gives Black excellent play
for the pawn, as White's kingside
looks like a volcanic crater ) 11...b4
12.Nd1 Nd4 13.Nxd4 ( or 13.Nc1 f5
14.c3 bxc3 15.bxc3 Ne6 16.exf5
gxf5 with chances for both sides, R.
Hoen-V.Hort, Havana Olympiad
1966 ) 13...cxd4 14.Bf2 Nc5 15.a3?!
( 15.b3 was called for, though Black
has already equalized ) 15...b3! 16.c3
was played in V.Gashimov-J.Smeets,
World Junior Championship, Istanbul
2005, where Qa5 17.Be1 dxc3
18.Nxc3 Bd4+ 19.Kh2 Ba6
looks to give Black a massive
advantage. ]
[ c) 10.a4 a6 11.g4 ( or 11.Nd5 e6
12.Ne3 Nd4 13.a5 b5 14.axb6
Nxb6 15.g4 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2 f5
17.Kh1 d5 18.gxf5 gxf5 and Black
has enough play to compensate for
his slightly inferior pawn structure,
D.Swiercz-A.Areshchenko, Lublin
2014 ) 11...b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.f5
b4 14.Nd5 Nb6 ( 14...e6
191
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
may improve ) 15.Nef4 Nxd5
16.Nxd5 Bd4+ 17.Kh1 e6 18.Ne3
Bf6 19.Nc4 exf5 20.exf5 and here
White's position is definitely
preferable, D.Andreikin-S.Sjugirov,
Moscow 2011. ]
10...b5 11.a3 a6?!
[ QUESTION: Why doesn't Black play
11...a5 , so he can push his b-pawn
further?
ANSWER: That's a good question,
which I'm not sure I can answer
competently. Unless Black feels that
he has a genuine opportunity to seek
an advantage elsewhere, it doesn't
make much sense to stall the
queenside attack in this fashion.
Perhaps he didn't like 12.e5 Nd4 ( or
12...b4 13.Bxc6 bxc3 14.Nxc3 dxe5
15.Rb1 ) 13.exd6 exd6 14.Nxd4
cxd4 ( incidentally, notice that
14...Bxd4 would not be check, thanks
to White's earlier 10 Kh2, so he can
play 15.f5 with advantage ) 15.Nd5
, though neither line looks very
frightening. ]
12.g4
[ Here too White might consider 12.e5
Bb7 13.exd6 exd6 14.f5
, which seems more in the demand of
the position, but Jobava may have
rejected this as offering few winning
chances. ]
12...Bb7 13.Ng3 Nd4
[ I would probably opt for something
along the lines of 13...e6!? 14.Rb1
Qe7 15.Be3 Nd4 . ]
14.Nce2 Nxe2 15.Qxe2 a5
Now Black's 11th move seems even
more peculiar, but he is playing the
present position, rather than fixating on
previous moves.
16.g5 b4 17.h4 Ba6 With ideas of ...
c5-c4 perhaps, but there is a definite
drawback to putting the bishop here.
[ I would prefer 17...Qc7!? 18.h5 e6
as Black. ]
18.axb4 cxb4 Due to his loose bishop
on a6, Black is forced to recapture with
the c-pawn, which means he has less
control over the centre as well as a
backward pawn on the open a-file. Is
this a problem? Not necessarily,
because the c-file is soft and a good
target for Black, but he does need to
play accurately now.
19.h5 Bb5?!
[ Here 19...Bd4 , followed by ...Rc8
and/or ...Qc7, seems to give Black a
pleasant enough position; for example,
after 20.Rh1 Rc8 , it is not clear how
White intends to break through on
the kingside. ]
20.e5! This is why ...Bd4 was better on
the previous move. 20...e6?!
This just creates more weaknesses on
the dark squares.
[ If the e-pawn is captured then
20...dxe5 21.f5! looks quite
unpleasant for Black; the immediate
threat is -- 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.fxg6
fxg6 24.Bd5+ Kh8 25.Qg4
and wins. ]
[ Black should prefer 20...Nc5
, intending 21.exd6
( though something like 21.Be3 Qc7
22.Qf2 a4 23.h6 Bh8 24.exd6 exd6
25.Bd4 still looks good for White )
21...Qxd6 22.Rxa5 Ne6
with counterplay. ]
21.exd6 Nc5 22.h6! QUESTION: Does
closing the h-file mean that White has
given up on winning in a kingside
attack? After all, there is no more mate
on the h-file.
ANSWER: No and yes. Black may not
be mated down the h-file any time soon,
but the text move fixes his kingside and
restrains the activities of his dark-
squared bishop. If that piece gets
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
diverted or exchanged, then g7 and f6
are some scary weaknesses to look at.
Meanwhile Black has trouble on the
queenside as well.
22...Bh8 23.Be3 Na4 This knight sally
doesn't solve anything, but it is hard to
find improvements now.
[ For instance, after 23...Rc8 24.Qf2
Nd7 25.Ne4 Bxb2 26.Ra2 Bh8
27.Bd4 , Black's dark squares are
beginning to creak. ]
24.b3 Nc3 25.Qf2 Qxd6 26.Rxa5
[ Not 26.Bc5?! Qc7 27.Bxf8?! Rxf8
and Black does not stand too badly. ]
26...Rfc8
[ Or if 26...Rfd8 then 27.Bc5 Qd7
28.Ra7 Qc8 29.Bb6 Rd6 ( or
29...Rd7 30.Rfa1 Bc6 31.Rxd7
Qxd7 32.Bxc6 Qxc6 33.Bd4
and so on ) 30.Bc7 Bd4 31.Qe1 Ra6
32.Bxb8 Bxa7 33.Bxa7 Rxa7
34.Qe5 Qf8 35.Re1 Ra2 36.Ne2
Nxe2 37.Rxe2 with a nightmare of a
position for Black. ]
27.Ba7 Qd8
[ Or 27...Qc7 28.Rfa1 Nd1 29.Bxb8
Rxb8 30.Qf3 Bxa1 31.Rxa1 Nc3
32.Ne4 Nd5 ( or 32...Nxe4 33.Qxe4
Qc5 34.Ra8 etc ) 33.Qf2! Qxf4+
34.Qxf4 Nxf4 35.Nf6+ Kh8 36.Ra7
and White has a winning endgame. ]
28.Rfa1 White will not capture on b8
until he can follow up with Ra8. 28...Nd1
29.Qe2 Nc3 30.Qf2 Nd1 31.Qe1 Nc3
32.Bxb8 Rxb8 33.Ra8 Black has had
enough.
[ After, say, 33.Ra8 Nd5 34.Rxb8
Qxb8 35.Bxd5 exd5 36.Ra5 Bc6
37.Rc5 , it is completely over. ]
1-0
B24
Thorhallsson,T
Berkes,F
58: Reykjavik 2002
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ The actual moves saw the players
tussle over variations with 2...e6 3.f4
Nc6 4.Nf3 d5 and only transpose
below after 5.d3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.Bg2
Nge7 etc. ]
3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3
[ In regards to Black's set-up with an
early ...e7-e6, I would be remiss if I
didn't mention a specialty of the
Israeli GM Jacob Murey: 5.Nge2 e6
6.0-0 Nge7 7.a3!? 0-0 8.Rb1
. The plan of attacking from the wing
with b2-b4 has brought Murey quite a
bit of success, although Black hardly
stands worse in any of the following
variations:
A) 8...d6 9.b4 Nd4 ( for 9...b6
see line 'b' ) 10.d3 Rb8 11.Nxd4
( after 11.f4 b6 12.Be3 Bb7
13.Qd2 Qd7 14.Nd1 Nxe2+
15.Qxe2 d5 16.bxc5 d4 17.Bf2
bxc5 , Black has no reason to be
unhappy with the outcome of the
opening, D.Vocaturo-F.Manca,
Italian League 2007 ) 11...cxd4
12.Ne2 Bd7 13.Bb2 Qb6 14.Qd2
Rbc8 15.Rfc1 f5 16.c4 dxc3?!
( 16...fxe4 17.Bxe4 e5 offers more
counterplay ) 17.Nxc3 Rf7 18.Nd1
Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Bxb2 20.Nxb2
and White looks now to have the
better chances, J.Murey-Je.Bosch,
Dieren 2000.;
B) 8...b6 9.b4 d6 10.d3 Bb7
11.b5 Nd4 ( or 11...Na5 12.Bd2
a6 13.Qc1 axb5 14.Bh6 e5
15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Nxb5 Nac6
and Black has equalized, J.Murey-
193
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B.Alterman, Israeli League 2000 )
12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Ne2 Rc8
14.Rb4 e5 15.Bb2 Rc7 16.c3
dxc3 17.Bxc3 d5 18.f4 dxe4
19.dxe4 a5 20.Rb2 Qxd1
21.Rxd1 exf4 22.Bxg7 Kxg7
23.Nxf4 Re8 and once more Black
has equalized, J.Murey-S.
Mohandesi, Paris 2001.;
C) 8...a5 9.Nb5 d5 ( or even
9...d6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nexd4 d5!
12.exd5 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd5
and the chances are completely
level, G.Grimberg-A.Khalifman,
European Cup, Clichy 1989;
Khalifman actually played ...d7-d6
on move three ) 10.d3 b6 11.Bd2
Ba6 12.a4 Rc8 13.Qc1 Bxb5
14.axb5 Nd4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.b4
axb4 17.Bxb4 dxe4 18.Bxe7
Qxe7 19.Bxe4 Rc3 and Black
should have no problems, L.
Semenova-V.Arutiunov, Kiev
2003.;
D) 8...d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Nf4 d4
( if 10...Be6 11.b4 c4 12.b5 Nd4
13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Ne2 Nef5
15.Nf4 Qd7 16.a4 a6 17.c3 Nb3
, J.Murey-L.Gerzhoy, Pardubice
2002, then 18.Re1 looks good for
White, since Rfe8? fails to
19.Rxe6! ) 11.Ne4 c4 12.d3 cxd3
13.cxd3 Ne5 14.h3 Bd7 15.Nc5
Bc6 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Ne4 Nd5
18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Ng5 Qd7
and Black is fine, M.Appleberry-A.
Istratescu, Cappelle la Grande
1993. ]
5...e6 The aim of this move is obvious:
Black holds the d-pawn back for the
moment, intending after ...Nge7 to
advance it two squares, or at least
creating the option of doing so.
6.f4
[ White has the expected choices
here:
a) 6.Be3 can be recommended if
White prefers to avoid lines with ...d7-
d5, since the immediate attack on the
c5-pawn restricts Black's options,
though it doesn't rule out ...d7-d5
entirely as we'll see in the next two
games. ]
[ b) 6.Nge2 generally leads to
something like Nge7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Be3 Nd4 , followed by 9...d6,
transposing to lines considered in
Game 55, though Black can still opt
for ...d7-d5 if desired; e.g. 9.Qd2 d5
10.exd5 Nxd5 ( or 10...exd5 11.Bf4
Bh3 12.Nxd4 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Bxd4
14.Rae1 Qd7 and Black is fine, R.
Palacin-M.Munoz Pantoja, Cornella
2013 ) 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.Nf4 Be6
13.c3 Qd6 14.Nxe6 ( obviously
14.cxd4 cxd4 15.Nxe6 dxe3
regains the piece ) 14...Nxe6 15.d4
cxd4 16.cxd4 Rac8 is pretty equal, L.
Segura-P.Da Silva, Rio de Janeiro
2001. ]
[ c) 6.Nh3 Nge7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Be3
is similarly transpositional;
A) since 8...d6 9.Qd2 is covered
in the notes to Game 4. ( 9.-- );
B) If Black prefers to follow the
theme of the current chapter, there
is 8...b6 9.Qd2 d5 10.Bh6 d4
11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.Ne2 e5 13.f4
f6 14.f5 ( improving on 14.fxe5?!
Nxe5 15.Nf2 g5 16.b4 cxb4
17.Qxb4 N7c6 18.Qb2 Qd6
19.Rac1 Be6 20.c3 Rad8
, where Black is better, M.
Taimanov-L.Stein, USSR
Championship, Tbilisi 1967 ) 14...g5
15.Bf3 Ng8 16.Bh5 a6 17.Kg2
b5 18.a4 Bb7 19.axb5 axb5
20.Rxa8 Bxa8 21.Ra1 Bb7
22.Nc1 , as in D.Suttles-A.Gipslis,
Sousse Interzonal 1967, when Qe7
194
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
keeps it level. ]
6...Nge7 7.Nf3 d5
[ Here 7...0-0 8.0-0 d5 transposes
below; ( while 8...d6 )]
[ or 7...d6 return to Chapter Six. ]
8.0-0
[ Or 8.e5
A) 8...0-0 9.0-0 , transposing
again; ( 9.-- );
B) but Black is not obliged castle:
8...Nd4 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 Qb6
11.0-0 h5 12.Qe1 f6 13.exf6
Bxf6 14.Kh1 Bd7 15.Bh3 Rc8
16.c3 dxc3 17.bxc3 Nf5
and Black is clearly in control, M.
Basman-J.Flesch, London Lloyds
Bank 1978;
C) 8...Nf5 is also possible. ]
8...0-0
[ Actually, Black does not need to
castle here either, but can also try
8...b6 , intending 9.e5 h5!?
( more ambitious if no better than
9...0-0 ) 10.Ne2 ( or 10.Nb5 Nf5 )
10...Nf5 11.c3 a5 12.Rf2 Ba6 13.h3
Bf8 14.Kh2 Be7 15.Neg1 Rc8
16.Re2 d4 17.c4 b5 18.b3 Kf8
and while nothing has yet been
decided, Black has the initiative on
the queenside, whereas White has a
hard time getting equivalent
counterplay elsewhere, V.Anand-G.
Kasparov, New York (rapid) 1994. ]
9.e5 QUESTION: Okay, so which is
better: White's space advantage on the
kingside or Black's on the queenside?
ANSWER: It is really too early to tell. At
the moment, the lines are still being
drawn up for future battle.
QUESTION: What about the bishops?
Black's bishops look terribly passive
and restrained.
ANSWER: It may seem that way, but it
is at most a temporary issue. Black can
break the centre open with ...f7-f6 to
bring the g7-bishop to life, after which it
will be stronger than its white
counterpart. The light-squared bishops,
on the other hand, often balance each
other out; if Black plays ...Bb7 and ...d5-
d4, they will face off on the long
diagonal.
[ White has of course tried other
moves which are less committal in the
centre:
a) 9.Qe2 (or 9 Qe1) b6 10.g4 Qd7
11.Qf2 Bb7 12.Bd2 Nd4 13.Ne5
Qc7 14.exd5 exd5 15.Rac1
and a draw was prematurely agreed
in Y.Dembo-K.Kulaots, European
Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011;
but certainly Rad8 , followed by ...
Rfe8, looks more than comfortable for
Black. ]
[ b) 9.Ne2?! b6 10.c3 dxe4 11.dxe4
Ba6 12.Kf2 ( if 12.Qxd8 Raxd8
13.Kf2 , then e5!? looks promising )
12...Qc7 13.Qa4 Bd3 14.Ne1 b5
15.Qd1 Rad8 16.Nxd3 c4 17.Be3
cxd3 18.Nc1 b4 19.Nxd3 bxc3
20.Qe2? ( 20.Qc2 is necessary )
20...Nd4! and Black is winning, D.
Goes-R.Bellin, Guernsey 1990. ]
[ c) 9.Rb1!? b6 10.Bd2 Bb7 11.a3
(shades of Murey's variation above)
dxe4 12.Nxe4 Qc7 13.b4 cxb4
( 13...c4!? looks interesting ) 14.axb4
Rac8 15.c3 Rfd8 16.Qe2 Nd5
( and here 16...a6 might be better )
17.b5 Nce7 18.Ne5 and I quite like
White's position, M.Maki Uuro-M.
Sorsa, Lahti 1999. ]
9...b6 10.g4 QUESTION: It seems as if
White's attack will touch down before
Black gets anything started on the
queenside. Isn't that so?
ANSWER: A good start is half finished,
or so I was told when I was younger.
Anyway, things are not so cut and dried.
Black's position is solid, he has yet to
195
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
make any mistakes, nor is he behind in
development; by that reasoning it should
not be possible for Black to be worse.
QUESTION: But doesn't White's position
look at least a little more threatening?
ANSWER: Not really; g3-g4 is perhaps
the beginning of something, but Black
hardly needs to shiver in his boots. If
anything, White's position is a bit loose.
[ Black would play the same way
against other moves too; e.g. 10.Rb1
Bb7 11.a3 Nf5 12.b4 f6 13.exf6
Bxf6 14.Ne2 Qd6 15.c3 d4 16.g4
Ne3 17.Bxe3 dxe3 18.bxc5 Qxc5
with a complicated position and
chances to both sides, Be.Larsen-M.
Chiburdanidze, Vienna 1993 ]
[ or 10.Nb5 f6 . ]
10...f6 QUESTION: Oh, I see; Black
breaks White's pawns in the centre to
stop the attack, right?
ANSWER: In part, yes; but also to
activate his own pieces. Indeed, 9...f6
was quite possible on the previous
move.
QUESTION: But how about the pawn on
e6? Isn't the backward pawn weak?
ANSWER: Pawns are only weak if they
can be attacked. The e6-pawn is safe
and if given the chance, Black may even
play ...e6-e5 to open the position even
further.
11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.Qe2
Rc8 14.Rae1 QUESTION: It looks like
White is doing quite well now; all his
pieces are developed and he is putting
pressure on the e6-pawn. Is that a fair
assessment?
ANSWER: I'm afraid not! In fact the
opposite may be true; Black's pieces are
all developed too and, as you will see,
ready to get into action, whereas
White's are not generating any
meaningful threats.
14...Nd4! 15.Qd1 Nec6 16.Nxd4
Nxd4
[ Black can also consider 16...Bxd4+
17.Kh1 Qh4 with a decent initiative. ]
17.Nb1 Kh8?! This is part of a plan that
Black later executes, making it perfect
that the king is in the corner.
[ Nonetheless, 17...Nb5 18.c3 Nd6
looks more accurate at this point and
quite comfortable for Black. ]
18.c3 Nc6 19.Na3 Bg7 20.g5?!
This looks awfully ambitious and gets
him in trouble.
[ But it is difficult to outline a good
plan for White; for instance, 20.Qe2
is met by b5 , and if 21.Nxb5 then
Rb8 promises Black entrance to the
enemy second rank. ]
20...e5!? QUESTION: Isn't the pawn on
d5 hanging?
ANSWER: Yes, but thanks to Black's
earlier king move the pawn does not fall
with check, so it is only a very
temporary sacrifice, and the investment
is soon recovered; indeed, White
should certainly not take it.
[ Once again 20...b5 looks promising.
Instead, Black aims to show the
consequences of White's scattered
troops and loose pawn structure. ]
21.Bxd5??
[ The correct reply is 21.Qf3
and White may yet be okay. It seems
Black cannot exploit the vulnerable
position of the white queen, which
can always slide across to g3. ]
21...exf4 22.h4
[ Not 22.Bxf4?? due to Rxf4 23.Rxf4
Qxg5+ and wins; ]
[ while 22.Bg2 Qxg5 sees Black now
a pawn up and still with a strong
initiative. ]
22...Bh3 23.Bg2 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Ne5!
This move demonstrates with all clarity
that White's position is collapsing.
25.Re4? White was possibly in terrible
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
time trouble as is sometimes his habit.
If he had to play like this, he might as
well have resigned at once.
[ The only way to continue the game,
albeit in misery, is 25.Rxe5 Bxe5
26.Qf3 , though Black should win
sooner or later. ]
25...f3+ 26.Kg3 Qxd3 27.Qb1
. White either lost on time or resigned
before Black captured the bishop on d2.
0-1
B24
Spassky,B
Hjartarson,J
59: Belfort 1988
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Be3 This is by far
White's most popular reply to the early
...e7-e6, developing the bishop to its
natural square and attacking the c5-
pawn. Then 6...d6 transposes to the
main line of Chapter One, and Black's
choices otherwise are somewhat limited.
6...Nd4!? QUESTION: I thought it was
supposed to be premature for Black to
play ...Nd4 before White has committed
a knight to either f3 or e2. Isn't that so?
ANSWER: You're absolutely right. On
the other hand, when there is no clear
refutation of a supposedly inferior
continuation, you will sometimes see
strong players utilize such lines to
muddy the waters early on, in order to
force opponents think for themselves
right from the outset.
QUESTION: Can't that be a risky
strategy?
ANSWER: It depends on how inferior
the line is. In this case, even if White
knows the optimal continuation, Black
may only be slightly worse and perhaps
not even that, so no major risk is
involved.
[ All the same, 6...d6 is certainly the
best move and Black's attempts to do
without it all have their drawbacks. ]
[ a) 6...Nge7? 7.Bxc5 Qa5 8.Be3
( 8.d4 is also good ) 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3
Qxc3+ regains the pawn but leaves
Black with appalling weaknesses on
the dark squares. ]
[ b) 6...Qb6 7.Rb1 sets the queen up
for a later b2-b4 if Black doesn't play
...Nd4 after all; e.g. Nf6 ( 7...Nge7
8.Nge2 Nd4 is relatively best ) 8.h3
0-0 9.Nge2 ( or 9.b4 at once )
9...Rd8 10.b4 d5 11.Bxc5 Qc7
12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.0-0
and White is clearly better, E.
Szurovszky-S.Cao, Hungarian
League 1997. ]
[ c) 6...Qa5
A) at best reaches Game 3 with
7.Qd2 d6 ( or the next note with
7...Nd4 ; );
B) but after 7.Nge2 and 8 0-0 it is
not clear what the queen is really
doing on a5; e.g. 7...Nd4 8.0-0
Ne7 9.Rb1 ( 9.Bd2 d6 10.Nxd4
cxd4 11.Nd5 Qd8 12.Nxe7 Qxe7
led to a quick draw in B.Spassky-V.
Korchnoi, Montpellier Candidates
1985 ) 9...Nec6 10.a3 d6 ( or if
10...a6 , E.Kovalevskaya-A.Achang,
St Petersburg 2000, then 11.Bf4! )
11.b4 Qc7 12.bxc5 dxc5 13.f4
Nxe2+ 14.Nxe2 b6 15.e5 0-0
16.Nc3 and White has the better
chances, R.Baumhus-A.
Wojtkiewicz, Eupen 1993 (by
transposition). ]
[ d) 6...b6 7.Qd2 Bb7 8.Nge2 d5!?
(this is original at least) ( whereas
8...Nge7 9.Bh6 0-0 10.h4
just gives White a promising version
of the attack in Chapter One ) 9.exd5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Nb4 10.d4 c4 ( or 10...Nxd5
11.dxc5 ) 11.Nf4 Nxd5 12.Nfxd5
exd5 13.0-0 Ne7 14.Bh6 0-0
15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qf4 and White is
slightly better, J.Salminen-J.Pessi,
Finnish League 2005. ]
7.Nce2! This move was introduced by
Smyslov in 1946 and it immediately cast
a bit of a shadow over Black's previous
move. White intends to follow up with c2-
c3 and d3-d4, gaining a nice-looking
pawn centre.
QUESTION: Can't Black win material by
exchanging on e2 and then taking on
b2?
ANSWER: Yes, but there is nothing to
be gained by doing so since trying to
keep the pawn only lands Black in
trouble, as we'll see below.
[ Routine development with 7.Qd2
is less testing for Black, and
generally transposes elsewhere.
A) For example, 7...Qa5 8.f4 Ne7
( or 8...d6 ) 9.Nf3 d6 is Game 26;
B) while 7...d6;
C) or 7...Ne7 8.Nd1 d6
returns to Chapter One;
D) though Black has independent
options too: 7...Qa5 8.f4 Ne7
9.Nf3 Nec6!? 10.0-0 0-0 11.e5
( 11.f5 exf5 12.Bh6 d6 13.Bxg7
Kxg7 is nothing for Black to worry
about, Ale.Ruiz-Ad.Horvath, San
Agustin 1998 ) 11...d5 12.Bf2
( 12.exd6 makes more sense )
12...Bd7 13.Rad1 , G.A.Thomas-E.
Steiner, Ujpest 1934, and now
Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Nd4 15.Bg2 Rfc8
is fine for Black.;
E) 7...Ne7 8.Nd1 b6 ( or 8...e5!?
9.c3 Ne6 10.Bh6 0-0 11.Bxg7
Kxg7 12.Nf3 d6 13.d4 cxd4
14.cxd4 exd4 15.Nxd4 d5
and Black has no real problems, Z.
Rahman-L.Van Wely, Dresden
Olympiad 2008 ) 9.c3 Ndc6
10.Bh6 Bxh6 11.Qxh6 Ba6 ( or
11...Ne5!? , hoping for 12.Qg7
Nxd3+ 13.Kd2 Rg8 14.Qxh7 Ba6
with the clearly better chances )
12.f4 Qc7 ( not 12...Bxd3? 13.Nf2
, followed by Ng4 ) 13.Qg7!?
(very risky) ( 13.Nf2 is roughly
equal ) 13...0-0-0 14.Nf2 f5
15.0-0-0 h6 16.Nf3 Rdg8 17.Qf6
g5 18.fxg5 Rf8 19.Qg7 Rhg8
20.Qxh6 Rh8 21.Qg7 and finding
nothing better, Black took a draw
by repetition on the queen, J.
Hjartarson-B.Thorfinnsson,
Icelandic League 2000. ]
7...b6 QUESTION: This looks very
provocative; can Black afford to play in
this fashion?
ANSWER: Sure, he can; no real harm
has been done yet.
[ But Black has several other moves
he can consider:
a) 7...Ne7 is probably the strongest
move and will be discussed in our
next main game. ]
[ b) 7...Nxe2?! 8.Nxe2 Bxb2 9.Rb1
Bg7 ( 9...Qa5+?? makes things much
worse: 10.Bd2 Qxa2 11.Rxb2 Qxb2
12.Bc3 and White is winning ) 10.Bxc5
d6 ( 10...Qa5+? is not recommended
either, as 11.Bb4 Qxa2 12.0-0
gives White huge play for the pawn )
11.Ba3 Qa5+ 12.Bb4 Qc7 13.Qc1
a5 14.Ba3 Ne7 15.0-0 0-0 16.c4
and White is definitely for preference,
L.Drabke-E.Anka, French League
2002. ]
[ c) 7...d5?! is overambitious: after
8.c3 Nxe2 9.Nxe2 dxe4 ( or if
9...Qd6 10.exd5 exd5 V.Liublinsky-M.
Kamishov, Moscow 1949, then
11.Qa4+ Bd7 12.Qa3 b6 13.d4
with a big advantage ) 10.Bxc5! exd3
11.Nf4 d2+ 12.Qxd2 Qxd2+
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
13.Kxd2 , the queenless middlegame
is quite unpleasant for Black, L.
Barczay-W.Uhlmann, Czech
Championship, Trencianske Teplice
1979. ]
[ d) 7...d6 is more reasonable and
was Black's choice in one of
Smyslov's early games with this
variation: 8.c3 Nc6 ( or 8...Nxe2
9.Nxe2 Nf6 10.h3 0-0 and Black
does not stand so badly ) 9.d4 cxd4
10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 e5!?
(this move was criticized for leaving
the d-pawn backward, but variations
such as the Sveshnikov have since
taught us that things are more
complicated) ( in fact Black is still fine
here, whereas after 11...Nf6
, White might play 12.e5 dxe5
13.Bxe5 and nurse a small positional
advantage on the queenside ) 12.Be3
A) 12...Ne7 13.Ne2 0-0 14.0-0
Be6 15.Qd2 Qc7 ( 15...d5?!
16.Bc5 is good for White ) 16.Rfc1!
f5 17.c4 fxe4 18.Nc3 Nf5
19.Nxe4 Nxe3 ( on 19...Nd4
, Smyslov intended 20.c5! d5
21.Ng5 Bf7 22.f4 with strong
play ) 20.Qxe3 and while Black's
position is far from lost, the d5-
square and backward d-pawn are
starting to look like serious
weaknesses; White eventually won
a classic game, V.Smyslov-A.
Denker, USSR-USA match,
Moscow 1946.;
B) It was better to play 12...Nf6
13.Ne2 Be6 14.0-0 and now,
rather than Smyslov's panicky d5?!
, ( Black should take it easy and
continue 14...0-0 15.b3 b5
, when he is by no means worse. )]
[ e) One of the specialists in this line
(or perhaps we should call him a
repeat offender), Loek van Wely, has
recently tested another idea: 7...e5!?
(this stems from the Bulgarian GM
Ventzislav Inkiov) 8.c3 Ne6 9.Qd2
( if 9.d4!? then cxd4 10.cxd4 exd4
11.Nxd4 Qa5+ is annoying; or 9.f4
exf4 10.Nxf4 d6 11.Nf3 Nf6 12.0-0
0-0 and the chances are more or less
even, D.Larino Nieto-L.Van Wely,
Rabat 2015 ) 9...Nf6 10.f4 exf4
11.Nxf4 d6 12.Nge2 Ng4 13.Bg1
0-0 14.h3 Ne5 15.Be3 b6 16.0-0
Ba6 and although White eventually
won the game, he is by no means
better at this point, G.Lane-L.Van
Wely, Canberra 2015. ]
8.Bxd4!? QUESTION: Why would White
voluntarily give up his pair of bishops?
ANSWER: Spassky has a very specific
strategic idea in mind, where Black's
structural pawn weaknesses hopefully
will outweigh the value of the bishop
pair.
[ The alternative is to continue as
intended: 8.c3 Nxe2 9.Nxe2 Bb7
10.0-0 ( the immediate 10.d4
might be met by Nf6!?; while 10.Qd2
f5 11.0-0 Ne7 12.Rfe1 0-0 13.Bg5
Qe8 14.Nf4 Nc6 15.Nd5 Qc8
16.Ne7+ Nxe7 17.Bxe7 Re8 18.Bg5
Qc7 offers chances for both sides, A.
Medina Garcia-H.Mecking, Palma de
Mallorca 1969 ) 10...Ne7 11.d4 d6
12.Qd2 0-0 13.Bh6 Bxh6 14.Qxh6
Ba6 15.Rfe1 Rc8 , when Black looks
solid enough, L.Sakurai-D.Walicki,
Neuquen 1986. ]
8...cxd4 9.e5 Rb8 10.f4 f6
[ Black has a safe alternative in the
pawn sacrifice 10...d6!? 11.Nxd4
Ne7 12.Nc6 Nxc6 13.Bxc6+ Bd7
14.Bxd7+ Qxd7 , as in B.Collinson-C.
Woodford, correspondence 1995,
when 15.d4 Qb5 leaves Black with a
completely satisfactory position. ]
11.Nf3 fxe5 12.fxe5 Qc7?!
199
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Up to here Black has not done anything
wrong, but he is now beginning to play
with fire. By insisting on not giving up
material, Black will soon end up
considerably behind in development;
[ whereas the active 12...Nh6
13.Nexd4 0-0 14.Qe2 Bb7
would offer him good compensation
for the pawn, which he will likely
regain quite quickly anyway. ]
13.Nexd4 Bxe5 14.Qe2 EXERCISE:
Black now faces both Nxe5 and Nb5.
Evaluate whether he should try and
reduce White's initiative by exchanging
on d4 or simply retreat the bishop to g7.
14...Bxd4? This move swaps off one of
Black's few developed pieces and
leaves his position holed like Swiss
cheese.
[ ANSWER: The better option is
14...Bg7 15.Nb5 Qc6 , when 16.a4
Bb7 ( 16...Bxb2? 17.Ng5 looks far
too risky ) 17.d4 Nf6 18.Nh4 d5
19.Nxa7 Qd7 20.0-0 0-0
leaves Black a pawn down, but at
least he is still in the game with the
two bishops. ]
15.Nxd4 Qc5 16.Nb3 Qg5 17.0-0
Now Black is dangerously behind in
development, and the f1-rook prevents
him from getting the king to safety on
the kingside. 17...Ne7 18.Rae1
Natural and good;
[ but White has a stronger move in
18.Qe1! , poking with a long finger at
the many dark square weaknesses in
Black's position. The immediate threat
is Qc3, followed by Qc7, and Nf5
doesn't help because of 19.Rxf5!
Qxf5 20.Qc3 0-0 21.Rf1 Qh5
22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qc7 and wins. ]
18...Rf8 19.Nd2 Intending Ne4 or Nc4,
aiming again at the weak dark squares.
19...Rxf1+ 20.Rxf1 Nf5 21.Nc4 Ke7?
[ The counterintuitive 21...d6
holds up better, whereas now
Black's position collapses. ]
22.g4! Hjartarson must have overlooked
this simple thrust. 22...b5?!
[ The last chance was 22...Nh6
(if the knight moves anywhere else
then 23 Qf2 wins), but 23.Ne5 Ba6
24.Qe4 is still horrible for Black; e.g.
Rf8 25.Qb4+ d6 26.Rxf8 Kxf8
27.Qxd6+ Qe7 28.Qxe7+ Kxe7
29.Nc6+ Kd6 30.h3 and 31 Nxa7
with an easily winning endgame for
White. ]
23.gxf5 bxc4 24.Qe5! Note that with
21...d6 (rather than 21...Ke7), this move
would not be possible. 24...Ra8
[ And Black resigned before White
played 24...Ra8 25.f6+ . ]
1-0
B24
Stripunsky,A
Browne,W
60: US Championship, Seattle 2003
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Be3 Nd4!? 7.Nce2
Ne7 The most popular and consistent
move, maintaining the possibility of
playing ...d7-d5. White has nothing
better here than to continue as planned.
8.c3 Nxe2 9.Nxe2 b6 Sticking to his
strategy of holding back the d-pawn.
[ Otherwise Black can revert to 9...d6
and then:
A) 10.0-0 0-0 11.Qd2 b6 ( or
11...Re8 12.d4 Qc7 13.dxc5 dxc5
14.Rfd1 b6 15.Qd6 Qxd6
16.Rxd6 Ba6 17.Bf1 Be5 18.Rd2
Rad8 with a level game at this point,
although White eventually ground
his opponent down and won, V.
Smyslov-H.Golombek, USSR-
200
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
England match, London 1947 )
12.Rfd1 Ba6 13.Bh6 Qc7
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.d4 e5 16.Rac1
Rac8 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Qe1 Rcd8
19.Rc2 Rxd1 20.Qxd1 Rd8
21.Rd2 Nc6 and chances are very
much equal, M.Narciso Dublan-A.
Pablo Marin, Barcelona 2015.;
B) 10.Qd2 Bd7 ( rather than allow
10...0-0 11.Bh6 , followed by h2-
h4; while after 10...h5 11.h3 b6
12.0-0 Bb7 13.d4 Qc7 14.b4 0-0
15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 cxd4
17.cxd4 Qc4 18.Rfe1 Qxb4 19.g4
and White's attack is certainly
worth a pawn, J.Alonso Moyano-W.
Arencibia Rodriguez, Havana
2010 ) 11.d4 Qc7 12.0-0 h5!?
13.b4 c4 14.d5 exd5 15.exd5
Nf5 16.Nd4 Nxe3 17.Qxe3+ Kf8
18.Rae1 Re8 worked out fine for
Black in V.Smyslov-A.Chistiakov,
Moscow 1946.;
C) 10.d4 Qc7 ( or 10...cxd4
11.Nxd4 0-0 12.0-0 a6 13.Qd2
Qc7 14.Bh6 e5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7
16.Nc2 Be6 with approximately
even chances, D.King-A.Domont,
Swiss League 1999 ) 11.Qd2 b6
12.e5 d5 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Rfe1
Bxe2 15.Rxe2 0-0 16.Bh6 cxd4
17.cxd4 Bxh6 18.Qxh6 Qc4
19.Rd2 Rac8 and Black has no
problems, A.Pitra-M.Miljkovic,
Zürich 2010. ]
QUESTION: If Black can equalize
without any problems after 9...d6, why
do we then see players use other
moves?
ANSWER: It could be because they
don't know the variation particularly well,
or else they don't like much the
positions after 9...d6 and prefer
something more complex and
challenging.
10.Qd2
[ White can try 10.d4 here as well, but
Black can usually equalize with a
timely ...d7-d5; for example, cxd4
11.Bxd4 ( 11.cxd4 is met by d5; or if
11.Nxd4 Bb7 12.0-0 0-0 13.f4
, D.Bronstein-P.Korzubov, Minsk
1983, then d5 again ) 11...e5 12.Be3
Bb7 13.c4!? ( otherwise 13.0-0 d5
14.exd5 Bxd5 15.Qa4+ Qd7
16.Qxd7+ Kxd7 17.Rfd1 Ke6
and Black is fine, T.Escher-M.Klebel,
German League 1991 ) 13...Nf5
14.Qd2 Rc8 15.b3 Nxe3 16.Qxe3
was E.Birmingham-L.Yudasin, New
York Open 1991, and now my
computer suggests b5!? 17.Qxa7
( or 17.cxb5 Qa5+ ) 17...Rc7
with good play for Black. ]
10...Ba6
[ Black does not want to castle just yet
since 10...0-0 11.Bh6 Bb7 12.h4 f6
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.h5 g5 , as in V.
Smyslov-M.Kamishov, Moscow 1946,
and then 15.h6+ offers White the
better chances, as we saw in similar
positions in Chapter One. ]
[ But 10...Bb7 is certainly playable,
with the idea 11.Bh6 Bxh6 ( or even
11...Nf5!? ) 12.Qxh6 Nf5 13.Qh3
Ng7 14.d4 0-0 15.0-0 d6 16.Rad1
Qe7 and Black is solid enough, A.
Medina Garcia-R.Hartoch,
Amsterdam 1968. ]
11.Rd1 White defends the d-pawn in
order to continue with Bh6.
[ It is possible to play 11.Bh6
at once, but after Bxh6 12.Qxh6
Bxd3 13.Nf4 Bb5 14.Qg7 ( or
14.0-0-0 Qc7 and White has
sufficient compensation for the pawn,
but no more than that ) 14...Rf8
15.Qxh7 Nc6 , Black has no
problems, S.Grishanovich-S.
Voitsekhovsky, St Petersburg 2000. ]
201
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
11...d5 This seems slightly inaccurate
even it isn't actually a mistake.
[ Since Black is forced to castle next
move anyway, it is more flexible to do
so at once; e.g. 11...0-0 12.Bh6 Rc8
( 12...d5 transposes to the game )
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.h4 h5 15.0-0 d5
and the chances are more-or-less
balanced, A.Marechal-E.Billaux,
Tihan 1998. ]
[ A more provocative option is to
prevent Bh6 altogether with 11...h5!?
, when 12.h4 Rc8
A) 13.0-0 d5 14.exd5 ( or 14.Bg5
dxe4 15.dxe4 Qxd2 16.Rxd2
Nc6 ) 14...Nxd5 gave Black a
comfortable position in S.Iuldachev-
V.Malakhov, FIDE World Cup,
Hyderabad 2002.;
B) In 'ChessBase Magazine' Donev
suggests that White might improve
with 13.d4!? d5 14.dxc5 bxc5
15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nf4 , but my
computer is not convinced, spitting
out Nxe3 17.Bc6+ Ke7 18.Qxe3
Bd4! and Black looks to be okay; e.
g. 19.cxd4 Rxc6 20.Qc3 cxd4
21.Qxc6 Qa5+ 22.b4! Qxb4+
23.Rd2 Qb1+ with a draw by
perpetual check. ]
12.Bh6 0-0 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.exd5
exd5?! This is definitely inaccurate;
[ as Donev points out, Black should
use the opportunity to reposition his
a6-bishop with 14...Bb7!? , when
15.c4 exd5 16.0-0 Qc7 17.Nf4 d4
keeps the game level. ]
15.0-0 Qd6 QUESTION: Black's
position seems quite attractive; he has
more space and his pieces look like they
are well placed. It only remains to put
the rooks on the central files and I
would want to play Black. Is that a fair
assessment?
ANSWER: It might be if White is not
allowed to make any moves at all!
However, as well know, the players take
turns, and with his next move White
stakes a serious claim to an advantage.
16.d4! Now it becomes clear that it is in
fact White who is in control of game.
His pieces suddenly appear very well
coordinated, while Black's d5-pawn
emerges as a potentially serious
weakness.
16...Rad8 17.Rfe1 Bc8?!
I'm not entirely sure as to the purpose of
this move, since ...Bg4 is easily
prevented, while ...Be6 only invites
trouble with Nf4 at some point. It would
have made sense to me if Black had
decided to exchange on e2, eliminating
his own bad bishop.
18.h3 c4 19.Nf4 g5?! And now Black
recklessly weakens his kingside.
20.Nh5+! The strongest reply.
[ Donev's suggestion of 20.Rxe7
is far less clear: gxf4 ( not
20...Qxe7?! 21.Nxd5 Qd6 22.Qxg5+
Qg6 23.Qe5+ and White has more
than enough for the exchange )
21.Rde1 ( or 21.Rxa7 fxg3 22.Qg5+
Kh8 23.Qxg3 Qh6! with counterplay )
21...fxg3 22.Qg5+ Kh8 23.fxg3 ( or
23.Bxd5!? gxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Qh2+
25.Ke3 Qg3+ 26.Bf3 etc ) 23...Rg8
24.Qe5+ Qxe5 25.R1xe5 Be6
26.Kf2 a5 and while Black is worse,
he is not definitely losing. ]
20...Kh6?
[ Black had to play 20...Kg6 , even if
21.g4 leaves White clearly better,
because the text move is clearly
worse. ]
21.h4!
[ We must suppose that Browne
overlooked this and was anticipating
either 21.g4 Ng6 ]
[ or 21.Bf3 Bxh3 22.g4 f5
with strong counterplay. But by
202
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
threatening mate on g5 before
defending the knight, White saves the
h-pawn and more or less refute
Black's play. ]
21...Rg8
[ Not 21...f6 because of 22.Nxf6!
Qxf6 23.hxg5+ Qxg5 24.Qxg5+
Kxg5 25.Rxe7 , and White has a
winning endgame. ]
22.Bf3 f6 23.Kg2 Rdf8 Browne digs in
and defends stoutly from this point on.
[ If Black tries something pseudo-
active like 23...Bf5 , he will simply get
crushed; e.g. 24.g4 Bd7 ( or
24...Bg6 25.Nxf6! ) 25.Rh1 Kg6
26.hxg5 fxg5 27.Qc2+ Kf7
28.Qxh7+ Kf8 29.Rde1 and Black
might as well resign. ]
24.Rh1?! Winning a won position is
never easy, especially against a strong
grandmaster. Having built up a massive
advantage, Stripunsky now starts
shuffling his pieces around without real
merit, allowing Browne to claw his way
slowly back into the game. Although it is
logical to throw a rook on the same file
as the opposing monarch, it turns out
this is not the most productive moment,
as the black king just steps away.
[ Instead, White should first build up
pressure on the e-file, exploiting the
clumsiness in Black's defences, and
only switch to the h-file when Black
can no longer meet it effectively; for
example, 24.Re2! Nc6 ( or 24...Ng6
25.hxg5+ fxg5 26.Rh1 ) 25.Rde1 Rf7
26.g4 , and only then 27 Rh1, when
Black is completely lost. ]
24...Kg6 25.Rde1?! It is hard to criticize
White for not wanting to open the f-file
for Black's otherwise passive rook.
[ Nevertheless, it was more accurate
to play 25.hxg5! fxg5 26.Rde1
, followed by Re5, when the black
king is quite open. ]
25...h6 26.Bd1 Kf7 27.Bc2 Ng6
28.hxg5 hxg5 29.Qd1 Rh8 30.Qf3!?
White resorts to maintaining vague
pressure with rather unconfrontational
moves, since it is difficult to see a
concrete path to victory.
[ 30.f4!? g4 31.f5 is a more
aggressive approach, but then Ne7
32.Qxg4 Rfg8 33.Qf3 Rg5
sees Black's pieces back in the game,
providing ample active counterplay,
and even the engines can't find a
convincing way forwards for White. ]
30...Rfg8 31.Bxg6+ Rxg6 32.g4 Rgh6
33.Rh3 Qd7?? Having slowly fought his
way back into the game, Black (who
was probably in serious time trouble, as
was his habit throughout his career)
finally makes a fatal mistake.
[ He should have played 33...Bd7
, when it is not obvious that White has
any kind of advantage. ]
TACTICAL EXERCISE: How does White
take advantage of Black's error?
ANSWER: 34.Nxf6! An elegant
combination, which is not entirely easy
to spot. 34...Rxh3
[ 34...Rxf6 runs into 35.Rxh8! Rxf3
( or 35...Kg7 36.Reh1! etc ) 36.Rh7+
Kf6 37.Rxd7 and White ends up with
a winning endgame. ]
35.Nxd7+ Rxf3 36.Ne5+!
The key move of the combination; the
horseman makes it back safely, so
White emerges with an extra pawn as
well as a massive knight versus a
passive bishop.
36...Kg7 37.Kxf3 Rh3+ 38.Kg2 Rh4?!
Tantamount to a resignation since White
can now force the rooks off the board
as well, but Black's survival chances
were minimal in any case.
39.Rh1 Rxh1 40.Kxh1 Kf6 41.Kg2
. QUESTION: Doesn't it seem awfully
early to resign?
203
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
ANSWER: Not really, at least not when
the players are both grandmasters, and
White has reached the time control. His
powerful knight and extra pawn on the
kingside make the win trivial. At lower
levels there might still be room for
mistakes which would allow Black to
save himself, but I think most players
would win this as White, even against a
strong opponent.
1-0
B24
Larino Nieto,D
Fedorchuk,S
61: Salou 2012
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2
Bg7 5.d3 Rb8 This time Black intends
...b7-b5 without the slightest delay. In
most cases the game ends up
transposing elsewhere anyway when
Black at some point plays ...d7-d6. Here
we will only examine positions that
either do not involve ...d7-d6 at all or
which would not arise via a different
move order.
6.f4
[ The main alternative is 6.Be3
A) when 6...d6 returns to Chapter
Three.;
B) The immediate 6...b5
is still possible:
B1) since 7.Bxc5?! b4 8.Nce2
Qa5 9.Be3 Bxb2 10.Rb1 Qxa2
gives Black a promising
position; ( 10...-- );
B2) but 7.Qd2 b4 8.Nd1 d6
just transposes to Chapter Three
again ( 9.f4 is Game 14; ( 9.Ne2
is Game 17. );
C) That only leaves 6...Nd4!?
C1) or 7.Qd2 b5 8.Nd1 Nf6
9.c3 Ne6 10.f4 Ng4?!
( Black should relent and play
10...d6 , which looks normal and
about level, even if the position
has only ever been reached
once by any move order ) 11.f5
Nxe3 12.Qxe3 Nc7 13.Qxc5
Rb6 14.Ne2 0-0 15.0-0 d6
16.Qf2 and White is up a pawn
for not very much, L.Pliester-M.
Bosboom, Eindhoven 1987.;
C2) 7.Nce2 Nxe2 (as we saw in
the 5...e6 6 Be3 Nd4 line, taking
the b-pawn rather plays into
White's hands) ( 7...d6
is safer, when 8.c3 Nxe2
9.Nxe2 Nf6 10.h3 0-0 11.Qd2
b5 gives Black a decent enough
position, S.Semenova-A.
Pridorozhni, Tula 2002 ) 8.Nxe2
Bxb2 9.Rb1 Bg7 ( again
9...Qa5+?? loses to 10.Bd2
Qxa2 11.Rxb2! etc ) 10.Bxc5 d6
( and 10...Qa5+?! 11.Bb4 Qxa2
12.c4 is also very good for
White ) 11.Be3 ( improving on
11.Bd4?! Bxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7
13.f4 , J.Sarfati-I.Rogers,
Wellington 1988, when Qc7
14.Qd2 Nf6 leaves Black more
comfortable, in view of the open
c-file and soft dark squares in
White's camp ) 11...Nf6 12.0-0
b6 13.c4 0-0 , V.Arjun-G.Pirisi,
Budapest 2006, and now 14.h3
looks to offer White the better
chances, even if Black's
Hedgehog-like position is very
solid. ]
[ We'll also briefly mention 6.Nge2
, since White may have played this
move already. For example, b5
( 6...d6 features in the notes to Game
55 ) 7.0-0 ( 7.Bf4 forces d6
, but then ...e7-e5 will give Black a
204
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
tempo on similar positions from
Chapter Two ) 7...b4 8.Nd5 e6
9.Ne3 Nge7 10.f4 ( or 10.a3 a5
11.axb4 axb4 12.c3 0-0 13.Bd2 d5
14.exd5 exd5 15.Nf4 d4 16.cxd4
Nxd4 17.Rc1 Rb5 and Black is fine
at this point, B.Munguntuul-A.
Ushenina, Moscow 2009 ) 10...d5
11.f5!? exf5 12.exf5?! ( 12.exd5
Nd4 keeps the game level ) 12...Bxf5
13.Nxf5 Nxf5 14.Rxf5?! gxf5 15.Nf4
Ne7 16.Qf3 0-0 and White has
nothing for the exchange, Y.Morin-T.
Likavsky, Montreal 2007. ]
6...b5 There is no reason to delay
pushing the b-pawn;
[ but we should note if Black does
play 6...d6 here, or indeed
subsequently, the game will
transpose into Chapter Nine. ]
7.Nf3
[ Naturally, White can also insert 7.a3
a5 ( 7...d6 8.Nf3 is Game 47 ) 8.Nf3
b4 9.axb4 axb4
A) 10.Ne2 e6 11.0-0 Nge7
and then:
A1) 12.Be3 d6 13.d4
( Taimanov suggested 13.Qc1!?
and c2-c3 in Chess Informant,
though Black's position looks
perfectly okay to me ) 13...cxd4
14.Nfxd4 0-0 15.Qd3 Nxd4
16.Nxd4 e5 17.Nb5 exf4
18.gxf4 Bxb2 19.Ra2 Bg7
20.Nxd6 Be6 21.Ra6 b3 22.f5
b2 23.Rb1?! ( White should
have played 23.fxe6 b1Q
24.exf7+ Kh8 25.Rxb1 Rxb1+
26.Bf1 , when Qd7 27.Bd4
Qg4+ 28.Kf2 Qf4+ 29.Kg2
Qg4+ leads to a draw by
repetition ) 23...Bd7 24.Bd4??
( 24.Bg5 was necessary )
24...Bxd4+ ( the sly retreat
24...Bc8!? was good too; e.g.
25.Bxg7 Bxa6 26.Qd4 Nc6
27.Qf6 Rb4 and so on ) 25.Qxd4
Nc6 26.Qc5?! ( but if 26.Qd2
then Ne5 still looks terrible for
White ) 26...Qg5! 27.Kh1 Qc1+
28.Qg1 Qxc2 and Black soon
won, B.Abramovic-M.Taimanov,
Paris 1989.;
A2) 12.d4!? at once is possibly
White's best; e.g. 12...cxd4
13.Nexd4 0-0 14.Be3 Bb7
15.Nxc6 ( 15.Qd2!?
is also worth considering )
15...Bxc6 16.Nd4 Ba8 17.Qd2
( or 17.Qd3!? ) 17...f5 18.e5
Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Nd5 20.Ra7
Re8 21.Rfa1 is assessed as
equal by my computer, but I
must admit that I somewhat
favour White's position, even if
Black went on to win in H.
Jurkovic-L.Gofshtein, Nova
Gorica 1997.;
B) Or 10.Nd5 e6 11.0-0 Nge7
12.Qe1 0-0 13.Kh1 ( White should
probably try 13.f5!? here ) 13...Nd4
14.g4 Bb7 15.Ne5 f5 and Black is
clearly better, S.Kaspshik-I.Shmirin,
Bankia 1990. ]
7...b4 8.Nd5 White hopes that the
knight will be more useful on e3 than e2.
[ All the same, it is more usual to
retreat it with 8.Ne2 e6 ( 8...Qb6
is also playable; in which case Black
might as well opt for 8...d6 9.0-0
, transposing to Game 48 ) 9.0-0
Nge7 and now:
A) 10.a3 a5 ( unless Black wants
to try 10...b3!? as in the main
game ) 11.axb4 axb4 returns to
the previous note;
B) 10.Qe1 d5 11.g4 h5!?
( 11...c4!? also comes into
consideration ) 12.gxh5 Rxh5
13.Ng3 Rh8 14.Qf2 Nd4 15.Ng5
205
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
was played in J.Granda Zuniga-S.
Matthews, Bled Olympiad 2002,
and now Qc7!? looks fine for Black.
; to the relevant note anyway. ]
C) 10.g4 d5 ( again, 10...h5!?
is fully playable for Black ) 11.Ng3
dxe4 12.dxe4 Ba6 13.Re1 Qxd1
14.Rxd1 Nd4 15.Nxd4 Bxd4+
16.Kh1 0-0 , and Black has clearly
solved his opening problems, S.
Sorbe-Myo Naing, Kuala Lumpur
2005. ]
8...e6 9.Ne3 Nge7 10.a3
[ White has a couple of alternatives
that deserve a look:
a) 10.e5 d5 11.a3 ( 11.0-0
transposes to line 'b'; 11.exd6 Qxd6
12.Nc4 Qc7 doesn't get White
anywhere ) 11...a5 12.axb4 axb4
13.b3 Qb6 14.Ng4 Nf5 and I already
prefer Black's position, D.Larino Nieto-
A.Herrera Delgado, Seville 2007. ]
[ b) 10.0-0 0-0 ( or 10...d5 11.e5
Ba6 12.a3 b3 13.Rf2 bxc2 14.Nxc2
Na5 15.b4 Nb3 16.Rb1 , A.Medina
Garcia-L.Ljubojevic, Olot 1972, and
now Nxc1 equalizes ) 11.a3 a5
12.axb4 cxb4 13.f5!? ( 13.d4 d5
looks fairly even ) 13...d5 14.fxg6
hxg6 15.Ng5 d4?! ( 15...f6!?
at once seems better ) 16.Nc4 f6
17.Nh3 e5 18.Nf2 Be6 19.Bh3 f5?!
( and here 19...Bf7 is preferable )
20.Bg5 Re8 21.b3 and White has
good chances since Black is now
without counterplay, O.Castro Rojas-I.
Ivanov, Philadelphia 1990. ]
10...b3!? QUESTION: If Black can just
play like this, wasn't White's previous
move a mistake?
ANSWER: I tend to agree with you,
although White truly only gets himself in
trouble in the follow-up, where a2-a3
doesn't contribute anything positive.
[ If he wants to play this way, it is
better to advance the a-pawn on
move seven, especially since 10...a5
11.axb4 axb4 here would transpose
11.c3
[ After 11.cxb3 d5 12.0-0 0-0
, Black can regain the b-pawn at
leisure with ...Qb6 and so forth. ]
11...d5 12.e5 d4 13.Nc4 dxc3
14.bxc3
[ White should not get tempted by
14.Nd6+ Kf8 15.Ng5 f6 16.Ngf7
, since c2! 17.Qd2 Qc7 18.Nxh8
Bxh8 is just good for Black. ]
14...0-0 15.Be3?!
[ Here 15.Rb1 Ba6 16.0-0
was the way to go, when White still
stands more or less okay. ]
15...Nd5 16.Bd2
[ Not 16.Bxc5?? b2 17.Rb1 Nxc3
and wins. ]
16...Ba6 17.Nb2 EXERCISE: How
should Black continue? (There are two
roughly equivalent moves.)
17...f6!? ANSWER: That was one of the
answers; Black breaks open the centre,
seeking to exploit White's structural
issues and clumsily placed pieces.
[ The other solution is more difficult to
spot and was pointed out by my
computer: 17...c4! 18.Nxc4 ( or
18.dxc4 Nb6 19.Be3 Qc7 20.0-0
Nxc4 21.Nxc4 Bxc4 and Black is
dominating ) 18...Nb6 19.Nd6 ( or
19.Nb2 Bxd3 20.Be3 Bc2 ) 19...Bxd3
20.Qxb3 Nc4 21.Qa4 Nxd6 22.Qxc6
Ne4 with a very clear advantage for
Black, who obviously has more than
enough compensation for the pawn. ]
18.0-0
[ It is understandable that White didn't
fancy 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Rc1 , since
e5 20.0-0 exf4 21.gxf4 then lands
him with further weaknesses. Instead,
he tries to stir up some confusion,
206
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
but Black isn't biting. ]
18...fxe5 19.Qe2 Qd6 20.Nc4?!
This idea fails because of Black's
strong 21st move;
[ so White should have left the
blockading knight in place and tried
20.Ng5 h6 21.Ne4 Qe7 22.Rae1
, when he remains worse but is at
least his pieces are somewhat more
active. ]
20...Bxc4 21.dxc4 e4! 22.cxd5?!
[ He had to try 22.Ne5 , although Nf6
( or 22...Nxe5 23.fxe5 Qa6 ) 23.Nxc6
Qxc6 24.Rfb1 Rfd8 is still pretty ugly
for White. ]
22...exf3 23.Qxf3 Ne7! 24.Rae1 exd5
Black is already technically winning and
after White's next move it is a done deal. 11.Qd3 Nf6 12.Rd1 looks simple and
25.f5? Rxf5 26.Qe2
[ Presumably White intended 26.Bf4
and then realized that Be5 ( or even 4...Nf6
26...Rxf4!? doesn't get him anywhere.
There is little to be said about the restthere is nothing wrong with reverting
of the game. )]
26...Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 c4 28.Bf4 Qc5+
29.Kh1 Rf8 30.Re1 Rf7 31.Qe6 b2
32.Bd6 Qb6 33.Rf1 EXERCISE: Okay,
one final thing: how does Black defend
the rook exactly?
ANSWER: 33...Bf6! 34.Rxf6 b1Q+
35.Bf1 Qe4+ 36.Qxe4 Rxf6
0-1
B24
Nepomniachtchi,I
Potkin,V
62: Yaroslavl (rapid) 2014
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6
[ The game actually went 2...e6
3.Nge2 Nc6 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 . ]
3.g3 e6 4.Bg2
[ The previous note comes to the
same thing as 4.Nge2 here and so
on. It might be worth noting that if
Black tries to return to traditional
lines with g6 via this move order,
White can open the Sicilian with 5.d4!
cxd4 6.Nxd4 and Black is suddenly
playing a rather odd system with both
...e7-e6 and ...g7-g6. For example, d6
( or 6...a6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Qd4 f6
9.Bg2 Nh6 10.0-0 Nf7 11.Na4 Rb8
12.c4 d6 13.b3 and I prefer White, D.
Genocchio-F.Bruno, Saint Vincent
2008; certainly not 6...Bg7? 7.Ndb5
with a big advantage ) 7.Bg2 a6 8.0-0
Bd7 9.a4 Bg7 10.Nxc6 Bxc6
was D.Popovic-D.Bojovic, Serbian
Team Championship 2011, and now
good for White, though all this is
somewhat outside our subject. ]
[ As White cannot play d2-d4 here,
to the main lines with 4...g6 5.d3
Bg7 and so on, which is in fact
Black's most popular option and was
the route taken in Game 4. ]
[ Instead, 4...Nge7 is examined in
Game 64. ]
[ Black occasionally tries 4...d6 or 4...
a6 as well, presumably hoping for
Nge2 (or Nf3) and d2-d4 with an
open Sicilian, but 5 d3 disobliges
them in each case. After 4...d6 5.d3
Nf6 ( returning to the main lines with
5...g6 and ...Bg7 is probably best )
6.f4 , Black is playing a reduced
version (with ...d7-d6) of our main
game; ]
[ while 4...a6 5.d3 b5 gives White
the choice of any set-up against 2...
a6 in Chapter Fourteen, whereas
Black is committed to playing ...Nc6
(which, to be fair, is where the
knight usually goes anyway). ]
207
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
5.Nge2 This is nowadays considered to
be White's best move. Holding the d-
pawn back for the time being maintains
the option of pushing it two squares,
either as a response to ...d7-d5 or to
reach an open Sicilian after all.
[ Instead:
a) 5.d3 Be7 ( the immediate 5...d5
is also fine; e.g. 6.exd5 exd5 7.Nge2
d4 8.Ne4 Nxe4 9.dxe4 Be7 10.0-0
0-0 11.Nf4 Bg5 12.c3 Bxf4 13.Bxf4
Be6 14.Qh5 b6 15.e5 Bd5
and White now risks being worse, so
he went for a draw with 16.Bg5 Qd7
17.Bf6! Kh8 18.Bh3 Be6 19.Bxg7+
Kxg7 20.Qg5+ etc, N.Short-V.
Topalov, Sarajevo 1999 ) 6.f4
( neither 6.Nh3 d5 7.0-0 dxe4
8.dxe4 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Nd4
, V.Kupreichik-E.Sveshnikov, Yerevan
1982; nor 6.Nge2 d5 7.exd5 exd5
8.Bg5 d4 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Nd5 0-0
11.0-0 Re8 , D.Shahinyan-Y.Kuzubov,
European Championship, Yerevan
2014, gives White anything either )
6...d5 7.e5 ( or 7.Bd2 Rb8 8.Nf3 b5
9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nxb5 dxe4 11.0-0
0-0 12.a4 a6 13.Nc3 Ba8 14.Nxc6
Bxc6 and Black has a pleasant
position, N.Short-An.Sokolov,
European Championship, Ohrid
2001 ) 7...Nd7 8.Nf3 ( 8.Nge2 0-0
9.0-0 transposes to our main game )
8...b5 9.0-0 ( not 9.Nxb5? Qa5+
10.Nc3 d4 11.Ng5 Ndb8! ) 9...b4
10.Ne2 a5 11.Qe1 0-0 12.g4 f6
13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Bh3 Ne8 15.Be3
Bd6 with a complicated position
where Black has at least equal
chances, V.Kupreichik-E.Sveshnikov,
Minsk 1979. ]
[ b) 5.f4 d5 6.e5 d4!? ( otherwise
6...Nd7 7.Nf3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0
leads to a more standard play; e.g.
9.d3 Rb8 10.a4 a6 11.Bd2 b5
12.axb5 axb5 13.Qe2 Qc7 14.Nd1
Bb7 15.Nf2 Ra8 with chances for
both sides, V.Kryvoruchko-Y.Kuzubov,
Dubai 2014 ) 7.exf6 dxc3 8.fxg7
cxd2+ 9.Qxd2 Qxd2+ ( or 9...Bxg7
10.c3 Qc7 11.Nf3 0-0 12.0-0 Bd7
13.Qf2 Ne7 , Al.Zapata-A.Rodriguez
Vila, Santos 2003, when 14.Ne5 Bb5
15.c4 looks to give White the
somewhat better chances ) 10.Bxd2
Bxg7 11.0-0-0 Bd7 12.Nf3 h6
13.Be3 b6 14.Ne5 Bxe5 15.fxe5
and White has a definite initiative,
even if Black might expect to defend
for White, A.Parkanyi-J.Szabo,
Hungarian League 1998. ]
5...Be7 Black plays in similar fashion,
refraining from ...d7-d5 until White's set-
up has been determined.
[ Playing 5...d5 at once is not
incorrect, but after 6.exd5 exd5 ( or
6...Nxd5 7.Nxd5 exd5 8.d4
, which transposes to Game 64 ) 7.d4
, Black's centre requires careful
handling: cxd4 ( not 7...Bg4?! 8.h3
Bh5 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd5 Qa5+
11.Bd2 Qd8 12.Ndf4 and White is
clearly better, K.Shirazi-D.Sprenkle,
Pasadena 1983 ) 8.Nxd4 Bg4 ( after
8...Bb4 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bg5 Bxc3
11.bxc3 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Bxd5
Bh3 14.Re1 Rad8 15.Bxc6 bxc6
16.Qh5 , White had the advantage in
the old game W.Steinitz-C.Golmayo
Zupide, Paris 1867 ) 9.Qd3 Bc5
10.Nxc6 ( if 10.Be3 then Bxd4!
11.Bxd4 Qe7+ is annoying ) 10...bxc6
11.0-0 0-0 12.Na4 Bd6 13.Be3 ( or
13.c4 Qa5 14.Qc2 dxc4!? 15.Qxc4
Qh5 16.Qxc6 Rfd8 with good play
for the pawn, B.Gonzalez Acosta-N.
Delgado Ramirez, San Jose 2009 )
13...Nd7 14.Qc3 Qc7 15.Nc5 Nxc5
16.Bxc5 Bxc5 17.Qxc5 Qb6
18.Qxb6 axb6 and with the pawns
208
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
now sorted out Black has equalized,
B.Golubovic-L.D.Nisipeanu,
Stockerau 1993. ]
6.0-0 0-0 With kingside development for
both sides now completed, it is
approaching time for White to declare
intentions.
7.f4 We will examine 7 d3 and 7 h3 in
our next main game.
[ Another common – in fact the most
common – move here is 7.d4 ;
A) when 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 d6
enters a Scheveningen Sicilian.
( 8...-- );
B) Having allowed White this option,
we must assume that Black is
happy with the transposition, but if
not there is always 7...d6!? 8.Re1
( or 8.d5 exd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5
10.Qxd5 Be6 11.Qd1 Qb6 12.Nf4
Rad8 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.c3
and White is a little better but not
by much, S.T.Jovanovic-L.Zila,
Nagykanizsa 1994 ) 8...Bd7 9.d5
Ne5 10.h3 Re8 11.a4 a6 12.f4
Ng6 13.Be3 exd5 14.exd5?!
( 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5 Bc6
16.Qd3 keeps it level ) 14...h5
15.a5 Qc8 , as in D.K.Johansen-U.
Andersson, Yerevan Olympiad
1996; despite his advantage in
space, White is actually worse here
as there are a few too many "loose"
issues in his set-up; e.g. 16.Kh2
h4 ( or 16...Bd8!? first ) 17.Qd2
( not 17.g4?? Bxg4! ) 17...hxg3+
18.Nxg3 Nh4 and Black has the
upper hand. ]
7...d5 This is certainly the most
consistent and logical move;
[ but there's nothing too wrong with
7...d6 either, after which 8.h3 ( or
8.d3 transposes to lines considered in
the next game.; Note that 8.d4
would now require White to sacrifice a
pawn with cxd4 9.Nxd4 Qb6 10.Be3
Qxb2 , albeit for probably sufficient
compensation. )]
8.e5 Nd7 9.d3 Rb8
[ Another option is to break up White's
pawn centre first in the style of the
Tarrasch French: 9...f6 10.exf6 Nxf6
11.h3 a6 12.g4 b5 13.Ng3 Qc7
14.Nce2 d4 ( Black should play
14...Bd6 first, preventing f4-f5 ) 15.f5!
Bd6 (again Black is a move "behind")
( 15...exf5 is better here ) 16.Nf4
(now White has a strong initiative)
exf5 17.g5 Ne8 was played in A.
Naiditsch-M.Dann, German League
2014, and here White had the clever
two-step 18.Qf3 Bd7 ( or 18...Bb7
19.Ne6 ) 19.Qh5! (threatening 20
Bd5+ Kh8 21 Ng6 mate) Bxf4
20.Bd5+ Kh8 21.Bxf4 Qd8
(here ...Qd7 is necessary, but of
course that square is occupied)
22.Rae1 and Black is completely
busted. ]
10.a4 It is worth prompting the
exchange of a-pawns to give the
a1-rook something to do, even if it's just
to keep Black from playing a later ...Ba6
so easily.
[ In S.Dumitrache-S.Gross, Cappelle
la Grande 1991, White tried a slow
reorganization of his forces, which
merely allowed Black to build up a
powerful position: 10.Kh1?! b5
11.Ng1 b4 12.Nce2 Qc7 13.Be3 a5
14.d4?! cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4
16.Bxd4 Ba6 17.Rf3?! (it is too late
to start attacking now) ( 17.Re1 Nc5
18.Nf3 Rfc8 19.Rc1 Rb6
is somewhat more comfortable for
Black, but White is still playing )
17...Nc5 18.g4?! Ne4 19.f5 Rfc8
20.f6 Bf8 21.Rc1 Bc5 22.Nh3?!
Be2 23.Qxe2 Bxd4 and White's
position is on the verge on complete
209
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
collapse. ]
10...a6 11.g4 b5 12.axb5 axb5
13.Ng3 b4 14.Nce2 f6 Potkin opts to
attack the white centre after all;
[ though something normal like
14...Qb6 15.Be3 Ba6 looks to give
Black a very acceptable position. ]
15.exf6 Nxf6 16.g5 Ne8 17.h4
[ White can't hope to achieve much
with routine moves, such as 17.Be3
Nc7 18.Qd2 Bd6 . ]
17...Nd6 EXERCISE: What should
White play here? (Hint: It is sort of a
combination, but it doesn't win!)
ANSWER: 18.f5! White activates his
pieces and breaks Black's rhythm.
18...Nxf5?!
[ It is probably better just to ignore the
pawn; e.g. 18...Nb5 19.Nf4 Ncd4
20.g6 h6 21.fxe6 Nc7 with a very
sharp position; White still has the
initiative, but Black is fully in the
game and nothing is settled. ]
19.Nxf5 exf5
[ Exchanging a pair of rooks with
19...Rxf5 20.Rxf5 exf5 doesn't seem
to ease Black's defence: 21.Nf4 Ne5
( or 21...Bb7 22.Bxd5+ Kh8 23.Qh5
Qd6 24.Ra7! ) 22.Bxd5+ Kh8
23.Qh5 Bd7 24.Ra6 and White has
the better chances. ]
20.Nf4 Ne5 21.Qh5?! It is difficult to be
precise in a rapid game.
[ Here 21.Bxd5+ Kh8 22.Qh5
is stronger, when even Ra7 is
looming on the horizon; e.g. Rb6 ( or
22...Qe8 23.Ra7; while 22...Qb6
is met by 23.Re1 Bd6 24.Kf1! )
23.Ra7 Ng6 24.Re1 Nxf4 25.Bxf4
Qxd5 26.Rexe7 Rg8 27.Be5 Rg6
28.Rac7 Be6 29.Qe2 and Black has
almost no moves. ]
21...g6?! Black is concerned about g5-
g6 at some point, but moving his own g-
pawn is far too weakening.
[ It was better to defend the d-pawn
with 21...Bb7 , when 22.Ne6 Qb6
23.Nxf8 Rxf8 leaves him with a pawn
for the exchange and reasonable
drawing chances. ]
22.Qe2?! This allows Black an extra
possibility as well.
[ 22.Bxd5+ Kh8 ( or if 22...Qxd5 then
23.Nxd5 gxh5 24.Nxe7+ Kf7 25.Ra7
Bd7 26.Nd5 gives White a big
advantage ) 23.Qe2 Bd6
was the correct move order. ]
22...Bd6 23.Bxd5+ Kh8? A natural
reaction, especially since he has been
expecting to play this move anyway, but
it's a poor choice as we will see in the
game.
[ Black should take the chance for
23...Nf7 , even if 24.Re1 Bxf4
25.Bxf7+ Rxf7 26.Bxf4 Qd4+
27.Qe3 Rb6 means trying to defend
a difficult endgame a pawn down. ]
24.b3! Now Black's king faces big
trouble on the long diagonal. 24...Re8
[ Or 24...Qb6 25.Qe3 , followed by
Bb2. ]
25.Bb2 Qc7 26.Rfe1 Bd7 EXERCISE:
How should White best continue?
ANSWER: 27.Ra6! The weakness in
Black's position is his king trapped in
the corner, which is only covered by the
knight on e5. So the first step is to
remove the defenders of the knight, and
the text move threatens the bishop.
[ Incidentally, 27.h5 is also pretty
deadly for Black, though not nearly
as pretty... ]
[ Note that if White had played 27.Ra7
immediately, he loses after Qxa7
28.Qxe5+ Bxe5 29.Rxe5 c4+!
, followed by 30...c3. ]
27...Rb6 28.Ra7!! Qxa7 29.Qxe5+!
Bxe5 30.Rxe5 . Black will only be able
to prevent mate through heavy material
210
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
losses.
1-0
B24
Cherniaev,A
Guliyev,N
63: Geneva 2011
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
[ The players went round the houses
to the position at move eight: 2.Ne2
Nf6 3.Nbc3 d6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 e6
6.0-0 Be7 7.h3 0-0 8.d3 a6
. Note that Guliyev's early ...d7-d6
means he didn't actually have some
of the options with ...d7-d5 given
below. ]
2...Nc6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.Nge2
Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.h3 White finds
something else to do: preparing g3-g4,
while continuing to hold back the d-pawn.
[ The only other option left to consider
is 7.d3 and then:
A) 7...Rb8 8.f4 ( or 8.h3 b5 9.a3
a5 10.Be3 b4 11.axb4 cxb4
12.Na4 d5 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4
dxe4 15.dxe4 Ba6 16.Re1 Qc7
17.e5 Nd7 with chances for both
sides, J.Murey-V.Kramnik, Moscow
rapid 1992 ) 8...d6 ( 8...d5 9.e5
Nd7 returns to Game 62 ) 9.h3 Qc7
( not 9...b5?! 10.e5!; but 9...Bd7
10.Be3 b5 11.Qd2 b4 12.Nd1 e5
13.g4 Nd4 14.Ng3 exf4 15.Bxf4
Ne6 16.Be3 Ne8 is fairly even, J.
Seret-F.Meinsohn, French
Championship, Rouen 1987 ) 10.g4
b5 11.Ng3 b4 12.Nce2 Re8
13.g5 Nd7 14.f5 Nce5 15.Nf4!
(a little trick, but Black is fine) Bxg5
16.fxe6 fxe6 17.Qh5 Qd8
18.Nxe6 Rxe6 19.Bxg5 ( or
19.Nf5 Nf7 ) 19...Nf6 20.Bxf6 Rxf6
21.Rxf6 Qxf6 22.Rf1 Qe7
and the game was eventually
drawn, D.Andreikin-S.Rublevsky,
World Blitz Championship, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2013.;
B) 7...d6 8.f4 ( for 8.h3
see 7 h3 d6 below ) 8...Bd7
( 8...Rb8 is line 'a' above; even
8...d5!? is possible, despite 9.e5
Nd7 giving White an extra tempo
on the previous game ) 9.h3
( 9.Kh1 is actually better here: Rc8
10.Be3 e5!? 11.f5 Nd4 12.h3 b5
13.g4 b4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5
Bg5?! 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 17.Ng3
and White has the initiative, J.
Gdanski-A.Adorjan, Budapest
1993 ) 9...Rc8 10.Be3 d5! 11.exd5
( or 11.e5 d4 12.exf6 Bxf6 )
11...exd5 12.d4? ( 12.Nxd5 Nxd5
13.Bxd5 Bxh3 is the point )
12...cxd4 13.Nxd4 Re8 14.Qd3
( 14.Bf2 is necessary ) 14...Bc5
15.Bf2 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Bf5 17.Qd2
Ne4 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.c3 e3
20.Qe2 Bxd4 21.Rfd1 Bb6!
22.Rxd8 Rcxd8 and Black is
winning, K.Dave-R.Hegde, Indian
Championship, Hyderabad 1994.;
C) 7...d5 8.exd5
C1) 8...exd5 9.Bg5 ( 9.Nf4
can be met by Bg4! 10.Qd2 d4
11.Ncd5 Ne5 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6
13.f3 Bd7 14.Nd5 Bc6
15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 and Black is
more active, C.Morrison-J.
Plaskett, Manchester 1983 )
9...d4 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Ne4
Be7 12.Nf4 Re8 13.Re1 Bf8
and it is difficult to find an
effective plan for White; e.g.
14.h3 Bd7 15.Re2 Re5 16.Qf1
Qb6 17.Rae1 Rae8 18.b3 Qa5
19.g4 Be7 20.Nh5 Bh4 21.f4
R5e7 22.Ra1 f5 23.gxf5 Bxf5
211
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
24.Bf3 Qc7 and Black is clearly
better, M.Aigner-E.Sevillano,
Reno 2006.;
C2) This is preferable to
8...Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Nf4
Bf5 11.Bd2 Qd7 ( or 11...Bd6
12.Qh5 Ne7 13.a4 a5 14.b3
b6 15.Rae1 and White has a
strong initiative, J.Murey-L.
Ungure, Cappelle la Grande
1995 ) 12.Qh5 Rfe8 13.h3 Bf8
14.g4 Bg6 15.Qxd5 Red8
16.Qxd7 Rxd7 17.h4 f6
18.Nxg6 hxg6 19.a3
with a favourable endgame for
White, Z.Rahman-D.Abhishek,
Mumbai 2009. ]
7...a6 Black can temporize for just as
long and sets about preparing ...b7-b5.
One reason for preferring this move over
...Rb8 is that White may yet play d2-d4,
when ...a7-a6 will be slightly more useful.
[ Naturally, Black has other options
too:
a) 7...Rb8 8.d4!? ( or 8.a4 a6
9.d4!? etc; instead, 8.d3 was seen via
7 d3 Rb8 8 h3 above; while 8.g4 b5
9.Ng3 d5!? 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.d3
Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bb7 13.Rb1 b4 14.a3
Ba8 15.axb4 was fairly even and in
fact agreed drawn here in D.Novitzkij-
A.Lukin, St Petersburg 2000 ) 8...cxd4
9.Nxd4 d6 10.Be3 a6 11.f4 ( or
11.a4 Qc7 12.Qd2 Bd7 13.Nxc6
bxc6 14.a5 c5 15.b3 Bc6 16.Rfe1
Qb7 17.Qd3 Rbd8 with chances for
both sides, J.Roos-J.Koch, France
1994 ) 11...Bd7 12.a4 Qc7 13.Nb3
b6 14.g4 Na5!? 15.Nxa5 bxa5
16.g5 Ne8 17.Bd4 Rb4 18.Kh1 Bc6
( 18...Qc4!? is a possibility ) 19.b3
Qb7 20.Qd3 f5 21.Rae1 fxe4
22.Nxe4 and White looks better, P.
Smederevac-E.Gereben, Beverwijk
1966. ]
[ b) 7...d6 8.d3 ( or 8.f4 Rb8 9.g4
Nd7 10.a4 a6 11.g5 b5 12.axb5
axb5 13.Ng3 c4 14.d4 cxd3
15.cxd3 Qb6+ 16.Kh2 b4 17.Nce2
Ba6 and Black has no problems, G.
Iskov-A.Law, London Lloyds Bank
1979 ) 8...Rb8 9.a3!? ( 9.Be3 b5
10.Qd2 b4 11.Nd1 d5 12.f4 dxe4
13.dxe4 Qxd2 14.Bxd2 Ba6 15.e5
Nh5 16.Bxc6 Bxe2 is good for Black
since the knight cannot be trapped, A.
Piroth-G.Sax, Hungarian League
1999 ) 9...b5 ( or 9...b6 10.Kh2 Bb7
11.f4 a6 12.g4 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4
14.Ne2 e5 15.Ng3 Bc8 16.Bd2 Ne8
17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 exf4 19.Bxf4
, and White has the better chances,
J.Gdanski-E.Agrest, Swedish League
2002 ) 10.g4 b4?! ( Black should
play 10...a5 since 11.a4 b4 12.Nb5
Ba6 is nothing to worry about )
11.axb4 cxb4 12.Na4 d5 13.exd5
Nxd5 14.c4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Bb7
16.Re1 Qd7 17.d4 and White has
the initiative, D.Reinderman-I.Efimov,
Escaldes 1998. ]
[ c) 7...d5 8.exd5 exd5 ( or 8...Nxd5
9.Nxd5 exd5 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4
Bc5 12.Be3 Qb6 13.Nxc6 bxc6
14.Bxc5 Qxc5 15.c3 Rb8 16.Qd2
a5 , when White has the superior
pawn structure but Black's pieces
have excellent potential, H.Jurkovic-
G.Kuzmin, Ceske Budejovice 1995 )
9.d4 Be6 ( 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qb6
transposes to B.Spassky-D.Barlov,
New York Open 1987, where 11.Nde2
d4 12.Na4 Qa6 13.b3 Rd8 14.Nf4
b5 15.Nb2 Bb7 16.a4 ½-½ was a
rather tame effort by the former
World Champion ) 10.Be3 Qd7
11.Kh2 cxd4 ( 11...b6 is also fine )
12.Nxd4 Ne5 13.Nce2 Nc4 14.Bc1
Rad8 15.b3 Nd6 16.Bb2 ( 16.Nf4!?
at once is better ) 16...Rfe8 17.Nf4
212
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Nfe4 18.Ndxe6 ( not 18.f3?? due to
Nxg3! and wins ) 18...fxe6 19.Qe2
Bf6 and the chances about even, E.
Fernandez Romero-D.Martinez Lopez,
Spanish Championship, Linares
2015. ]
8.d3 d6 Now that White has finally
committed his d-pawn, Black does
likewise – though as we mentioned,
Guliyev actually played ...d7-d6 on
move three.
[ Otherwise he could consider:
a) 8...b5 9.e5 Ne8 10.Bxc6!? dxc6
11.Ne4 ( 11.Re1 Qc7 12.Nf4
might improve a little ) 11...f5 12.exf6
Nxf6 13.Kg2 e5 14.f3 Be6 15.b3
Qd7 and Black's actively placed
pieces more than compensate for his
inferior pawn structure, D.
Reinderman-V.Kuporosov, Pardubice
1993. ]
[ b) 8...d5 is still possible, but the
inclusion of h2-h3 and ...a7-a6 is in
White's favour since ...Bg4 is now
ruled out; e.g. 9.exd5 exd5 10.Nf4
d4 11.Ncd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Bf5
13.Re1 Bd6 14.Qf3 Bg6 15.h4 h6
16.Bf4 Bxf4 17.Nxf4 and White's
position is certainly preferable, L.
Lejarre-G.Lucio, Avoine 2003. ]
9.f4 Nd7 10.g4 b5 11.Ng3
[ White does not bother to insert 11.a3
this time as he intends to retreat the
c3-knight to e2 in any case. ]
11...Nd4
[ Black has tried a couple of other
moves:
a) 11...Bb7 12.Nce2 Re8 13.Bd2
Rc8 14.Kh2 b4 15.f5?! (too soon)
( 15.g5 and 16 h4 is better as in the
main game ) 15...Bg5 16.Qc1 h6
17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Bf4 Nde5
and Black has no problems at all, G.
Pradip-D.Debashish, New Delhi
2009. ]
[ b) 11...Nb6!? 12.Nce2 d5 13.e5 f6
14.exf6 Bxf6 15.g5 Be7 16.h4 Bd6!
(as we saw in the notes to the
previous game, this move a good way
of deterring f4-f5) 17.d4 c4
( 17...cxd4! 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4
Qc7 looks even better ) 18.b3 Bd7
19.bxc4 bxc4 20.Bd2 Qc7
and Black has a very satisfactory
position, K.Grigoryan-C.Houriez,
Cappelle la Grande 2013. ]
12.Nce2 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Bb7 14.g5
Re8 15.h4 Bf8 16.h5 QUESTION:
This is beginning to look positively
scary for Black – is he completely
busted?
ANSWER: No, Black is fine; but the
white pawns are indeed close to making
contact with the guardrail in front of
Black's king, so he needs to play
precisely and make sure that his own
play in the centre and on the queenside
makes a similar impact.
16...g6 17.Be3 b4 18.a4 QUESTION: I
have always been told to play in the
area of the board in which you are
strongest. White's move seems to go
against that philosophy, so am I wrong?
ANSWER: White is trying to hamper
Black's counterplay on the queenside,
but his move does go against normal
conventions.
[ Objectively, as you intimate, 18.f5
is probably best; for example, exf5
19.exf5 d5 20.hxg6 hxg6 21.Rae1
Ne5 ( not 21...d4?? 22.fxg6 fxg6
23.Bxb7 Rxe3 24.Bd5+ and Black
gets mated ) 22.d4 cxd4 23.Bxd4
Qxg5 24.fxg6 Qxg6 25.Bxe5 Bg7
and the chances are about even. ]
18...Bg7 19.Rab1 Qc7 20.b3
This is only a temporary roadblock, as
Black will soon reinforce his queenside
infantry by advancing the d-pawn.
20...Rac8 21.Qg4 a5 22.Kh1 d5
213
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
23.exd5
[ White could push past with 23.e5
, but then his attack on the kingside
is pretty much over (there is no way in
on the h-file) and he would have to
spend the rest of the game trying to
defend against Black's initiative on
the queenside. ]
23...exd5 24.Bg1 c4 25.d4 cxb3
26.cxb3 f5! White is now ready to play
f4-f5, so Black gets in first.
27.gxf6 Nxf6 28.Qg5 gxh5?!
[ Guliyev should have defended
himself with 28...Qf7 , while clearing
the c-file for the rook; e.g. 29.h6 ( or
29.Bh3? Rc3 ) 29...Bh8 30.f5 Rc3
31.Kh2 Re7 32.Rb2 Qe8 33.Rbf2
Ree3 and Black is still doing fine. ]
29.Bh3 Ne4? Swapping the knights off
only helps White.
[ The best chance was 29...Qc3
, seeking counterplay with the queen;
e.g. 30.Bxc8 Bxc8 31.Rbc1 ( or
31.f5 Kh8 ) 31...Qxb3 32.Rc7 Bd7
and White can't bring the knight
forward in view of ...Qh3+. ]
30.Nxe4 dxe4 31.Be3 Rcd8?
Now it really goes downhill.
[ He should have opted for 31...Qd8
32.Bxc8 Qxg5 33.fxg5 Rxc8
34.Rbc1 Rxc1 35.Rxc1 Bf8
, although White clearly has
excellent winning chances. ]
32.f5 Bc8
[ On 32...Qd7 White simply plays
33.Kg1! , threatening f5-f6 again. ]
33.f6 Bxh3 34.f7+ Kh8 35.fxe8Q+
Rxe8 36.Qxh5 Qd7 37.Rf4
Threatening Rh4 and wins;
[ while 37.Rg1! was even stronger; e.
g. Rg8 38.d5 Qf5 39.Qxf5 Bxf5
40.Rg5 Rf8 41.Rf1 and it will soon
be over for Black. ]
37...Rd8?
[ He had to play 37...Be6 , when
38.Rh4 ( but 38.d5! Bxd5 39.Rd1
Re5 40.Rf8+! Bg8 41.Rxd7 Rxh5+
42.Kg2 is a winning endgame for
White, since Bxf8?? loses at once to
43.Bd4+ ) 38...Bg8 defends for the
moment. ]
38.d5
[ Or still 38.Rh4 Bf5 39.Rf1 Bf6 ( or
39...Rf8 40.Rhf4 ) 40.Rh2 Bg4
41.Qh4 and White wins a piece. ]
38...Re8 39.Kh2
[ Here 39.Rg1 is completely decisive;
White threatens 40 Rf7. ]
39...Be5 40.Qxh3 An extra piece in the
endgame will be good enough.
[ Otherwise he could play 40.Rg1
again, intending Bf5 41.Rg5 Rf8
42.Kg1 and Black is toast since the
rook on f4 obviously cannot be
touched. ]
40...Qxd5 41.Rbf1 Rd8 42.Qf5 Bxf4+
43.Rxf4 Qxf5 44.Rxf5 Kg7 45.Kg3
Rd3 46.Kf4 Rxb3 47.Rxa5 Rb1
Black's last hope is to swap the rooks
off and put his king on a8, but neither
possibility is ever going to happen.
48.Rb5 Kf7 49.a5 Ra1 50.Bd2 e3
51.Kxe3 Ra3+ 52.Ke4 b3 53.Kf5 Ra2
54.Bc3 Ke7 55.Rxb3 Kd6 56.Rb6+
Kc5 57.Ke4 Kc4 58.Rc6+ Kb3
59.Kd5 Ka4 60.Kc4 . White will push
the a-pawn next and Black will soon be
mated by either the rook or a new
queen.
1-0
B23
Sepp,O
Rezaei,R
64: Moscow Olympiad 1994
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2
Nge7 Putting the knight on e7, rather
214
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
than f6, has the benefit of allowing
Black to play ...d7-d5 without being
disturbed by e4-e5. On the downside,
the knight puts no pressure on the
centre from e7 and also obstructs the f8-
bishop, which must either go to g7 after
all or patiently await its turn.
5.Nge2 As in the previous two games,
by developing the king's knight first
White keeps the option of pushing the d-
pawn two squares; in particular, the
prospect of 6 d4! usually discourages
Black from following up with 5...g6. If
White plays anything else then, more
often than not, Black reverts to the main
lines with 5...g6 and ...Bg7 (or 5...d6
and ...g7-g6 etc).
[ On the other hand, if we're intending
to play the Closed Sicilian anyway,
we shouldn't mind the transposition,
so let's look at two other standard
moves as well:
a) 5.f4 d5 ( 5...g6 should transpose
elsewhere; see Game 58 for starters )
6.d3 ( after 6.Nf3!? dxe4 7.Nxe4 Nf5
8.0-0 Qc7 9.c3 b6 10.Qe2 Be7
11.g4 Nd6 12.Ng3 0-0 13.d3 Re8
14.Be3 Bb7 15.Rad1 Bf8 16.Qf2
, the players agreed a draw in A.
Rodriguez Vila-A.Caldeira, Serra
Negra 2002 ) 6...dxe4 ( 6...d4 7.Nce2
e5 looks fine too; while 6...g6 7.Nf3
Bg7 is Game 58 ) 7.Nxe4 Nd5 8.Nf3
( or 8.Ne2 Be7 9.N2c3 0-0 10.0-0
Re8 11.Kh1 f5 12.Ng5 Bf6 13.Bd2
h6 14.Nf3 b6 15.Nxd5 exd5
and I prefer Black, S.Mozer-T.
Borsavolgyi, Hungarian League
2009 ) 8...Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Ne5
Bd7 11.Bd2 Be8 12.a3 Rc8 13.c4
Nb6 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 with equal
chances, T.Kulhanek-S.Cicak, Czech
League 2003. ]
[ b) 5.d3 d5 ( again 5...g6
should return to the main lines; c.f.
Chapter Eleven ) 6.exd5 ( for 6.f4
see line 'a'; while after 6.Nh3 d4
7.Nb1 e5 8.f4 exf4 9.gxf4 Ng6
, Black is certainly no worse, I.
Starostits-A.Zapolskis, Vilnius 2009 )
A) 6...exd5! 7.Nge2 d4 8.Ne4
Ng6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Nf4 ( 10.f4?!
f5 11.Ng5 h6 12.Nf3 0-0 13.Re1
Be6 14.h4 Bf6 is good for Black,
M.Schmelz-V.Yemelin, Bad
Wiessee 2009 ) 10...Nxf4 11.Bxf4
0-0 12.h4 h6 13.Re1 Bf5 14.a3
Qd7 and Black has no difficulties, B.
Maslesa-M.Kastelic, Skofja Loka
1998.;
B) Despite the temporary traffic jam,
this is more promising than
6...Nxd5 7.Nxd5 exd5 8.Ne2 d4
9.0-0 , even if Black should still be
okay after Bd6! ; ( i.e. rather than
9...Be7 10.Nf4 0-0 which we saw
in the notes to the previous game )]
5...d5 White's score is so favourable
after this move that I'm tempted to give
it a dubious mark, but active play
should see Black more ore less okay.
[ Instead, as mentioned above, 5...g6
is well met by 6.d4! ( for 6.d3 Bg7
, see 6 Nge2 in Game 58 ) 6...cxd4
7.Nxd4 and Black has a rather dodgy
open Sicilian; e.g. a6 ( or 7...Bg7
8.Ndb5 , as in L.Paulsen-C.
Hengstenberg, Düsseldorf 1862 )
8.Bg5 Bg7 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qd6 f6
11.Be3 and White is clearly better, A.
Hossain-H.Nishimura, Asian Team
Championship, Penang 1991. ]
[ From the other side of the board,
Paulsen used to play 5...Nd4
, which is a major alternative:
A) 6.d3 Nec6 7.Nxd4 ( 7.0-0
is line 'd' ) 7...cxd4 8.Ne2 Bc5
9.c3 Bb6 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.cxd4
Bxd4 12.0-0 0-0 13.Qe2 Qb6
14.Rb1 d6 and the game was quite
215
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
equal, Mik.Weiss-L.Paulsen,
Vienna 1882.;
B) 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.Ne2 Nc6 8.0-0
g6 ( 8...Be7; or 8...Bc5 again is
also fine ) 9.c4 Bg7 10.d3 0-0
11.Rb1 a6 12.f4 b5 13.b3 Qb6
14.Ba3 b4 15.Bb2 d6
with chances for both sides, L.
Espig-U.Bönsch, Berlin 1982.;
C) 6.b3!? Nec6 7.Bb2 d6 8.Nf4
g6 9.Nce2 Bg7 10.c3 Nxe2
11.Qxe2 e5 (I'm not sure this is
necessary) ( 11...0-0 looks better )
12.Nd5 Be6 13.f4 exf4 14.Nxf4
Bd7 15.0-0 0-0 and while my
computer calls this equal, I think
White's position is preferable, R.
Slobodjan-W.Gerstner, German
League 2004.;
D) 6.0-0 Nec6 ( or 6...g6 7.d3
Bg7 8.Rb1 0-0 9.a3 d5!?
10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxe2+
12.Qxe2 exd5 13.Re1 Be6 14.Bf4
Re8 15.h4 Qd7 with more or less
equal chances, R.Kashtanov-I.
Yagupov, St Petersburg 2000 ) 7.d3
Be7 8.Be3 ( or 8.a3 d6 9.Rb1
h5!? 10.b4 h4 11.Be3 g5 12.Qd2
Bf6 13.b5 Nxe2+ 14.Nxe2 Ne5
with a double-edged position, I.
Biriukov-R.Ibrahimov, Bogoroditsk
2011 ) 8...0-0 9.Nf4 intending Nb1
and c2-c3; ( after 9.Qd2 d6 10.f4
Bd7 11.Rf2 Rb8 12.Raf1 b5
, Black already stands well, F.
Riemann-L.Paulsen, Berlin 1881 )
9...Qb6 10.b3 Qa5 11.Bd2 Qa6
12.Nb1 Ne5 led to interesting play
in E.Torre-D.Juswanto, Manila
2001: 13.h4 h6 14.c3 Ndc6
15.Bc1 g5 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.d4
cxd4 18.cxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Bf6
and here White might have tried
20.Qc3! , intending gxf4?! 21.gxf4
Nf3+ 22.Qxf3 Bxa1 23.e5
and Black's king is awfully lonely. ]
6.exd5
[ Nothing else makes sense here; for
instance, 6.d3 d4 7.Nb1 e5
leaves White essentially playing with
the black pieces. ]
6...Nxd5
[ This time 6...exd5?! is inappropriate,
as 7.d4! puts the the centre under fire
while Black's pieces are stepping on
each other's toes; e.g. cxd4 ( or
7...Be6 8.dxc5 ) 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 ( or
8...Qb6 9.Ndb5 ) 9.Qxd4 Be6 10.0-0
Nc6 11.Qa4 Bc5 12.Qb5
and White is clearly better. ]
7.Nxd5 exd5 8.d4
[ Another option is simply to castle:
8.0-0 Be7 9.Nf4 d4 10.Nd5!? ( or
10.d3 , transposing to the 7 d3 d5 8
exd5 Nxd5 line in the notes to Game
63 ) 10...Bd6 11.Re1+ Be6 12.d3
0-0 13.Qh5 g6 14.Qg5 f6 15.Qh6
Qd7 16.Bf4 Rae8 17.Bxd6 Qxd6
18.Qf4 Qxf4 19.Nxf4
and the position may be close to
equal, strictly speaking, but White's
position is a little easier to play, Ba.
Jobava-J.Polgar, European Blitz
Championship, Warsaw 2010. ]
8...Be6?! Too passive; as we said
above, Black's position requires active
play.
[ For instance:
a) 8...Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.0-0 cxd4
11.g4 ( 11.Qe1!? might improve )
11...Bg6 12.Nxd4 Be7 13.Nxc6
bxc6 14.c4 Be4 15.Bxe4 dxe4
16.Qxd8+ ( or 16.Qe2 Qd3 )
16...Rxd8 17.Re1 h5 18.g5 f5
and Black has equalized, S.Himanshu-
J.Markos, Kolkata 2009. ]
[ b) 8...cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bc5 10.Qe2+
( not 10.Be3?! Nxd4 11.Bxd4
Qe7+ ) 10...Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7
12.Nb3 Bb6 13.c3 ( or 13.Bxd5 Nb4
216
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
14.Be4 Re8 15.0-0 Kf6 ) 13...Be6
14.0-0 Rhd8 and Black can look to
eliminate the isolated pawn with ...d5-
d4. ]
9.0-0 Qd7 10.Be3 cxd4
[ Other moves are no better now:
a) 10...0-0-0 11.dxc5 d4 12.Bxc6
Qxc6 13.Nxd4 and White has a big
advantage, which soon increased:
Qa6 14.Qd3 Bc4? 15.Qf5+ Kb8
16.Rfd1 Qa5 17.b4 1-0 A.Arribas
Lopez-M.Chuvnik, Zürich 2012. ]
[ b) 10...c4 11.Nf4 Bb4 12.b3 Na5
( or 12...cxb3 13.c4! ) 13.Bd2 Bxd2
14.Qxd2 b6 15.Rfe1 0-0 16.Re3
Rae8 17.Rae1 and Black's position is
creaking, Rol.Martinez-E.Jara, Milan
2012. ]
11.Nxd4 Be7 12.Nxe6 fxe6
QUESTION: It looks like White should
be much better here: bishop pair,
superior pawn structure, and even a
slight lead in development. Is that a fair
assessment?
ANSWER: Absolutely; the factors you
list are sufficient to guarantee White a
clear advantage.
13.Qg4
[ The direct 13.c4 d4 ( or 13...dxc4
14.Qe2 ) 14.Bxc6 Qxc6 15.Bxd4 0-0
16.Qe2 is good too, but White
probably saw no need to force events,
preferring to build up methodically
against the vulnerable black pawns in
the centre. ]
13...Bf6 14.c3 Rd8 15.Rad1 0-0
16.Rfe1 Qf7 17.Bc5 Rfe8 18.f4 b6
19.Bf2 Kh8 20.Qe2 Na5 21.Bd4
Bxd4+ 22.cxd4 QUESTION: Why does
White take on an isolated pawn himself,
while having just given up the bishop
pair?
ANSWER: Sometimes, in order to make
progress, you have to take one
advantage and convert into another. In
this case, White no doubt felt that fixing
the backward e6-pawn permanently was
worth more than the two bishops and a
flawless pawn structure.
22...Rc8? White's strategy pays
dividends at once as Black is now
unable to defend the e6-pawn at all.
[ He had to play 22...Qf6 , intending
23.Bh3 Re7 , when White cannot
play 24.Bxe6? since g6! (threatening
...Rde8) 25.Qe5 Qxe5 26.Rxe5 Nc6
wins material. ]
23.Bh3! Qf6
[ 23...Rc6 is no good either because
of 24.f5 . ]
24.Bxe6 Rc4 EXERCISE: Black is
attempting a small counter-attack
against the d4-pawn. What is White's
best reply?
25.f5
[ ANSWER: White could have played
25.Qh5! Rf8 ( or 25...g6 26.Qxd5 )
26.Bxd5 Rxd4 27.Rxd4 Qxd4+
28.Kh1 and Black is having real
issues. The immediate threats of 29
Re8 and 29 Be4 are pretty
devastating and the fact that the
knight has no squares is not a small
point either. ]
25...Rxd4 26.Rxd4 Qxd4+ 27.Qf2
Qxf2+ 28.Kxf2 d4
[ The endgame is clearly very good for
White too. For instance, 28...Nc4
29.Bxd5 Rxe1 30.Kxe1 Nxb2
31.Kd2 Na4 32.h4 and White has
every chance of winning: his king is
far more active, and a bishop is
usually stronger than a knight when
there are pawns on both wings. ]
29.Bd5 Rf8 30.Re5
[ Remember the last note but one?
Here 30.b4! wins the knight: Rxf5+
31.Kg2 g5 (the bishop cannot be
touched because of the back rank
mate) 32.Be6 Rb5 33.bxa5 bxa5
217
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
34.Kf3 and White is a piece up for
virtually nothing. ]
30...b5 31.b3 g6 32.g4 gxf5 33.gxf5
Rf6 34.Be4 a6 35.Rc5?!
[ Now 35.Re6! is the simplest way
forward; e.g. Kg7 36.Ke2 Kf7
37.Kd3 h5 ( or 37...Rxe6 38.Bd5 )
38.Rxf6+ Kxf6 39.Kxd4 , followed by
Kc5-b6 and the knight falls again. But
White was in terrible time trouble at
this stage. ]
35...Kg7 36.Ke2?! Rh6 37.Rc7+ Kf6
38.Kf3 Rh3+ 39.Kf4
[ We should note that 39.Kg4! Re3
( or 39...Rxh2 40.Ra7 ) 40.Kf4 Re1
( or 40...Rh3 41.Bf3 ) 41.Ra7
sees White winning again; ]
[ whereas after 39.Kf4 Rxh2 40.Ra7
Rh4+ 41.Kf3 Kg5 , there is no time
to take the a-pawn ( 42.Rxa6? Rf4+
) so the position is finally equal. Or
it would be if White's flag had not
fallen. ]
0-1
B23
Roselli Mailhe,B
Cubas,J
65: Vicente Lopez 2003
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3
[ It is worth mentioning the tricky
3.Nge2!? ;
A) when 3...d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.d4
can cause Black problems.
Otherwise, Black's response needs
to consider the possibility of White
opening the Sicilian after all with d2-
d4.;
B) With that in mind, the Kan
player's 3...a6 transposes to Game
69 after 4.g3 b5 5.Bg2 Bb7 ;
( 5...-- );
C) and the Taimanov player's
3...Nc6 ends up in Chapter Twelve
after 4.g3
C1) 4...Nf6 5.Bg2 . ( 5.-- );
C2) In the latter variation Black
has the additional option of
4...d5 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bg2 ( or
6.d4 Bg4 ) 6...d4 ( this is similar
to Game 67 and is safer than
6...Nf6 7.d4 , as in the notes to
Game 62 ) 7.Nd5 Nf6 8.Nef4
Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0
11.d3 Be6 , which is basically
equal, even if White did go on to
win in R.J.Fischer-B.Spassky,
17th matchgame, St Stefan/
Belgrade 1992. ]
3...d5 As noted above, this is our main
move for this chapter, though Black has
tried various alternatives;
[ for instance:
a) 3...Nc6 is actually the most
popular move, returning to Chapter
Twelve. ]
[ b) 3...a6 4.Bg2 b5 ( 4...Nc6
is more circumspect ) 5.e5!?
( otherwise 5.d3 Bb7 is Chapter
Fourteen ) 5...Nc6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3
Bb7 8.Qe2 Ne7 9.Ne4 Nf5 10.c3
Qd5 ( or 10...c4 11.dxc4 bxc4
12.g4! c5 13.gxf5 Qh4 14.Ng3
Bxh1 15.fxe6 Bd5 16.exf7+ Bxf7
17.e6 Bg8 18.f4 0-0-0 19.Qe4
with good play for the exchange )
11.Nf3 c4 12.dxc4 Qxc4 13.Qxc4
bxc4 14.0-0 c5 15.Re1 h5 16.Bg5
and White has the better chances, T.
Kulhanek-J.Votava, Czech League
2008. ]
[ c) 3...Ne7 4.Bg2 Nec6!? ( 4...Nbc6
is Game 64 ) 5.Nge2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0
7.d3 a6 8.a4 ( or 8.Be3 d6 9.Qd2
b5 10.f4 Nd7 11.a3 Nb6
and Black has a reasonable position,
O.Biti-F.Bistric, Pula 2003 ) 8...Nd4
218
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nc6 11.f4 d5
12.exd5 exd5 13.f5 Bg5 ( or just
13...Re8 ) 14.c3 Bf6 15.Kh1 Re8
and Black does not stand so badly, D.
King-V.Milov, Swiss League 1998. ]
[ d) 3...h5!? 4.Bg2 Nc6 ( 4...h4
seems more consistent ) 5.d3 g5!?
6.Nf3 Be7 7.Be3 d5 8.exd5 exd5
9.d4 c4 ( 9...Bf6 improves
somewhat ) 10.Qd2 g4 11.Ne5! Nf6
12.0-0-0 and White is clearly better at
this point, H.Camilleri-S.Mariotti, Praia
da Rocha 1978. ]
4.Bg2?! This routine move is generally
considered imprecise because of the
line Black adopts below.
[ Instead, 4.d3 is the next game; ]
[ while the main line with 4.exd5
is examined in Games 67 and 68. ]
4...d4 Advancing the d-pawn twice is the
critical continuation.
[ Other moves are acceptable too; for
example:
a) 4...dxe4 5.Nxe4
A) 5...Nc6 6.d3 Be7 7.f4
( again not 7.Qg4? f5! 8.Qxg7
Qd4 and Black is pretty much
winning already, Ba.Jobava-M.
Vachier Lagrave, Khanty-Mansiysk
Olympiad 2010 ) 7...Nf6 8.Nf3 Qc7
9.0-0 0-0 10.Kh1 b6 11.Nfg5
Bb7 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Ne4 Be7
14.Bd2 Rad8 15.Bc3 Nd4
and Black is perfectly fine, N.Short-
A.Wojtkiewicz, online blitz 2000.;
B) Or 5...Be7 6.Nf3 ( not 6.Qg4?
since f5! 7.Qxg7 Qd4! 8.Qxd4
cxd4 leaves the white knight
without a square ) 6...Nf6 7.Nxf6+
Bxf6 8.0-0 0-0 9.d3 Nc6 10.c3
b6 and ...Bb7 with a pleasant
position for Black, R.Kozel-I.
Smirnov, Odessa 2008. ]
[ b) 4...Nf6 5.e5 ( for 5.d3
see 4...Nf6 5 Bg2 in the next game )
5...Ng8 ( or 5...Nfd7 ) 6.Nf3 Nc6
7.0-0 Nge7 8.Re1 Nf5 9.d3 Be7
led to a quick draw in Y.Balashov-A.
Vyzmanavin, Lvov 1990. ]
5.Nce2
[ Against 5.Nb1 , Black can play in
similar fashion: d3 ( for 5...e5
, see the notes to the next game )
6.cxd3 Nc6 7.Ne2 ( or 7.d4 Nxd4
8.Nc3 Ne7 9.d3 Nec6 10.Nge2 Be7
11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Ne2 Qa5+ 13.Bd2
Qb5 14.Qb1 e5 and Black has good
chances, J.Jonitz-S.Cicak, Brno
1995 ) 7...Nf6 ( naturally, 7...Qxd3
is also possible ) 8.0-0 Bd6 9.f4 e5
10.Nbc3 0-0 11.a3 Bc7
with a pleasant position which soon
got even better: 12.Nd5?! Bg4
13.h3? Bxe2 14.Qxe2 Nxd5 15.exd5
Nd4 16.Qg4 exf4 17.gxf4 f5
and White didn't last much longer, H.
Waller-K.Landa, Bled 1991. ]
5...d3
[ Pushing on is not obligatory; again
5...e5 (or 5...Nc6 first) is playable, if
Black doesn't mind an entirely
reversed King's Indian (see 4 d3 d4
etc in the notes to the next game). ]
6.cxd3 Qxd3
[ Black doesn't need to recapture
immediately; 6...Nc6 is a good
alternative.
A) For example, 7.d4?! this pawn
move is entirely unnecessary; cxd4
8.d3 Qa5+ ( or 8...Nf6 9.Nh3 Be7
10.0-0 0-0 11.f3 a5 12.Nf2 a4
13.f4 a3 14.g4?! , S.Keskinen-J.
Penttinen, Tampere 2000, and
now axb2 15.Bxb2 e5 16.f5 Nd7
gives Black an excellent reversed
King's Indian ) 9.Bd2 Qb5 10.Qc2
Nb4 11.Bxb4 Bxb4+ 12.Kf1 e5
13.f4 Ne7 14.fxe5 Nc6 15.Nf3
, M.Narmontas-S.Cicak, Warsaw
(rapid) 2006, and now 0-0
219
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
is quite promising for Black; e.g.
16.Nfxd4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 Qxe5
18.Nf3 Qb5 with excellent
compensation for the pawn.;
B) White could be patient and play
7.Nf3 , when 7...Qxd3 transposes
to the game; ( while 7...e5 8.0-0
Bg4 9.Nc3 Qxd3 10.Nd5 Bd6
11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Qxf3 13.Bxf3
is roughly equal. )]
7.Nf3
[ White more often plays 7.Nf4
, when Black has to choose a square
for the queen:
A) 7...Qa6 8.b4!? cxb4 9.Bb2
Ne7 was K.B.Petersen-P.Husted,
Danish League 1996, and here
10.Nh5 f6 11.e5 f5 12.Ne2
looks to give White interesting play
for the pawn.;
B) 7...Qd6 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.0-0 Nf6
10.Re1 e5 11.Nd5 Be7 12.b4
cxb4 13.d4 Bg4 14.Bb2 Bxf3
was agreed drawn in R.Pokorna-R.
Hasangatin, Presov 2002, but I
think White might have played on;
e.g. 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5 Bxd1
17.Bxd6 Bxd6 18.e5 0-0
19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.exd6
and White has the slightly better
chances.;
C) 7...Qd7 8.Nge2 Nc6 9.0-0
C1) 9...Be7 10.b3 Bf6 11.Rb1
h5 12.h4 (too pedestrian)
( 12.b4!? is more ambitious, e.g.
cxb4 13.d4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4
Qxd4 15.Qe2 h4 16.Be3 Qe5
17.Rxb4 and White has a
massive lead in development for
the sacrificed pawn ) 12...Nge7
13.Nc3 Be5 14.Nh3 b6 15.Re1
Ba6 and Black has a pretty
wonderful position, A.Cieza
Vega-C.Beyer, German League
2000.;
C2) Or 9...Nf6 10.b3 Bd6
11.Ba3 ( but 11.Bb2 e5 12.Nd5
looks like a solid improvement
and reasonably promising for
White ) 11...0-0 12.Rc1 e5
13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Nb4
15.Bxb4 cxb4 16.d4
and chances are about even, D.
Vargic-B.Lalic, Croatian League
2010.;
D) 7...Qd8 8.Nge2 ( after 8.Nf3
Nc6 9.0-0 Bd6 10.d3 Nf6 11.Be3
0-0 12.Rc1 e5 13.Nd5 Nxd5
14.exd5 Nd4 , Black is certainly no
worse, M.Bastian-A.Balzar,
German League 1993 ) 8...Nc6
9.0-0 Be7 10.b4 Nxb4 11.e5 Nh6
12.d4 Nf5 13.a3 Nc6 14.d5 exd5
15.Nxd5 0-0 16.Bb2 Be6 17.Nef4
and White may have enough for
the pawn but no more than that, D.
Valerga-F.Peralta, Villa Ballester
1996. ]
7...Nc6
[ The greedy 7...Qxe4?! is just asking
for trouble after 8.d4 and 9 0-0. ]
8.0-0 Nf6
[ Black has also tried 8...e5
, hoping to set up a clamp on the
backward d-pawn, but White can work
around it; e.g. 9.Ne1 Qa6 10.Nc3
Nf6 11.d3 Be7 12.Bg5 Bg4 13.Qd2
Nd4 14.Nc2 Be6 ( not 14...Nf3+?!
15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qe3
Bg4 18.Qxc5 , as the two bishops are
not enough for the missing pawn;
while after 14...0-0 15.f4 h6 16.fxe5
hxg5 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Bd8
19.Nxd4 cxd4 20.b3 , I still prefer
White in this position ) 15.Nxd4 cxd4
16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5 h6 18.Bxf6
Bxf6 19.Qb4 Rd8? ( only 19...Be7
keeps Black above water ) 20.Rfe1
and White is fully in charge of the
initiative, A.Krapivin-N.Zhadanov,
220
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Moscow 2011. ]
9.Nf4
[ Another option is 9.e5!? Nd5
10.Nc3 Be7
A) 11.Ne1 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Qd7
, as in F.Verduyn-K.Schulz, Belgian
League 2002, when 13.Qg4 g6
( or 13...0-0 14.d4 ) 14.Qe4
looks quite promising for White.;
B) I'm not so convinced about
11.Re1 0-0 12.Ne4 Nd4 13.Nxd4
Qxd4 14.d3 Qxe5 15.Nxc5 Qc7
16.Ne4 ( my computer assesses
16.d4 b6 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.Bf4
Qd8 19.Nd3 as equal, but I'm not
very happy about the missing light-
squared bishop ) 16...Bd7
, when White is left with the weak d-
pawn, G.Canfell-I.Bjelobrk,
Auckland 2005. ]
9...Qxe4 QUESTION: Didn't White just
lose a pawn?
ANSWER: He did indeed, but this works
like a normal gambit: the cost of the
pawn is that Black has invested (and is
still investing) time with his exposed
queen and can end up well behind in
development.
10.Re1 Qb4 11.a3 Qb6 12.b4!?
White pours more gasoline on the fire.
[ The alternative is 12.d4 Nxd4
13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.b3 ( better than
14.b4 , which allows a5 15.Bb2 axb4
16.Bxd4 Bc5 17.Bxc5 Qxc5 18.axb4
Rxa1 19.bxc5 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Ke7
21.Rb1 and everything peters out to a
drawish endgame ) 14...Be7 15.Bb2
0-0 16.Bxd4 Qd6 17.Re2 Rd8
18.Rd2 Qb8 ( or 18...Nd5 19.Nxd5
exd5 20.b4 ) 19.Qe2 e5 20.Re1
exd4 21.Qxe7 Qd6 22.Qxd6 Rxd6
23.b4 and White will soon reclaim the
sacrificed pawn with even chances. ]
12...cxb4 13.d4 Be7 14.d5 exd5
15.Be3 Qd8 16.axb4 0-0 17.b5
QUESTION: I can see that White is
pushing hard and has some initiative,
but does it really compensate fully for
the two sacrificed pawns?
ANSWER: Two pawns is a lot, I agree.
Personally, I have never enjoyed being
down on material, but in this case I
think White has near enough full
compensation. Nevertheless, he has to
keep the pressure up or Black will
consolidate and that's when things get
dicey.
17...Na5 Black hangs on to the a-pawn.
[ Otherwise he might have tried
17...Nb4 18.Bxa7 Bg4 , though after
19.Qb1 Qd6 ( or if 19...b6 then
20.Bxb6 Qxb6 21.Rxa8 Rxa8
22.Rxe7 Qc5 23.Re1 Qxb5 24.Ne5
and White is close to having
equalized ) 20.Ne5 b6 21.Nxg4
Nxg4 22.Nd3 Nxd3 23.Qxd3 Qc7
24.Qe2 Rxa7 25.Rxa7 Qxa7
26.Qxe7 , White's activity easily
makes up for the pawn, if no more
than that. ]
18.Bd4 b6
[ Or 18...Nc4 19.Qe2 Bb4 20.Bxf6
gxf6 21.Red1 and White can be quite
happy with his compensation for the
missing pawns. ]
19.Qe2 Ne4 20.Rad1
[ White had the option to steer for
equality with 20.Nd2 ; for example,
Nxd2 21.Qxe7 Qxe7 22.Rxe7 Ndb3
23.Bxd5 Bb7 24.Rxb7 Nxa1 25.Rc7
N1b3 26.Be3 Nc5 27.Bxa8 Rxa8
28.Bxc5 bxc5 29.Rxc5 and the likely
outcome is a draw. ]
20...Bb7 21.Nh5
[ Again 21.Nd2 Nxd2 22.Qxe7 Qxe7
23.Rxe7 is a less crazy option, and if
Ndb3 then 24.Bc3 Rfd8 25.Nxd5
Rac8 26.Re5 h6 27.Bb4 , which my
computer likes for White, though
Black should not lose this. ]
221
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
21...g6 QUESTION: Isn't this what
White wants, weakening the dark
squares around the king and all? Why
not play 21...f6 instead?
ANSWER: That's an excellent point;
why weaken the dark squares unless
you have to?
[ But here 21...f6 doesn't solve Black's
problems either, since it weakens the
light squares instead (in particular e6
and f5) and also allows a tactical
opportunity: 22.Nh4!? Qc8 23.Nxg7!
Kxg7 24.Qh5 Qe8 25.Nf5+ Kh8
26.Qg4 Qf7 27.Nxe7 Qxe7 28.f3
and White regains the piece with
approximately equal chances. ]
22.Qe3?? Very creative, very optimistic,
and very bad.
[ He should definitely have settled now
for 22.Nd2 f5 ( or 22...gxh5 23.Nxe4
dxe4 24.Bxe4 Bxe4 25.Qxe4
and Black has to give up his
remaining bishop to prevent instant
mayhem; e.g. Bf6?? 26.Ba1
and wins ) 23.Nf4 Rf7 24.Ba1 Qe8
25.Qd3 ( if White is okay with a lot of
pieces being swapped off to reach an
even endgame, then 25.Nxd5 Bxd5
26.Nxe4 Bxe4 27.f3 Bb7 28.Qb2
Rf6 29.Rxe7 Qxe7 30.Qxf6 Qxf6
31.Bxf6 should be good enough )
25...Rd8 26.h4 and White has
sufficient compensation for the
sacrificed pawns thanks to the many
holes in Black's position, especially
on the dark squares. ]
22...Re8?? Black sees ghosts or simply
trusts his opponent too much.
[ After 22...gxh5 23.Qh6 f6 24.Nh4
Qc8 25.Qxh5 Bb4 26.Re2 Qc7
, White does not have enough for
the sacrificed material. ]
23.Ng7 Rf8?? Mistakes often come in
pairs (or more).
[ Here Black should have played
23...Nc4
A) 24.Qf4 f5 25.Qh6 Bf8 (forced)
( not now 25...Ncd6?? 26.Ne6
and wins ) 26.Rxe4! fxe4 27.Ng5
Qxg5 (also forced) 28.Qxg5 Bxg7
29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Rxd5 Bxd5
31.Qxd5 Rac8 32.Bxe4
and White has some winning
chances, even if they are decidedly
small.;
B) This looks more promising than
24.Qh6 Ncd6 25.Ne6 ( or 25.Nxe8
Nf5 26.Qf4 Qxe8 27.Ba1 Qxb5
28.Qc7 Qc6 , when my computer
favours White, but with three
pawns for the exchange Black is
not in bad shape ) 25...Nf5 26.Nxd8
Nxh6 27.Nxb7 Rab8 . ]
TACTICAL EXERCISE: How can White
punish Black for his latest move?
24.Nf5?? White gets his move order
wrong and messes up his one golden
opportunity.
[ ANSWER: He should have played
24.Qh6! Bg5 ( or 24...Bf6 25.Nh5!
gxh5 26.Ng5! and Black is forced to
give up his queen ) 25.Nf5! Bf6 ( or
25...Bxh6 26.Nxh6# ) 26.Rxe4!
and Black gets mated. ]
24...gxf5 25.Qh6 f6 26.Rxe4 dxe4
Taking with the f-pawn is even stronger.
27.Ng5 Rf7 28.Nxf7 Kxf7??
Black lets his opponent right back in;
[ 28...Qf8! would have won rather
easily. ]
29.Qxh7+
[ I presume White's flag fell at this
point, partly because the massive
errors on both sides indicate a time
scramble, and also because a draw
by perpetual check is now likely; e.g.
29.Qxh7+ Ke6 ( not 29...Ke8??
30.Qg8+ Bf8 31.Qg6+ and White
wins; 29...Kf8 30.Qh8+ Kf7
just repeats ) 30.g4 Qd5 ( or
222
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
30...fxg4 31.Bxe4 Bxe4 32.Qxe4+
Kf7 33.Qh7+ Kf8 34.Qh8+ ) 31.gxf5+
Kd7 ( not 31...Kd6? 32.Qh5 Kc7
33.Be3 and Black runs into trouble )
32.Rd2 Rh8!? ( or 32...Nc4 33.Bxf6
Qxd2 34.Qxe7+ Kc8 35.Qe8+ Kc7
36.Qf7+ Kb8 37.Qe8+ and so on )
33.Qxh8 Nb3 34.Bxf6 Qxd2
35.Bxe7 and now Black has to force
the perpetual to avoid bad things
from happening: Qd1+ ( not
35...Kxe7?? 36.f6+ Ke6 37.Bh3+
and White wins ) 36.Bf1 Qg4+
with a draw. ]
0-1
B23
Roselli Mailhe,B
Tregubov,P
66: Buenos Aires 1998
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d3
[ In the previous game we saw the
Uruguayan International Master opt
for 4.Bg2 , which is generally
considered to be inferior. His move
here, in an earlier game, is
marginally better because it prevents
the ...d4-d3 sacrifice. Nevertheless, it
is entirely harmless for Black, who
can equalize very easily. ]
4...dxe4 This move is a simple equalizer,
but if Black wants to be more ambitious,
there are a couple of alternatives
available.
[ a) 4...Nf6 5.Bg2 ( or 5.e5 Nfd7 6.f4
Nc6 7.Nf3 Nd4 8.Bg2 Nb8!? 9.0-0
Nbc6 10.Ne2 Be7 11.c3 Nxe2+
12.Qxe2 0-0 13.Be3 a5
with chances for both sides, R.
Slobodjan-G.Borgo, Arco 1999 )
A) 5...dxe4 6.Nxe4 ( after 6.dxe4
Qxd1+ 7.Nxd1 Nc6 , the position
is basically equal, which is not the
same thing as dead; GM Suba has
managed to win from here with
both colours ) 6...Nxe4 7.Bxe4
Nd7 8.Bg2 Be7 9.Nf3 Bf6 10.0-0
0-0 11.Rb1 e5 12.Re1 Qc7
13.Qe2 a5 14.Bg5 Ra6 15.Bxf6
and a draw was agreed in N.Fries
Nielsen-B.Thorbergsson,
correspondence 1994, since Rxf6
16.Nxe5!? Re6 17.d4 cxd4
18.Qc4 Qc5! doesn't seem to get
anywhere.;
B) Instead, 5...Be7 6.e5 ( or 6.f4
Nc6 ) 6...Nfd7 7.f4 Nc6
is seen in the notes to Game 62. ]
[ b) 4...d4 leads to a reversed King's
Indian: 5.Nce2 ( or 5.Nb1 e5 6.Na3
Nc6 7.Bg2 Bd6 8.Nc4 Bc7 9.a4
Be6 10.Nf3 f6 11.Nh4 Qd7 12.0-0
Nge7 13.f4 0-0-0 14.b3 Kb8 15.Kh1
exf4 16.Bxf4 Bxf4 17.gxf4 g5
18.fxg5 fxg5 19.Nf3 with a sharp
position where Black should not be
worse given his safer king, I.Starostits-
V.Kunin, Worms 2013 ) 5...e5 ( or
5...f5!? 6.Bg2 fxe4 7.Nf4 Nf6
8.dxe4 Nc6 9.Nf3 e5 10.Nd5!?
Nxe4 11.Nxe5 Qxd5 12.Nxc6 Bh3!?
13.c4 Qf5 14.Qf3 Qxf3 15.Bxf3 Nd6
16.b3 Kf7 and Black is doing fine, Pr.
Kovacevic-S.Djuric, Yugoslavia 1989 )
6.Bg2 Nc6 7.f4 Bd6 ( or 7...exf4
8.gxf4 g6 9.Nf3 Bg7 10.0-0 Nf6
11.h3 0-0 12.Ng3 Qc7
and the players agreed a very
premature draw in V.Hort-M.Tal,
Tbilisi 1969 ) 8.Nf3 Nge7 9.0-0 f6
10.c4 a6 11.Nh4 exf4 12.gxf4
Be6?! ( 12...0-0 is fine ) 13.Ng3 0-0?!
14.e5! fxe5?! 15.f5 Bd7 16.Bg5
and Black is suddenly in big trouble,
O.Romanishin-L.Polugaevsky,
Moscow rapid 1982. ]
5.Nxe4
223
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ Here again 5.dxe4 Qxd1+ 6.Nxd1
is objectively harmless, but there is
still plenty of scope to either player to
go wrong; e.g. Nc6 ( or 6...Bd7
7.Nc3 a6 8.Nf3 f6 9.Be3 Nh6
10.Bh3 b5 11.0-0 Nf7 12.a4 b4
13.Ne2 Nc6 14.Nf4 , I.Starostits-T.
Oral, Granada 2006, and now 14 Nf4
looks promising for White ) 7.Ne3 b6
8.c3 ( or 8.Nf3 Bb7 9.Bg2 0-0-0
10.0-0 Be7 11.Nc4?! Ba6 12.b3
Bxc4 13.bxc4 Bf6 14.Rb1 Nd4
15.Nxd4 Rxd4 16.e5 Bd8 17.f4?!
Ne7 18.Re1 Rxc4 19.Be4 Ra4
and White does not have enough for
the pawn, Zs.Szabo-L.Barczay,
Hungarian League 1998 ) 8...Nf6 9.f3
Bb7 10.a4 Ne5 11.Bb5+ Nfd7
12.Be2 g6 ( 12...Be7
is safe enough ) 13.Nh3 f5!? 14.0-0
fxe4 15.fxe4 Bg7? ( 15...h6
should still be okay ) 16.Nc4! Nxc4
17.Bxc4 Ke7?? 18.Bg5+ and White
won, V.Slovineanu-O.Lemmers,
Bucharest 2003. ]
5...Bd7 A logical development, intending
to challenge the white bishop on the
long diagonal.
[ Several other moves have been tried
as well:
a) 5...Nf6 6.Nxf6+ Qxf6 7.Bg2 Bd6
8.Ne2 Nd7 9.0-0 Qe7 10.Nc3 Nf6
11.Re1 h6 12.Nb5 Bb8 13.a4 a6
14.Na3 Bc7 15.Nc4 Rb8 16.a5 0-0
, G.Rajna-M.Mozny, Kecskemet 1985,
and here 17.b3 , followed by Ba3 and
d3-d4 would cause Black problems. ]
[ b) 5...Nd7 6.Bg2 Ngf6 7.Nc3 Be7
8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 Nb6 10.d4 Nbd5
11.Nxd5 exd5 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nd4
Re8 14.c3 Qb6 15.h3 Bd7 16.a4
Bxd4 17.Qxd4 Qxd4 18.cxd4 Re2
and Black is fine, B.Abramovic-B.
Podlesnik, Yugoslav Championship
1988. ]
[ c) 5...Be7 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.Qe2 ( or
7.Nxf6+ Bxf6 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.0-0 0-0
10.Nc3 Be7 11.Ne4 Bd7 12.Be3 b6
13.f4 Rc8 14.Qd2 f5 15.Nc3 Bf6
16.Rae1 Nd4 and Black stands well,
A.Krapivin-E.Vorobiov, Moscow
2009 ) 7...Nc6 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 h6
( 9...Nxe4 is simpler ) 10.Nxf6+ Bxf6
11.c3 e5 12.Be3 Bf5 13.Rfd1
Qd6?! ( but if 13...b6 then 14.d4
cxd4 15.Nxd4! Nxd4 16.Qb5
with an edge ) 14.Nd2! Qxd3
15.Qxd3 Bxd3 16.Bxc5 Rfd8
17.Ne4 Be7 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Nc5
Bc2 , S.B.Hassan-E.El Gindy, Al Ain
2012, and now 20.Re1 Rd2 21.Bxb7
looks good for White. ]
6.Bg2
[ Inserting 6.f4 does not seem to
improve White's chances; e.g. Bc6
7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Bg2 Ngf6 9.Qe2
, T.Kulhanek-J.Votava, Czech League
2004, and now Black might consider
Nxe4 10.dxe4 Qa5+ , intending
11.Bd2 Qa4 12.c4 Qc2 . ]
6...Bc6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.Bf4!?
[ The usual continuation 9.Qe2
offers White no advantage either; e.g.
Be7 10.Bf4 0-0 11.Rfe1 ( or 11.Rfd1
Qb6 12.c3 Rad8 13.Ne5?! Nxe5
14.Bxe5 Nd7 15.Bf4 e5 16.Be3?! f5
and Black seized the initiative, A.
Marechal-S.Kalinitschew, Bethune
2000 ) 11...c4!? 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.d4
Nb6 14.Rad1 Rc8 15.c3 Nd5
16.Be5 b5 and with the d5-square
under control, Black has no problems,
A.Kislinsky-N.Papenin,
Dnipropetrovsk 2002. ]
9...Nxe4 10.dxe4 Be7 QUESTION: I
know Black is a bit behind in
development, but can't he win a pawn
right here?
ANSWER: He can, but only at the cost
of helping White mobilize his remaining
224
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
forces;
[ e.g. 10...Bxe4 11.Qe2 Bc6 12.Rfd1
Qb6 13.a4 and Black has to be very
careful. In any case, if White had
been concerned about this, he could
have played 9 Qe2. ]
11.Qe2 0-0 12.c4 Qb6
[ Deviating from I.Zaitsev-E.
Sveshnikov, Kishinev 1976, which
saw 12...Qa5 13.Bd2 ( Sveshnikov
suggested 13.b3 as an improvement,
keeping more pieces on the board,
but Black doesn't seem to be in any
real difficulties ) 13...Qc7 14.Bc3 Bf6
15.Bxf6 ( or 15.e5 Bxf3 16.Bxf3
Bxe5 17.Bxb7 Rab8 ) 15...Nxf6
16.e5 Nd7 17.Rfe1 Rad8 18.Rac1
Nb8 with approximately even
chances. ]
13.Rad1 Rfd8 14.Rd3 a5
[ Another option is to fix the centre
with 14...f6 15.e5 f5 , when 16.Rfd1
Nf8 is also quite equal. ]
15.Rfd1 Nf8 White has a slight initiative,
nothing earth-shattering but enough
that Black needs to exercise a little care.
QUESTION: With only one open file on
the board, isn't this a draw waiting to
happen?
ANSWER: Only if the players allow it to
happen. The open file doesn't
necessarily have to be used to swap off
all the heavy pieces; and even though
White has doubled his rooks there,
Black has all the possible entry points
well covered.
16.Be5 Rxd3 17.Rxd3 Nd7 18.Bc3
Qc7 19.Rd1 h6 20.Ne1 Rd8 21.f4
[ On 21.Nc2 Nb8 22.Rxd8+ Qxd8
, the game is basically symmetrical
and uneventful and would very likely
end in your anticipated draw. ]
21...b6 22.Nc2 Qb7 23.f5!?
White tries to make something happen.
[ Another idea is to grab more space
with 23.e5 , but it's unlikely to
achieve much after Nb8 24.Rxd8+
Bxd8 25.Na3 Bxg2 26.Qxg2 Qd7
27.Qf3 Nc6 28.Nb5 Na7 . ]
23...Nf6
[ Another option is just to take the
pawn: 23...exf5 24.Ne3 ( 24.exf5
Re8 is nothing for White ) 24...Nf6
( not 24...fxe4?! due to 25.Bxg7! )
25.Rxd8+ Bxd8 26.Nxf5 Qd7
and Black should be fine. ]
24.Re1 Re8?! QUESTION: Both
players have abandoned the open file.
What's happening?
ANSWER: As we noted above, there is
nothing that can be accomplished on the
d-file, so White switched his rook
elsewhere and Black rather routinely
followed suit.
[ Otherwise, 24...exf5 was still
possible; e.g. 25.exf5 Bxg2 26.Qxg2
Qxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Rd7 28.Ne3 Ne8
29.Nd5 Bf6! with a fairly easy draw. ]
25.e5 Nh7 26.Bxc6
[ White might gain a little traction after
26.fxe6 fxe6 27.Bxc6 Qxc6 28.h4
, as Black is beginning to have some
issues with his lack of active
counterplay. ]
26...Qxc6 27.f6?!
[ Here too 27.fxe6 is preferable, and
if Qxe6 then 28.Ne3 , followed by
Nd5, when Black again has to be
careful. ]
27...gxf6 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qh5
[ The forcing line 29.exf6 Bxf6
30.Bxf6+ Nxf6 31.Qf4 Kg7 32.Rf1
e5 33.Qf2 Re6 34.Ne3 Qe4 35.b3
is better, after which Black can have
few expectations of making anything
of his extra pawn, given his exposed
king, the wide-open f5-square and
White's complete control of the f-file. ]
[ A strange coincidence: as in the
previous game, the database stops
225
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
here on move 29 with Black declared
the winner. On this occasion I'm
inclined to think that the rest of the
score is simply missing, since White
is obviously not losing and nothing
much has occurred to cause him to
use up all his time. A possible
continuation is 29.Qh5 f5 30.Ne3
( after 30.Qxh6?! Qf3; or 30.Qxf7?!
Ng5 31.Qh5 Kg7 32.Rf1 Qe4 33.h4
Rh8! , Black takes over the initiative )
30...Bf8 31.Rf1 Re7 32.Rf4
and White still has reasonable
compensation for the pawn, even if
the balance has swung somewhat
towards Black. ]
0-1
B23
Narciso Dublan,M
Ivanov,Se
67: Barbera del Valles 2013
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.exd5
This is the main continuation; White
resolves the immediate tension and
seeks either to attack the black centre
with d2-d4 or else encourage ...d5-d4
and then play around it.
4...exd5 5.Bg2
[ We will examine 5.d4 in the next
game. ]
5...Nf6
[ If Black plays 5...d4 straight away,
A) White has the additional options any problems in this line?
of 6.Nd5 -- ( 6...-- );
B) and 6.Qe2+ . In the latter case, has no problems in any variation of the
6...Be7 7.Nd5 ( 7.Ne4 can be met
by d3!? ) 7...Nc6 8.d3 Be6 9.Nf4
Bd7 10.Nd5 Be6 has been used
several times to score quick
draws. ]
6.Nge2 Preparing d2-d4 again, which for grabbing space with ...c7-c5 and ...d7-
the moment is mistimed: after 6...cxd4 7
Qxd4 Nc6, Black seizes the initiative as
we'll see in the next game.
[ The main alternative is 6.d3
; for example, Be7 ( here 6...Nc6
returns to Chapter Twelve, notes to
Game 62; 6...d4 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.dxe4
Nc6 9.Ne2 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0
should be okay too, though it requires
more careful handling from both
sides ) 7.Nge2 ( or 7.Bg5 0-0 8.Nge2
d4 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Ne4 Be7 11.0-0
Bd7 12.f4 f5 13.Ng5 Bxg5 14.Bxb7
Bc6 15.Bxc6 Nxc6 16.fxg5 Qxg5
and Black is fine, V.Smyslov-R.
Sanguineti, Biel Interzonal 1976 )
7...d4 ( 7...Nc6 is Game 62 again )
8.Ne4 0-0 9.0-0 Nc6 ( or 9...Nbd7
, when 10.Nxf6+ Nxf6 transposes to
our main game ) 10.Nf4 Ne5
11.Nxf6+ Bxf6 12.Nd5 Bg4 13.f3
Be6 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.f4 Nc6
16.Qh5 Bf5 17.g4 g6 18.Qh3 Bd7
19.f5 gxf5 20.Be4 Ne7 21.Bh6 Rfe8
22.gxf5 Kh8 and White's attack didn't
get anywhere, M.Chigorin-S.Tarrasch,
Ostend 1907. ]
6...d4
[ Otherwise d2-d4 will likely follow; e.g.
6...Nc6 7.d4 and we're back in Game
62 again (see the note with 5 Nge2 d5
this time), ]
[ while 6...Be7 7.d4 is much the
same. ]
7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 QUESTION: This
looks pretty harmless; does Black have
ANSWER: Objectively speaking, Black
Closed Sicilian and this is no exception.
That doesn't mean the line carries no
potential for White, nor that Black can
do whatever he likes without
consequences. For instance, by
226
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
d5-d4, Black has left some permanent
weaknesses behind on the the light
squares.
8...Nd7 Bringing the queen's knight to f6
is the standard procedure.
[ Developing the f8-bishop first
generally makes no difference, unless
Black opts to fianchetto; e.g. 8...g6!?
9.Nf4 Bg7 10.0-0 0-0 11.c4 d3!?
( otherwise 11...Nd7 again ) 12.Qf3
( 12.Nxd3 is met by Qd4; or 12.Bxd3
Re8 and ...Nc6 ) 12...Nc6 13.Qxd3
Nd4 14.a4 Re8 and Black has
excellent compensation for the pawn,
A.Del Mundo-U.Adianto, Minneapolis
2005. ]
9.0-0
[ Or 9.d3 Nf6 10.Bg2 Be7 ( or
10...Bd6 ) 11.0-0 0-0 which comes to
the same thing; but by castling first
White keeps the option of a quick c2-
c3 as well. ]
9...Nf6 10.Bg2 Be7
[ The alternative is to put the bishop
on d6: 10...Bd6 , even if it does
appear to be biting on granite:
A) 11.d3 0-0 12.Bf4 ( if 12.c3
Re8 13.Re1 dxc3 14.bxc3 Rb8
15.d4 Bg4 16.Be3 Qc7
, Black has a comfortable position,
M.Narciso Dublan-O.Korneev,
Spanish League 2013; or 12.h3
Be6 13.Nf4 Bxf4 14.Bxf4 Qd7
15.Be5 Nd5 16.g4 f5 and Black is
already in control of the game, S.
Robovic-K.Volke, Munich 1993 )
12...Bg4! 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.h3
Bd7 15.Nf4 Rfe8 16.Qd2 Bc6
17.Rae1 Nd7 and Black has
whatever chances are going, B.
Spassky-V.Korchnoi, 5th
matchgame, Kiev 1968.;
B) 11.c3 0-0 ( or 11...d3!? 12.Nf4
0-0 13.Nxd3 Bxg3 14.fxg3 Qxd3
15.Qf3 Qxf3 16.Bxf3 Bh3
17.Bxb7 Rae8 18.Bg2 Bxg2
19.Kxg2 Re2+ 20.Rf2 Rfe8
and Black has compensation for
the sacrificed pawn, but not much
more than that, B.Spassky-G.
Kasparov, Bugojno 1982 ) 12.cxd4
cxd4 13.d3 Re8 14.h3 ( if
14.Nxd4 then Bxg3 regains the
pawn; while after 14.Bf4 Bg4 15.f3
Bf5 16.Qd2 Bc5 17.Rac1 Qe7
, Black is clearly better, C.
Luncescu-E.Goudriaan, German
League 2013 ) 14...a5 15.Bf4 Bf8
16.Rc1 Qb6 17.b3 Bd7 18.Bc7
Qa7 19.Nf4 Bb4 20.Nh5 Nxh5
21.Qxh5 Bc3 and I prefer Black's
position at the moment, R.Dudek-A.
Karpatchev, German League
2012. ]
11.d3
[ 11.c3 makes less sense here since
the d4-pawn is protected by the
queen. ]
11...0-0 12.Re1
[ White has tried various other moves
at this point:
a) 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nf4
Be5 ( or 14...Bg5 15.Qf3 Qd6
16.Nd5 Be6 17.h4 Bd2 18.Rfd1
Ba5 19.Nf4 , T.Seeman-A.Kveinys,
Jyvaskyla 2001, and now Bc8!
keeps the position level ) 15.Qf3 Rb8
16.Rfe1 Re8 17.Re2 Qd6 18.Rae1
Bd7 19.Nd5 b6 is largely uneventful,
M.Taimanov-L.Polugaevsky, USSR
Championship, Tallinn 1965. ]
[ b) 12.c4 dxc3 13.Nxc3 h6 14.Re1
a6!? 15.Qb3 Ra7 16.Be3 b5
17.Ne4 Rc7 18.a4 Be6 19.Qd1 Nd5
20.axb5 Nxe3 21.Rxe3 axb5
and while Black is no worse, he is
not really any better either, H.Bentsen-
A.Kveinys, Gausdal 2005. ]
[ c) 12.Nf4 Bg4 13.Qd2 Rb8 14.h3
Bd7 15.a4 Re8 16.Re1 Qc7
227
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
17.Qd1 Bc6 18.Bd2 g6 19.b3 Bd6
left White with little to do except try
and draw, R.Fernandez Gutierrez-O.
Korneev, Spanish League 2006. ]
12...Re8
[ 12...Rb8 is also logical, but then
Black must meet 13.Bf4 with Bd6
after all; e.g. 14.Qd2 Be6 15.Bxd6
Qxd6 16.Nf4 Bd7 17.Qa5 Qb6
18.Qxb6 axb6 19.a4 Rfe8 20.Rxe8+
Bxe8 21.b3 Bc6 with equality, A.
Stripunsky-J.Ehlvest, New York
(rapid) 2003. ]
13.Bg5 QUESTION: Why is White so
eager to exchange this bishop for
Black's knight?
ANSWER: Black's weaknesses are on
the light squares which the knight helps
to defend, whereas White's dark-
squared bishop has nothing much to do.
13...h6
[ If Black tries to keep the knight with
13...Nd5?! , then 14.Bxe7 Nxe7 ( not
14...Rxe7? 15.Nxd4! and White wins
a pawn ) 15.c3 gives White a little
something to work with. ]
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nf4 Rxe1+ 16.Qxe1
Bf5?! After this White is able to force
the exchange of light-squared bishops;
[ so Black should probably prefer
16...Bg5 17.Nd5 ( or 17.Qe5 Bxf4
18.Qxf4 Be6 19.b3 Qd7 ) 17...Be6
, followed by 18...Qd7, with roughly
equal chances. ]
17.Bxb7 Rb8 18.Be4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4
Rxb2 20.Re1 Now we have a different
dynamic on the board: good knight vs.
bad bishop. Although Black's position is
not yet objectively worse, there is at
least the risk of it becoming so, which
means he needs to be careful.
20...Qd7?! Leaving the back rank is less
than ideal.
[ With his rook on the seventh Black
might as well take the c-pawn, when
20...Rxc2 21.Qc6 Kf8 22.Nd5 c4
23.dxc4 d3 eliminates most of the
danger. ]
[ Or if he wants to keep the white
queen out of c6, then 20...Qc8
was definitely better; ]
[ or even 20...Rb6 (defending the
bishop as well) 21.h4 g5 22.hxg5
Bxg5 23.Qd5 Qxd5 24.Nxd5
and Black should be able to hold the
rook and minor piece ending. ]
21.h4 Rb8? Black's mistakes are
beginning to mount, and retreating the
rook cannot be right.
[ 21...Rxc2? is not possible due to
22.Qa8+ Kh7 23.Re8 g6 24.h5 Bg7
( or 24...Rb2 25.Rf8 Bg7 26.Rxf7!
etc ) 25.hxg6+ fxg6 26.Re6
and Black has massive problems. ]
[ But perhaps it wasn't too late for
21...Qc8! ; e.g. 22.Qd5 Rxc2
23.Ng6!? ( or 23.Nh5 c4! 24.Nxf6+
gxf6 25.Re7 Qf8 26.Rd7 cxd3!
, when 27.Rd8?? d2 even wins )
23...Rb2 24.Ne7+ Bxe7 25.Rxe7
Qf8 26.Rd7 Rb8 27.Rxa7 Rc8
and Black has reasonable drawing
chances. ]
22.Nd5 Rd8 23.Nxf6+ gxf6
White's good knight vs. bad bishop has
now been exchanged for something
more tangible: a substantial weakening
in the black king's pawn shield. In fact
it's difficult to see how Black might
defend successfully from this point.
24.Qf3 Kg7 25.Re4 Re8?! This drops
a pawn and lands Black in a losing
queen endgame. 26.Rxe8 Qxe8
27.Qg4+ Kf8 28.Qh5 Qe1+
[ If he opts to keep the h-pawn with
28...Kg7 , then 29.Qxc5 Qd7 30.c3
creates a passed d-pawn instead. ]
29.Kg2 Qc3
[ It is no use playing 29...Qe5
either, since 30.Qxe5! fxe5 31.Kf3
228
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Ke7 ( or 31...f5 32.g4 ) 32.Ke4 Ke6
33.g4 gives White an easily winning
pawn endgame. ]
30.Qxh6+ Ke7 31.Qc1 a5?
The idea of advancing the pawn to a3
and playing ...Qb2 is unfeasible, so this
move only makes White's task simpler.
[ 31...Kf8 puts up more resistance,
even if 32.h5 c4 ( or 32...Kg7
33.h6+ Kg6 34.Qh1 Kh7 35.Qh4
and wins ) 33.Qh6+ Ke7 34.Qf4
cxd3 35.cxd3 Qxd3 36.h6 Qg6
37.Qxd4 Qxh6 38.Qxa7+
is ultimately hopeless for Black. ]
32.Qb1
[ Passed pawns should be pushed, at
least so the rule says, and that rule
applies here: 32.h5! c4 ( or 32...Kf8
33.h6 Kg8 34.Qf4 ) 33.h6 cxd3
34.h7 d2 35.Qd1 Qc8 36.Qxd2
and it will very soon be over for
Black. ]
32...Kf8
[ Or 32...a4 33.Qb7+ and another
check will pick up the a-pawn. ]
33.Qb3 Qa1 34.Qa3 Kg7 35.Qxa5 c4
36.dxc4 Qd1 37.Qf5 . Black decides
that he has had enough.
1-0
B23
Sengupta,D
Vorobiov,E
68: Bhubaneswar 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.exd5
exd5 5.d4 By playing d2-d4, which aims
to leave Black with an isolated queen's
pawn, White takes the game into
different territory than our usual d2-d3
in the Closed Sicilian.
[ Of course, we have seen this basic
idea before, as it was one of the
points of behind 5.Nge2 in Chapter
Twelve, but the fact that White
cannot recapture on d4 with the
knight here changes the play quite
considerably. ]
5...cxd4
[ Both 5...Be6 ]
[ and 5...c4 are unnecessarily
passive; ]
[ and 5...Nf6 generally transposes
below:
A) 6.Bg2?! cxd4 7.Qxd4
is our main game ( 7.-- );
B) 6.Nge2 is well met by Bg4;
C) while 6.Bg5 Be7 ( or 6...cxd4
7.Qxd4 ) 7.Bg2 cxd4 8.Qxd4
is the note with 7 Bg5 ( since White
gets nowhere with 8.Bxf6 Bxf6
9.Nxd5 0-0 . )]
[ However, 5...Nc6!? is a significant
alternative:
A) 6.dxc5 d4 7.Ne4 Bxc5
( or just 7...Nf6 , since 8.Bg5??
loses to Qd5! ) 8.Nxc5 Qa5+
9.Bd2 Qxc5 10.Bg2 Bf5 11.c3
Nf6 12.Nf3 Qe7+ ( Palliser
suggests 12...dxc3!? 13.Bxc3 Rd8
, when 14.Qc1 0-0 15.0-0 Ne4
is equal ) 13.Qe2 Qxe2+ 14.Kxe2
, K.Kokolias-H.Banikas, Ikaros
2003, and now d3+ 15.Kf1 0-0
looks no worse for Black.;
B) Instead, 6.Nge2 is met by Bg4
again;
C) 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Bxd4 Nge7
8.Bg2 Nf5 9.Nge2 Be6 10.0-0
Be7 11.Be3 Nxe3 12.fxe3 Qb6
, H.Jurkovic-D.Sermek, Pula 1999,
( but 12...0-0 13.Nf4 d4
seems pretty equal ) , and now
13.Nf4 Qxe3+ 14.Kh1 is better for
White;
D) while if 6.Bg2 then Palliser's
6...cxd4 ( rather than 6...Nxd4
7.Nxd5 Bf5 8.Ne3 Qe7 9.Kf1!
229
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
and things get very messy ) 7.Nxd5
Nge7!? seems fine. ]
6.Qxd4 Rather unexpectedly we have
ended up in a reversed Gِring Gambit
Declined (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4
4 c3 d5 5 exd5 Qxd5) with g2-g3 thrown
in for free.
6...Nf6
[ Again 6...Be6 is unnecessary; e.g.
7.Bg2 Nc6 8.Qa4 Bb4 9.Nge2 a6
10.0-0 Nge7 11.Nf4 0-0 12.Nce2
Bc5 13.c3 b5 14.Qd1 Bb6 15.a4
b4 16.cxb4 Nxb4 17.b3 Rc8 18.Bb2
and White has a small plus, G.Lane-V.
Bologan, Cappelle la Grande 1992. ]
7.Bg2?! Trying to utilize the extra g2-g3
at this precise moment is somewhat
dubious.
[ White should stick to the standard
Gِring move 7.Bg5 and then:
A) 7...Be7 with three options for
White:
A1) 8.Bg2 Nc6 9.Qa4 0-0
10.Nge2 d4 11.0-0-0 Bd7
12.Nxd4?! ( here 12.Bxf6 Bxf6
13.Nd5 Rc8 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6
15.Nxd4 Qxf2 is safer and equal,
D.Novitzkij-M.Zacurdajev, St
Petersburg 2006 ) 12...Na5
13.Nf5 Bxa4 14.Rxd8 Bxd8
15.Nxa4 and White barely has
enough for the exchange, R.
Spielmann-J.Mieses, 2nd
matchgame, Regensburg 1910.;
A2) 8.0-0-0 Nc6 9.Qa4 Be6
10.Bg2 0-0 11.Nge2 ( again
11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nxd5 Bxd5
13.Bxd5 Qb6 14.Qb3 Qxf2
led to a quick draw in R.Baran-W.
Ehrenfeucht, Warsaw 1998 )
11...Qb6 12.Be3 Bc5 13.Bxc5
Qxc5 14.Qf4 Rac8 15.Rd2 b5
16.Rhd1 Rfd8 with chances for
both sides, J.Mieses-A.
Rubinstein, The Hague 1921;
A3) 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6
10.Qc5! (following Capablanca's
recipe in the reversed position)
Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qe7+ 12.Qxe7+
Kxe7 13.0-0-0 is fairly level,
since Black's isolated d-pawn
balances White doubled c-
pawns; e.g. Rd8 14.Ne2 Bg4!?
(exploiting the fact that g2-g3
rules out f2-f3 for White)
( 14...Be6 15.Rhe1 Kf6
would be 'normal' and equal )
15.Rd2 Kf8 16.Nf4 Ne7 17.h3
Bf3 18.Re1 Rac8 19.Re3 Be4
led to interesting play with
chances for both sides, A.
Stefanova-P.Tregubov, Wijk aan
Zee 2002.;
B) 7...Nc6!? is also possible:
8.Bxf6!? ( not 8.Qa4?! Bb4
9.0-0-0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 0-0
and Black has the better chances;
while 8.Bb5 Be7 transposes to
line 'a3' above ) 8...Nxd4 9.Bxd8
Nxc2+ 10.Kd2 Nxa1 11.Bg5
(unlike in the Gِring proper, the
resource Bh4-g3 is unavailable) d4
12.Nd5 Bd6 13.Bb5+ ( note that
13.Bf4? is no good in view of Be6!
14.Bxd6 Bxd5 and wins ) 13...Bd7
14.Bxd7+ Kxd7 15.Nh3 Rac8
16.Rxa1 Rc5 17.Nb4 Rxg5
18.Nxg5 Bxb4+ 19.Kd3 f6 20.Nf3
Rc8 with equality. ]
7...Nc6 Now the white queen gets
knocked back and Black seizes the
initiative. 8.Qd1
[ Other moves are even worse:
8.Qa4?! Bd7! 9.Bg5 ( or 9.Nce2 Bc5
10.c3 0-0 11.Bg5 Ne5 12.Qc2
Bxf2+! and Black won, D.Sajkowski-A.
Chow, Illinois 1996 ) 9...d4 10.Nd5?
( but 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Nd5 Qe5+
is very good for Black too ) 10...Nb4
11.Qb3 Nbxd5 12.Bxd5 Qa5+
230
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
13.Kf1 Qxd5 14.Re1+ Be6
0-1 D.Haessel-A.Chow, Toronto
1998. ]
[ Or 8.Qd3?! Nb4 9.Qe2+ Qe7
10.Be3 d4 11.a3 dxe3 12.axb4
exf2+ 13.Kxf2 Qxe2+ 14.Ngxe2
Bxb4 and Black is clearly better, J.
Listiak-L.Salomons, Slovakian
League 2012; ]
[ while after 8.Qe3+?! Be7 9.Nge2
0-0 , the threat of ...d5-d4 forces the
queen to move again. ]
8...d4!
[ More testing than 8...Bb4 9.Nge2
Bg4 10.h3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3
, when White's two bishops
compensate for the inferior pawn
structure; e.g. Bf5 12.0-0 0-0
13.Bg5 Be4 14.f3 Bg6 15.Rb1 Re8
16.Rf2 b6 17.Nf4 h6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6
19.Nxd5 Qd6 and the players soon
agreed a draw in B.Predojevic-S.
Halkias, Serbian League 2008. ]
9.Nce2 Bb4+?! This routine check
allows White to equalize.
[ Black does better to keep all the
pieces on the board with 9...Bc5
10.Nf3 Bf5 11.0-0 0-0 , when White
has an unappealing position; e.g.
12.Nf4 Re8 13.Nd3 Bb6 14.Bg5 h6
15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Nd2 Qg6 17.Nc4
Bc7 18.a4 Bg4 19.Bf3 Bh3 20.Re1
Qf5 21.Bh1 Re6 22.Qf3 Rae8
23.Qxf5 Bxf5
A) 24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.Rxe6 Bxe6
26.Re1 Kf8 27.Nc5 Bf5 28.Rxe8+
Kxe8 29.Nd3 Kd7 and Black won
with the two bishops, D.Suttles-M.
Tal, Hastings 1973/74. ( 29...-- );
B) For what it's worth, Suttles
conducted the early middlegame
pretty well, and 24.Rxe6 Bxe6 ( or
24...Rxe6 25.a5 Re2 26.a6 )
25.Na3 Bb6 ( or 25...a6 26.Nc5 )
26.Nb5 might have enabled him to
hold on, though that's no
recommendation for the line in
general. ]
10.c3 dxc3 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8
[ Or 11...Nxd8 12.bxc3 Bc5 13.Nf3
0-0 14.0-0 Re8 15.Ned4 and White
should be okay. ]
12.bxc3 Bc5 13.Bg5 Kc7
[ Or 13...Re8 14.Bxf6+ gxf6 15.Nh3
, followed by Nhf4. ]
14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nf4 Re8+ 16.Kf1!?
[ Moving the king off the e-file isn't
really necessary, since 16.Nge2
is safe enough; e.g. Bg4 ( or 16...Be6
17.Rd1 Bxa2 18.Bd5 ) 17.Nd5+ ( or
17.Rd1 again; but not 17.f3? Be6
and the white king is very
uncomfortable ) 17...Kd6 18.f3 Bf5
( or 18...Kxd5 19.fxg4+ Kc4 20.Rf1 )
19.Nxf6 Bd3 20.Nxe8+ Rxe8 21.Bf1
Ne5 22.0-0-0 Be3+ 23.Kb2 Nc4+
24.Kb3 Nd2+ with a probable draw. ]
16...Be6 17.Nd5+ Bxd5 18.Bxd5
Rad8 19.Bxf7 Re7 20.Bh5 Re5
21.Bg4
[ Not 21.Bf3? Rf5! 22.Kg2 Ne5
and White is completely tied down. ]
21...f5 22.Bf3 Returning the bishop to
h5 was also fine. 22...Rd3 23.Kg2
Rxc3
[ Here the players agreed a draw,
which seems a little premature. Black
might have played on a bit, even if
23...Rxc3 24.Ne2 Rc2 25.Rhc1 Rd2
26.Kf1 is more or less equal. ]
1/2
231
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B23
Rublevsky,S
Papin,V
69: Russian Team Championship 2010
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 To some degree this
is quite a logical move: White has
committed the knight to c3, so Black
targets it in a thematic Sicilian fashion
by preparing ...b7-b5. As Richard
Palliser details in his book 'Fighting the
Anti-Sicilians', White has numerous
possibilities in reply, but we'll limit
ourselves to the typical Closed Sicilian 3
g3.
[ Let's also use this game as an
opportunity to show some of the truly
minor alternatives available to Black
on the second move:
a) 2...d6 3.g3 transposes with
almost 100% certainty to chapters
earlier in the book; indeed we have
seen the move order Nc6 4.Bg2 g6
5.d3 Bg7 numerous times. ]
[ b) 2...g6 is fairly common but usually
transposes elsewhere too:
A) such as after 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2
Nc6 . ( 4...-- );
B) White can attempt to exploit
Black's move order by playing
3.d4!? , but the repeated use of 2...
g6 by top grandmasters such as Bu
Xiangzhi and Gadir Guseinov
should tell us that Black's position
is fully playable; for example,
3...cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nf3 ( or
5.Bb5!? a6 6.e5 axb5 7.exf6 Nc6
8.fxe7 Qxe7+ 9.Qe3 Nd4 10.Kd1
Ne6! with good play for Black )
5...Nc6 6.Qa4 d6 7.e5 dxe5
8.Nxe5 Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Be3 Kritz.
Bg7 11.Rd1 Qc7 and while White
has a tiny edge with the bishop pair,
in praxis this has meant very little. ]
[ c) 2...e5!? is perhaps best met by
3.Bc4 ; ( but from a Closed Sicilian
perspective 3.g3 will generally
transpose to whichever line White
prefers against a Botvinnik
formation. )]
[ d) 2...b6 makes some sense: 3.g3
Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 ( or 4...e6 5.d3 Nf6
6.f4 d5 7.e5 Ng8 8.Nf3 h5?! 9.f5!
exf5 10.0-0 g6 11.Bf4 and White
has excellent play for the pawn, A.
Rodriguez Vila-E.Limp, Santos 2004 )
5.d3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nh6!? 7.h3 ( 7.f3!?
is almost certainly a better choice )
7...Nf5! 8.exf5?! Bxg2 9.Rh2 Bb7
and Black is already clearly better,
A.Bozbey-B.Savchenko, Canakkale
2016. ]
[ e) 2...Nf6!? is very provocative;
Black claims that after 3.e5 ( or 3.g3
d5!? ) 3...Ng8 , the white e-pawn will
become a target, compensating for
the time lost with the knight; e.g.
4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.0-0 Qc7
7.Re1 e6 8.d3 ( White might
consider 8.b3!? ) 8...a6 9.Bc4 b5
10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Ne4 , M.Cornette-K.
Shirazi, Paris (blitz) 2011, and now
Nxb3 12.axb3 d5 looks sensible,
when Black doesn't stand so badly. ]
3.g3
[ White rarely plays 3.a4 , since Black
can aim for set-ups where a2-a4 is
less than useful, such as ...e7-e6 and
...d7-d5 lines from Chapter Thirteen.
Alternatively, Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2
Bg7 6.d3 Rb8 7.Be3 d6 transposes
to Game 13 and was in fact the move
order there. ]
3...b5 4.Bg2 Answering ...b7-b5 with a2-
a3 is sort of a specialty of GM Leonid
[ Here 4.a3 is hardly critical, since it
gives Black an extra tempo for action
in the centre, but when the positions
232
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
are equal anyway it's often more
important to play the way you prefer.
L.Kritz-J.Xiong, Dallas 2014,
continued Bb7 5.Bg2 e6 6.d3 Nf6
7.f4 Be7 ( 7...d5 is the standard
response ) 8.Nf3 d6 9.0-0 Nc6
10.Ne2 Qc7 11.h3 Nd7 12.c3 0-0
13.g4 f5 14.Ng3 fxe4 15.dxe4 Rad8
16.g5 Nb6 17.Nh4 g6?!
( now Black should certainly get his
retaliation with 17...d5 in first ) 18.f5!
d5 19.Bf4 e5?? ( 19...Ne5 20.Qg4!
exf5 21.exf5 Bc8! keeps the game
messy ) 20.Bd2? ( White wins with
20.fxg6! exf4 21.gxh7+ Kg7
22.Ngf5+ etc ) 20...dxe4 21.fxg6
Bxg5?? ( 21...Rxf1+ was essential )
22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qh5 Bxd2
24.gxh7 and White won. ]
4...Bb7 5.Nge2 We'll start with this
move, which follows the example of
Chapter Twelve and maintains White's
options with the d-pawn.
[ The main line with 5.d3 e6
is examined in Games 70-71, apart
from 6 Nge2 which transposes below.
] 18.Bf4 Ne5 19.Re1 Rhd8 20.Rxe5+
[ 5.Nh3 ]
[ and 5.f4 also feature in the notes to
Games 70 and 71 respectively. ]
5...e6 Black continues his Kan-like set-
up, placing his pawns on the light
squares.
[ 5...b4 is possible too, but then White
might play 6.Nd5 as well. ]
6.0-0
[ White has two major alternatives:
a) 6.d3 Nf6 7.0-0 ( 7.Bg5
rarely bothers Black; e.g. Be7 8.0-0
Nc6 9.e5 Ng4 10.Ne4 Bxg5
11.Nd6+ Ke7 12.Nxb7 Qb6 13.Nd6
Ngxe5 14.Ne4 Bh6 and Black can
be pleased with the outcome of the
opening, S.Conquest-I.Nikolaidis,
European Team Championship, Leon
2001 ) 7...d5 ( a small centre is quite
acceptable too; e.g. 7...d6 8.f4 Nc6
9.h3 h5!? 10.a3 Be7 11.Be3 Nd7
12.Qd2 Bf6 13.Rab1 Qc7 14.Nd1
Nb6 15.Nf2 Nd4 16.Nc1 Nc6 17.c3
c4 18.d4 Na5 19.Ne2 0-0-0
with chances for both sides, L.Kritz-
T.Henrichs, Differdange 2007; or
7...Qc7 8.h3 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.g4
h6 11.Ng3 d6 12.f4 Nfd7 13.Qd2
Nc6 14.Nce2 Rae8 15.f5 Qd8
16.Nf4 Bg5 17.Ngh5 Nce5 18.Rae1
and the players agreed a draw in V.
Spasov-M.Tabatabaei, Albena 2015,
as after g6 19.Ng3 Bh4
, for example, Black is doing fine )
8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 10.Bxd5
Qxd5 11.Nf4 Qb7? ( 11...Qc6
is correct ) 12.Qh5! Nc6
was A.Krapivin-I.Popov, Lvov 2006,
and now 13.Nxe6 g6 14.Qd5! Qd7
( if 14...fxe6? then 15.Re1 wins )
15.Nc7+! ( even stronger than
15.Qxd7+ Kxd7 16.Nxf8+ Rhxf8
17.Be3 with an extra pawn ) 15...Qxc7
16.Re1+ Be7 17.Rxe7+ Kxe7
Kf8 21.Qf3 Qb6 22.Bg5 Qd6 ( not
22...Re8? 23.Bh6+ Kg8 24.Re7!
and wins ) 23.Be7+ Qxe7 24.Rxe7
Kxe7 25.Qe3+ Kd6 26.Qe4
gives White excellent winning
chances. ]
[ b) 6.d4!?
A) 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 takes the
game into a Kan Sicilian (2 Nf3 e6
3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 Nc3 b5 6 g3
Bb7 7 Bg2). ( 7.-- );
B) Having set up with ...a7-a6 and
...e7-e6, such a transposition
should not be unwelcome, but if it
is Black can try 6...Nf6!?
B1) 7.d5 e5 ( not 7...b4?!
8.Na4 d6? 9.dxe6 fxe6 10.Nf4
e5?! 11.Ne6 Qd7 12.Nxf8
233
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Qxa4 13.Qxd6! Rxf8 14.Qe6+
Kd8 15.Qb6+ Ke7 16.Qxb7+
Nbd7 17.Bg5 and White is
winning, S.K.Williams-A.Adly,
Reykjavik 2011 ) 8.f4 d6 9.fxe5
dxe5 10.h3 c4 11.Be3 Nbd7
12.g4 Bc5 13.Bxc5 Nxc5
14.Ng3 0-0 15.0-0 Ne8 16.Qf3
Nd6 with chances for both sides,
M.Gevorgyan-M.Kekelidze, Poti
2015.;
B2) After 7.0-0 b4 8.Na4 Bxe4
9.dxc5 ( or 9.Bxe4 Nxe4
10.Be3 , C.Oblitas Guerrero-R.
Leitao, Sao Paulo 2000, and
now cxd4 11.Nxd4 d5
, Black is at least equal ) 9...Bxg2
10.Kxg2 Qc7 11.c3 Bxc5
12.Bf4 Qb7+ 13.Kg1 Ba7
, S.B.Hassan-S.Shyam, Al Ain
2013. ]
6...b4 Pushing the pawn takes us into
different territory.
[ 6...Nf6 is actually played more often,
but then 7 d3 or 7 d4 transposes to
the previous note. The only remaining
option is 7.e5!? which should pose
no problems for Black: Bxg2 8.Kxg2
Ng4 9.f4 ( or 9.d4 cxd4 10.Qxd4 f5
11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Ne4 Nc6 13.Nxf6+
Qxf6 14.Qxf6 gxf6 15.Be3 Nb4
16.Rfc1 Rc8 17.Bd2 Nd5 18.c3
Nb6 19.Rd1 d5 and I prefer Black's
chances with the central pawns, D.
Lomsadze-M.Kekelidze, Tbilisi 2008 )
9...Nc6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4
12.Qxd4 Rc8 13.Qd1 Nh6 14.Ne4
Rc4 15.Re1 Qa8 16.Qd3 d5
17.Nd2 Rc7 and Black is fine, M.
Petrov-D.Eggleston, Penarth 2011. ]
7.Na4
[ If putting the knight on the edge does
not appeal to you, then 7.Nb1
is also possible;
A) e.g. 7...Nf6 8.d3 d5 ( or 8...d6
9.f4 Qc7 10.c4 bxc3 11.Nbxc3
Nc6 12.f5 e5 13.h3 h5 14.Bg5
Nd4 15.Qd2 Be7 16.Rfc1 Qd8
17.Bh4 Rb8 18.b3 a5
and chances are about equal, P.H.
Nielsen-A.Rotstein, Minsk 1993 )
9.Nd2 Be7 10.e5 Ng4 11.Nf3
Nd7 12.d4 h5 ( 12...cxd4
13.Qxd4 h5 improves, when 14.h3
Nh6 15.Bxh6 Rxh6 seems fully
playable for Black ) 13.h3 Nh6
14.dxc5 Bxc5 15.Ned4 Qb6
16.Be3 g6 ( or 16...h4 17.g4 Ng8
18.c3 a5 19.cxb4 axb4 20.Rc1
Be7 21.Nf5 sees Black in serious
trouble ) 17.a3 bxa3 18.b4 Bxb4
19.Nf5 and White has a large
advantage, J.Sindarov-A.Mista,
Sharjah (rapid) 2016.;
B) The immediate 7...d5
should be met by 8.d3
( rather than 8.exd5 Bxd5 9.Bxd5
Qxd5 10.d4 Nf6 11.dxc5 Bxc5
12.Qxd5 Nxd5 and Black is
certainly no worse, J.Blokhuis-K.
Landa, Dutch League 2006 )
, intending 8...dxe4 9.Nd2 . ]
7...Nf6
[ QUESTION: With the knight
vulnerable on a4, wouldn't it make
sense to attack it with 7...Bc6 - ?
ANSWER: It might seem tempting to
do so, but let's not forget that at
present Black has only developed one
piece: the one you want to move
again to attack a knight that can
easily be defended; while 7...Bc6 may
be playable, I doubt it is best decision.
For example: 8.b3 ( or 8.c3 Qa5
9.b3 Bxa4 10.bxa4 bxc3 11.e5 Nc6
12.Bxc6 dxc6 13.dxc3 Rb8 14.Qd3
Be7 15.Qe4 Qc7 16.Be3
and White has much the better
chances, M.Fryc-S.Ilandzis,
Marianske Lazne 2009 ) 8...Nf6 9.d3
234
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Be7 10.Be3 Bxa4 11.bxa4 d5
12.Nf4 d4? ( 12...dxe4 is more or
less okay ) 13.e5 Nd5 , V.Kotronias-
M.Papadakis, Greek League 2010,
and now the straightforward 14.Nxd5
exd5 15.Bf4 gives White a
substantial advantage, as Black can
hardly defend the d5-pawn. ]
8.d3
[ Note that 8.d4 is still possible, and
transposes to 6 d4 Nf6 7 0-0 again. ]
8...d6
[ Having compromised the queenside
slightly with ...b5-b4, the small centre
seems more appropriate, though
8...d5 is also played; for example,
9.exd5 ( 9.Bg5 allows Black to bail
out with dxe4 10.dxe4 Qxd1
11.Rfxd1 Nbd7 as in J.Gdanski-A.
Lach, Trzcianka 2015 ) 9...Bxd5
10.Bxd5 Nxd5 ( or 10...exd5 11.Bg5
Nbd7 12.Nf4 Be7 13.Qf3 0-0
14.Rae1 h6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6
, D.Castano-C.Rios, Pereira 2014,
and now 16.Re2 Ra7 17.Rfe1
gives White an ongoing initiative )
11.Nf4 Nxf4 12.Bxf4 Nd7 13.a3!
g5? ( obviously 13...Be7
is more sensible ) 14.Be3 h5? 15.d4
bxa3 16.Rxa3 cxd4 17.Bxd4 e5
18.Re3 f6 19.Qf3 Be7 20.Bc3 Ra7
21.Rd1 and White is probably winning
already, Z.Jovanovic-I.Bender, Osijek
2014. ]
9.a3 a5 10.c3 Nbd7
[ Black has tried a couple of other
moves here:
a) 10...bxa3?! 11.bxa3 Nbd7 12.Rb1
Bc6 13.c4 Be7 14.Nac3 Rb8
15.Rxb8 Qxb8 16.f4 ( 16.Qc2!?
, followed by Bd2 or Bg5 and Rb1,
also makes a lot of sense ) 16...Qa8
, N.Georgakopoulos-Al.David,
Rethymnon 2011, and now 17.Nb5!?
0-0 18.Nec3 looks like a comfortable
advantage for White. ]
[ b) 10...Nc6?! 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4
d5? (this is too ambitious, as White's
lead in development now weighs
rather heavily) 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nf4!
Nce7?! .
EXERCISE: How should White
continue? (We need at least the next
3-4 moves)
ANSWER: 15.Nc5! Bc6 16.Nfxe6!
fxe6 17.Qh5+ g6 ( or 17...Ng6
18.Nxe6 Qd7 19.Re1 Be7 20.Nc5
Qd8 21.Re6 and wins ) 18.Qe5! Rg8
19.Bg5 ( 19.Re1! may be even
better ) 19...h6 20.Bxe7?! Nxe7
21.Bxc6+ Nxc6 22.Qxe6+ Ne7
23.Ne4! and a knight check at f6 or d6
is decisive, so Black resigned, M.Kuijf-
T.Shaked, Wijk aan Zee 1998. ]
11.Bd2 bxc3 12.bxc3
[ QUESTION: How about 12.Bxc3
- ? It looks more active than the
pawn recapture.
ANSWER: What's the follow-up?
White has made the d3-d4 advance
less of a possibility, and the knight on
a4 is still stranded without a retreat
square. Bottom line, 12 Bxc3 is
possible, but I'm not sure it's a good
idea. ]
12...Qc7
[ On 12...c4 , White can secure his
centre with 13.Rb1! Ba6 ( not
13...Rb8? 14.Rxb7! Rxb7 15.e5
etc ) 14.d4 , when I prefer his position;
nonetheless Rb8 15.f4 Rxb1
16.Qxb1 e5 17.h3 Be7 18.g4 Qc7
seems fully playable for Black and
an improvement on the game. ]
13.Rb1 Bc6 14.c4! QUESTION: I'm
not sure I understand why this is
supposed to be a strong move for White.
It looks like he has given up on the
centre and the hope of using his lead in
development for anything.
235
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
ANSWER: To address the issue
regarding the centre first: White has not
given up on it, but the d3-d4 break you
are thinking about would have to be
prepared by Qc2 and is not particular
effective right now anyway. As regards
the lead in development, that is a
fleeting thing and unless White plays
aggressively, as he is doing right now, it
will soon be neutralized. With the text
move, White has a very specific idea in
mind.
14...Be7 15.Nec3 0-0 16.Nb5 Qc8
[ Taking the knight at once with
16...Bxb5 17.cxb5 gives White a
strong passed pawn. Instead, Black
hopes to remove it by means of ...
Ne8-c7 and ...Rb8. ]
17.Bc3 Ne8 18.Qd2 White aims to
discourage ...Nc7 by attacking the a5-
pawn.
[ Another option is to support the
knight with 18.f4 Nc7 19.Rf2 Rb8
20.Rfb2 and White has the better
chances. ]
18...Bd8?!
[ It might be better to play 18...Nc7
anyway, intending 19.Bxa5 ( but
19.Rb2 Rb8 20.Rfb1 keeps an edge
for White ) 19...Ne8! 20.Nb2 Qa6
21.Bc3 Bxb5 22.cxb5 Qxb5 23.Nc4
Qa6 . ]
19.d4! Having busied his opponent with
threats on the queenside, Rublevsky
now starts attacking in the centre,
utilizing his space advantage and
considerably more active pieces.
19...cxd4 20.Bxd4 f5?! This seems
almost desperate and only weakens his
position further.
[ 20...Qa6 is a better choice, when
Black is worse but still quite solid. ]
21.Nac3 Qa6 22.Be3 Uncovering an
attack on the weak d6-pawn.
[ A simple, positional alternative is
22.Rfe1!? fxe4 23.Nxe4 e5 24.Be3
Be7 25.Red1 , where Black's weak
pawns and light squares promise
White a substantial plus. ]
22...Ne5?! This gives up the d-pawn
without a fight;
[ 22...Bf6 at least saves it for the time
being. ]
23.Nxd6 Nxd6 24.Qxd6 Nxc4
25.Qxe6+ Kh8 26.Nd5 fxe4?!
[ Black has few hopes of putting up
active resistance and so should opt
for 26...Nxe3 27.fxe3 Bxd5 28.Qxa6
Rxa6 29.exd5 , when the opposite-
coloured bishops promise some
drawing chances. In the game things
soon get much worse for Black. ]
27.Bxe4? I'm guessing that both players
were getting short of time since their
moves become increasingly erratic.
[ The strongest continuation here is
27.Bd4! Be8 28.Qxe4 Bg6 ( or
28...Nd2 29.Bxg7+ Kxg7 30.Qd4+
etc ) 29.Qg4 Qc8 30.Bxg7+ Kxg7
31.Qd4+ Kg8 32.Rbc1 and White
regains the piece with two extra
pawns as interest on the account. ]
27...Nxe3?? Papin repays White's
mistake with an even bigger one.
[ After 27...Qc8! 28.Qxc8 Rxc8
29.Bc1 , Black is still living. ]
28.fxe3 Bg5 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8
TACTICAL EXERCISE: What is White's
best move?
30.Nf4?!
[ ANSWER: 30.Qf5!! threatens the
rook on f8, the bishop on g5, as well
as mate on h7 – and to top it off,
Black cannot touch the queen
because of a weak back rank. In
other words: it is game over. ]
30...Bb5?!
[ For what it's worth, taking on f4 first
avoids the option in the next note,
since 30...Bxf4 31.exf4?! Qa7+
236
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
32.Kg2 Bxe4+ 33.Qxe4 h6
gives White a lot of technical
problems. ]
31.Qe5 Bxf4 32.gxf4
[ Capturing the other way is now
stronger: 32.exf4! Bd7 ( or 32...Qa7+
33.Kg2 ) 33.Rb7 Qe6 34.Qd4 Rd8
35.Rb6 Qe8 36.Rd6 and Black is
completely lost. ]
32...Bd7 33.Rb8 Bc8?!
[ But nothing is really any better at
this point; e.g. 33...Rxb8 34.Qxb8+
Qc8 35.Qxc8+ Bxc8 36.Bc2
with a winning bishop endgame; ]
[ or 33...Rg8 34.Kf2 Qc4 35.Rxg8+
Qxg8 36.Qxa5 and checks from the
black queen have no more than
irritation value. ]
34.Qh5 h6 35.Qg6 Liquidating to an
easy win is the human solution.
[ The computer prefers 35.Qc5! Rg8
36.f5 and Black is essentially without
moves. ]
35...Qxg6+ 36.Bxg6 Kg8 37.Ra8
Bb7? Losing on the spot. 38.Bh7+!
1-0
B23
Wen Yang
Artemiev,V
70: Moscow 2016
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g3 b5 4.Bg2
Bb7 5.d3 In this game we'll focus on
lines with Nh3.
[ Some of the leading practitioners on
the White side have tried 5.Nh3 e6
6.0-0 , which generally transposes
below after a subsequent d2-d3, but
does offer some additional
possibilities such as a quick e4-e5.
For example:
A) 6...Nf6 7.e5!? Bxg2 8.Kxg2
Ng8 9.Qh5!? Nc6 10.d3 d5?
(again a mistake) ( 10...g6 11.Qe2
Qc7 is fine ) 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Ng5
Qd7 13.Nce4 Bf8 14.Re1 Nd4
, A.Würdinger-J.Jolly, Rennes 2008,
and now 15.c3 Nc2 16.Re2 Nxa1
17.Nxe6 wins for White.;
B) 6...d6 7.f4 Nf6 ( 7...Be7; or
7...Nd7 is more circumspect ) 8.e5!?
Bxg2 9.Kxg2 dxe5 ( or 9...Nfd7
10.exd6 Bxd6 11.f5 ) 10.fxe5 Nd5
11.Qh5 Ra7 12.Ne4 and White
has the initiative, if no definite
advantage.;
C) 6...b4 7.Ne2 Nf6 8.e5 Bxg2
9.Kxg2 Nd5 is safer for Black and
led to a quick draw in I.Starostits-
M.Matlakov, Riga 2009: 10.c4 Ne7
11.d4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Nbc6
13.Ng5 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 h6 ½-½.;
D) Not 6...d5?? 7.exd5 exd5
8.Re1+ Be7 9.Nf4 Nf6 10.Qf3
and the d-pawn drops off. ]
5...e6
[ Black has been known to switch to
5...g6 occasionally; e.g. 6.Be3 ( 6.f4
Bg7 7.Nf3 e6 8.h4!? Ne7 9.h5 d5
10.e5 Nbc6?! 11.Be3! d4? 12.Ne4!
Nxe5 13.h6! Nxf3+ 14.Qxf3 Kf8
15.hxg7+ Kxg7 16.f5! led to a rapid
debacle in A.Utegaliev-R.Kulkarni,
Moscow 2015 ) 6...d6 7.Qd2 Bg7
8.f4 Nd7 ( 8...Nc6 transposes to a
rare line from Chapter Five; see 6...a6
in the notes to Game 23 ) 9.Nf3 Ngf6
10.h3 d5! 11.Bf2 b4 12.Nd1 dxe4
13.Ng5 Qc7 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4
0-0 16.0-0 Rad8 17.Qe2 Rfe8
and Black emerged with the more
promising position, M.Aigner-A.
Stripunsky, Los Angeles 2003. ]
6.Nh3 By developing the king's knight to
the edge, White leaves the e2-square
free for the queen's knight if needs be.
[ Instead, we saw 6.Nge2 in the notes
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
to the previous game; ]
[ while 6.f4 is examined in the next
game. ]
[ We should also mention the
possibility of 6.Nf3!? , even though
this isn't really a Closed Sicilian at all.
It generally arises via 2 Nf3 e6 3 Nc3
a6 4 g3 b5 5 Bg2 Bb7 6 d3 and is
designated as a 2 Nf3 sideline in the
'Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'.
One of the ideas for White here is the
strange-looking Ng5, clearing the way
for f2-f4, or if ...h7-h6 then Nh3, so it
would seem to make more sense, via
our move order, for White to play
either 6 f4 or 6 Nh3 at once.
Nevertheless, here are a few sample
variations from grandmaster practice:
d6 7.0-0 Nf6 ( 7...Nd7; and 7...Be7
are also possible ) 8.Ng5!?
( other ideas include: 8.e5 dxe5
9.Nxe5 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Nbd7
11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.Qf3 Rc8 13.a4
b4 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Nd2 Nd5 16.Nc4
Bf6 17.Re1 0-0 and Black has no
particular problems, V.Jansa-S.
Rublevsky, Ostrava 1992; or 8.Re1
Nbd7 9.Bf4 Be7 10.a4 b4 11.Nb1
0-0 12.Nbd2 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5
14.Ne5 Ra7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.Be3
Nxe3 17.fxe3 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Bf6
with a similar sort of position, E.
Safarli-F.Caruana, Reggio Emilia
2009/10; or 8.a3 Nbd7 9.Nh4!? Qc7
10.f4 Be7 11.Bd2 Bc6 12.Qe2 0-0
13.Nd1 c4 14.Nf2 cxd3 15.cxd3
Nc5 16.Rad1 a5 with chances for
both sides, A.Fedorov-V.Bologan,
Kishinev 1998 ) 8...Nc6 ( or just 8...h6
9.Nh3 Nc6 10.f4 b4 11.Ne2 Qc7
12.Nf2 Be7 13.h3 Nd4 14.g4
Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Nd7 and Black is
fine, T.Abergel-O.Korneev, Lille
2011 ) 9.f4 Be7 10.f5 exf5 11.exf5
d5 ( otherwise 11...0-0 12.Nge4
is fairly equal ) 12.Nxd5!? Nxd5
13.Qh5 Bxg5 ( my computer
suggests 13...Ne5!? as a potential
improvement ) 14.Bxg5 Nf6
15.Rae1+ Kf8 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Re6!
Qd4+ 18.Rf2 Qd7 19.f6! Qxe6
, E.Najer-S.Ionov, St Petersburg 1998,
and now 20.fxg7+! Kxg7 21.Bd5
Qe1+ 22.Kg2 Ne5 23.Rxf7+! Nxf7
24.Qxf7+ Kh6 25.Qf6+ Kh5 26.Qf5+
is a draw by perpetual check. ]
6...d6 Black refrains from ...b5-b4 for the
time being, perhaps hoping for a more
apposite moment. As things turned out,
he probably regretted this decision.
[ Instead:
a) After 6...b4 7.Ne2 , the logical
continuation is d5 ; for example,
8.0-0 ( or 8.e5 Nc6 9.f4 Nh6 10.Nf2
Nf5 11.0-0 Qb6 12.c3 Be7 13.g4
Nh4 14.Bh1 h5 15.g5 f6!? 16.exf6
gxf6 17.Ng3 fxg5 18.fxg5 0-0-0
19.Qe2 e5 20.Nxh5 Kb8 21.Qg4
Ng6 and Black has excellent play for
the pawn, Yu Yangyi-D.Khismatullin,
Moscow 2017 )
A) 8...Nf6 9.e5 ( after 9.exd5
Bxd5 10.Bxd5 Qxd5 11.Nhf4 Qb7
12.b3 Nc6 13.Bb2 Bd6 14.Ng2
Be5 15.Qc1 Nd5 , White is weak
on both the dark and the light
squares, F.Bolourchifard-E.Ghaem
Maghami, Iranian League 2015 )
9...Nfd7 10.f4 Be7 11.a3 Qb6!?
( 11...a5 is fine ) 12.axb4 cxb4+
13.d4 g6 14.Be3 Nc6
with chances for both sides, A.
Skripchenko-M.Lujan, Istanbul
Olympiad 2012.;
B) This is more enterprising than
8...dxe4 9.dxe4 ( or 9.Ng5 Nf6 )
9...Qxd1 . ]
[ b) 6...Nf6 7.0-0 b4 ( 7...d6
transposes to the main game; not
7...d5?! here since 8.exd5! Nxd5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
9.Ne4 Nc6 10.Bg5 Qd7 11.c4 Ndb4
12.Nf4 bxc4 13.Nh5! Qxd3 14.Qa4
is very good for White, J.Viterbo
Ferreira-C.Suarez Garcia, Portuguese
League 2014 ) 8.Nb1
( we have looked at 8.Ne2 d5
already; and 8.Na4 d6 9.c3 bxc3
10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.Nb2 Be7 12.f4
Qc7 13.Nf2 h6 14.Be3 Rb8
is fairly balanced, Li Ruifeng-E.
Cordova, St Louis 2017 ) 8...Be7
( 8...d5 is again possible ) 9.Nd2 0-0
10.f4 Nc6 11.Nf2 a5 12.Nf3 a4
13.a3 bxa3 14.bxa3 c4 15.Rb1 Na5
16.Bd2 Ba6 17.Bb4 Rb8 18.d4
( 18.Nd4 Bxb4 19.Rxb4 Rxb4
20.axb4 Qb6 leaves chances about
even ) 18...c3! 19.Re1 Nc4
and Black grabbed control of the
game, M.Narciso Dublan-A.
Morozevich, Barcelona 2015. ]
[ c) 6...Nc6 7.0-0 d6 ( not 7...Nge7
8.Be3 Nd4?! 9.Ne2 Qb6 10.c3
Nxe2+ 11.Qxe2 Qc7 12.f4
with a strong initiative for White, N.
Short-E.Kharous, Gibraltar 2016 ) 8.f4
Nd4?! (this idea doesn't seem to work
in this line) ( 8...Nf6 is the main game
again ) 9.f5 e5 10.Nd5 h6 11.c3
Nc6 12.a4 b4 13.a5 Nf6 14.Nxf6+
gxf6 15.Qa4 Qd7 16.Nf2
and Black has serious structural
headaches, M.Narciso Dublan-C.
Gomez Garrido, Barbera del Valles
2014. ]
[ d) 6...d5? is again a mistake: 7.exd5
b4 8.0-0! bxc3 9.dxe6 Bxg2
10.exf7+ Kxf7 11.Ng5+ Ke8
12.Re1+ Ne7 13.Ne6 Qd6 14.Kxg2
Ra7 15.bxc3 , when White has three
pawns and fantastic play for the piece,
even if the grandmaster somehow
won in P.Friese-Ch.Bauer, Bad
Zwesten 2004. ]
7.0-0 Nf6
[ Some players prefer to defer this
move or avoid it completely; e.g.
7...Nd7 8.f4 Be7 ( or 8...Qc7 9.f5
e5 10.a4 b4 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5
Be7 13.g4 h6 14.a5 Bf6 15.c3 Rb8
with mutual chances in a rather
obscure position, B.Adhiban-P.
Salinas Herrera, World Blitz
Championship, Doha 2016 ) 9.f5 exf5
( or 9...e5 again ) 10.Rxf5 Ne5
11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nf6 13.Bg5
0-0 14.Qd2 Nfd7 15.Raf1 Bxg5
16.Nxg5 Qe7 17.Ne4 Rae8
and White has to be more careful due
to the weak d5-pawn, Art.Minasian-Xu
Jun, Istanbul Olympiad 2000. ]
8.f4 Nc6
[ As we will see in the game, there is
some justification for defending the
bishop with 8...Qc7 here, after which
9.g4 ( or 9.f5 e5 10.Nf2 Nbd7 11.g4
h6 12.h4 c4 13.a3 Nb6 14.g5 hxg5
15.hxg5 Nfd7 16.Be3 Be7
with a complicated struggle ahead,
Art.Minasian-R.Kempinski, Linares
2001 ) 9...b4 ( after 9...Nc6 10.g5
Nd7 11.f5 Nde5 12.fxe6 fxe6
13.Nf4 Qe7 14.a4 b4 , J.Maiwald-G.
Pitl, Austrian League 2006, simply
15.Nce2 looks better for White )
10.Nb1 Nfd7 ( 10...h5!? 11.g5 Ng4
12.g6 f6 13.f5 d5?! 14.Nf4
is a complete mess but looks very
dodgy for Black, V.Moskalenko-E.
Cordova, Sabadell 2011 ) 11.Nd2
Nb6 12.Nc4 Nxc4 13.dxc4 Nc6
14.b3 Be7 15.g5 h6 and now
16.g6?! fxg6 17.Qg4 0-0 18.Qxe6+
Kh7 created more problems for White
than Black, P.Adlersburg-E.Agrest,
Oberwart 1992. ]
9.Be3
[ White has also tried various ways of
pushing the kingside pawns:
a) 9.f5 exf5 ( or 9...b4 10.Nb1 exf5
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
11.exf5 Be7 12.Nf4 d5 13.g4 h6
14.Nd2 Ne5 15.h3 0-0 16.Nf3 Bd6
and Black stands better, T.Kulhanek-
L.Ftacnik, Czech League 2003 )
10.exf5 Be7 11.g4 b4 12.Nd5 Nxd5
13.Bxd5 Qd7 14.Nf4 Bf6 15.Qe2+
Be5 and Black has a comfortable
position, H.Pilaj-R.Kempinski,
European Cup, Kallithea 2002. ]
[ b) 9.Nf2 Be7 10.g4 Nd7 11.g5 h6
12.gxh6 Rxh6 13.Nh3?! (it just came
from there) ( 13.f5 Bg5 14.Ng4 Bxc1
15.Qxc1 Rh4 16.h3 looks better )
13...Rh4 14.f5 Nde5 15.fxe6 fxe6
16.Nf4 Kd7 is very pleasant for Black,
whose king is much safer on d7 than
White's on g1, M.Narciso Dublan-A.
Rodriguez Cespedes, Spanish
League 2000. ]
[ c) 9.g4 h6 10.g5!? Nd7 ( 10...hxg5
11.fxg5 Nd7 12.g6 f6 13.Nf4 Qe7
could well be an improvement ) 11.g6
fxg6 12.f5 e5 13.fxg6 Nf6 14.a4 b4
15.Nd5 Be7 16.c3 0-0?? ( 16...bxc3
17.bxc3 Na5 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6
is more or less equal ) 17.Ng5! Qe8
was T.Luther-F.Gheorghiu, Crans
Montana 1999, and here the
computer trots out 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6
( not 18...Rxf6? 19.Qb3+ Kh8
20.Rxf6 gxf6 21.Nf7+ Kg7 22.Bh3
, followed by 23 Bxh6+ and wins )
19.Qb3+ Kh8 20.Nf7+ Rxf7 21.Qxf7
Qxf7 22.gxf7 Kh7 23.Bh3
and White has every chance of
winning the game. ]
9...Be7? The natural-looking move is
actually a mistake.
[ It is not yet too late for 9...Qc7
, supposing Black has foreseen what
is to follow. ]
10.e5! dxe5 11.fxe5 Nd7 QUESTION:
Didn't White just leave himself with a
terribly weak pawn on e5?
ANSWER: He did, but the open files and
lead in development weigh heavier at
the moment than that sole weakness.
12.Qg4 g6?? Again, so obvious and
natural, but in fact a major blunder.
[ Black had to play 12...0-0 13.Bh6
g6 14.Bxf8 Qxf8 15.Qf4 Qg7
16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Rae1 Rf8
, when the two bishops give him some,
if not full compensation for the
exchange. ]
EXERCISE: How should White continue?
ANSWER: 13.Rxf7!! The beginning of a
devastating king hunt. 13...Kxf7
[ Taking the rook with the knight is no
better: 13...Ncxe5 14.Qxe6 Bxg2
15.Kxg2 Nxf7 16.Nd5 0-0 17.Nxe7+
Kg7 18.Nf4 still gives White a
crushing attack. ]
14.Rf1+ Ke8
[ Nor is 14...Kg7 an improvement:
after 15.Nf4! Nf8 16.Nh5+ Kg8
17.Qf4 Qe8 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.exf6
, White is winning despite being a full
rook down; e.g. Qf7 20.Ne4 Nd4
21.Bxd4 Bxe4 22.Bxe4 Rc8 23.Be5
and Black is completely tied down
and losing. ]
15.Qxe6 Ndxe5 16.Ne4 So the knight
reaches a much better square than e2.
[ The computer suggests a different
way to win: 16.Bxc6+ Bxc6 ( not
16...Nxc6? 17.Ne4 Qc7 18.Bf4 Bc8
19.Nf6+ Kd8 20.Qd5+ etc ) 17.Qxe5
Kd7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.Qxd5+ Kc7
20.Bf4+ Kb6 21.Qe6+ Kb7 22.Bg5!
, followed by Rf7 etc. ]
16...Qc7 17.Nf4? Although this leads to
a beautiful win, it is actually a mistake
and gives Black a chance to extricate
himself.
[ The precise, if prosaic continuation is
17.Nhg5! Kd8 18.Nxc5 Bxc5
19.Bxc5 Nd7 (forced) 20.Nf7+ Kc8
21.Nxh8 Nd8 22.Bxb7+ Kxb7
23.Qd5+ Qc6 24.Qxc6+ Kxc6 ( or
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
24...Nxc6 25.Rf7 ) 25.Be3
and White comes out two pawns up. ]
17...Bc8? Now all is well again.
[ If Black finds 17...Kd8! , the best
White can achieve is 18.Nxc5 Bxc5
19.Qf6+ Kc8 20.Qxh8+ Nd8 21.d4
Nef7 22.Qxh7 Qe7 23.Bxb7+ Kxb7
24.Bf2 Bd6 25.Qxg6 Bxf4 26.gxf4
with four pawns for the sacrificed
piece, but with a relatively open king
the win will not be straightforward for
White. ]
EXERCISE: How does White force the
win? (Hint: It isn't easy, and the key
move is White's 20th!)
ANSWER: 18.Nf6+ Kd8 19.Qd5+ Qd6
[ Obviously 19...Bd6 20.Ne4 Ne7 ( or
20...Nf7 21.Nxc5 ) 21.Qxa8
is hopeless for Black. ]
20.Bxc5!
[ The point is that 20.Bxc5 Qxd5
allows 21.Bb6# , so Black resigned
on the spot. ]
1-0
B23
Harikrishna,P
Bu Xiangzhi
71: Tiayuan 2005
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6
[ Bu switches from his usual 2...g6
(see Game 27). ]
[ After 2...a6 , the game continued
3.f4 b5 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 e6 6.d3
, transposing to our main line below. ]
3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3
[ The immediate 5.f4 is also possible
(or indeed 3 f4), when e6
A) 6.d3 transposes to the main
line. -- ( 6...-- );
B) Instead, 6.Qe2!? prevents ...d7-
d5 for the moment, but Black can
respond with ...Nc6-d4 as in the
main game. For example, 6...Nc6
7.d3 ( or 7.Nf3 Nd4 8.Nxd4 cxd4
9.Nd1 Rc8 10.c3 Bc5 11.b4 Bb6
12.Bb2 Ne7 13.cxd4 d5 14.d3
dxe4 15.dxe4 Nc6 and White's
position is very insecure, V.
Dobrovoljc-S.Gumularz, Karpacz
2015 ) 7...Nd4 8.Qf2 Nf6 9.h3
Qa5!? 10.Qd2 ( 10.e5!? Bxg2
11.Qxg2 Nd5 12.Kf1!
may be best ) 10...d5 11.e5 Nh5
12.Kf2 c4 13.Bf3 g6 14.g4 Bc5
15.Kg2 Rg8 16.Kh2 Qd8
with a complicated game, where
Black came out on top, E.Pessi-M.
Manolache, Sarata Monteoru
2011. ]
5...e6 6.f4 This is the most logical and
popular continuation: White gains space,
advances the f-pawn before developing
the king's knight to f3, and leaves e2 for
the other one. 6...d5 Equivalently, as
we have seen in other lines with an early
...e7-e6, pushing the d-pawn two
squares is Black's thematic reaction;
[ but ...d7-d5 doesn't have to be
played immediately, or even at all
necessarily:
a) 6...b4 7.Nce2 d5 ( or 7...Nf6
8.Nf3 Nc6 9.0-0 Be7 10.h3 d5
11.e5 Nd7 12.Be3 0-0 13.g4 d4
14.Bd2 f6 15.exf6 Nxf6
with approximately equal chances, K.
Jakubowski-R.Kempinski, Polish
League 2015; while 7...f5!? 8.Nf3
fxe4 9.Ng5 h6 10.Nxe4 d5 11.Nf2
Nf6 12.0-0 Nbd7 13.c3 bxc3
14.bxc3 Bd6 15.Bh3 Kf7 produced a
very double-edged position in E.
Tairova-I.Nepomniachtchi, Moscow
2006 )
A) After 8.exd5 any of exd5 ,
( 8...Bxd5; and 8...Nf6 is fine for
Black );
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
B) 8.e5 h5 ( 8...Ne7 9.c3 Nbc6
10.Nf3 Nf5 11.0-0 h5 12.d4 h4
13.g4 h3 14.Bh1 Nh6
was E.Rozentalis-I.Georgiadis,
Athens 2006, where 15.f5!
promises White some initiative on
the kingside; e.g. exf5 16.gxf5
Nxf5?! 17.Ng5! Qd7 18.e6 fxe6
19.Nf4 and so on ) 9.Nh3 Nh6
10.Neg1!? Nf5 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.0-0
Qb6 13.c3 g6 14.Nhg5 Be7
15.Qe2 a5 with another position
where both sides can fight for the
advantage, J.Cubas-M.Lujan,
Montevideo 2011. ]
[ b) 6...Nf6 7.Nf3 d5 ( instead,
7...Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 c4 10.g4
cxd3 11.cxd3 Nc6 12.Ne2 Rc8
13.Ng3 Nb4 14.Ne1 Qc7 15.Bd2
Nc2 16.Nxc2 Qxc2 17.Bc3 Qxd1
18.Raxd1 h6 was fairly balanced in E.
Perelshteyn-M.Rohde, Philadelphia
1996; and 7...d6 is line 'b' ) 8.e5 Nfd7
( or 8...d4 9.exf6 dxc3 10.0-0! cxb2?
11.Bxb2 gxf6 12.f5! e5 13.Nxe5!
Bxg2 14.Ng4 Be7 15.Re1 Kf8
16.Qd2 h5 17.Rxe7 , G.C.Jones-O.
Orlov, European Championship,
Plovdiv 2008, and now 17 Rxe7!
would have won at once ) 9.0-0 Be7
( or 9...g6 10.g4 Nc6 11.f5 h6
12.Bf4 Nb6 13.d4!? Nc4 14.b3
cxd4 15.Ne2 Bc5 16.Nexd4 Nxd4
17.Nxd4 , G.C.Jones-J.Ashwin,
Yerevan 2007, when Black had to find
g5 18.bxc4 gxf4 19.Rxf4 Qg5
20.Qd2 bxc4 to remain in the game )
10.Ne2 Nc6 11.c3 b4 12.g4 h5
13.gxh5 Rxh5 14.Ng3 Rh8 15.f5
Qb6 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.Ng5 Ncxe5
18.d4 led to great complications in T.
Gelashvili-J.Ehlvest, Las Vegas
2013: cxd4 19.cxd4 Bf6 20.Kh1 ( or
20.Nh5 Ke7 21.Kh1 Rxh5 22.dxe5
Rah8! 23.exf6+ gxf6 24.Nf3 e5
with good play for the exchange )
20...Nf7 21.Nxe6 Qxe6 22.Re1 Nfe5
23.dxe5 Nxe5 ( 23...Be7 is still
unclear ) 24.Bf4 Kf7 25.Qe2??
( after 25.Rc1! Rxh2+ 26.Kxh2
Ng4+ 27.Kh1 Rh8+! 28.Nh5 Rxh5+
29.Kg1 , White comes out on top,
since Qb6+ now fails to 30.Be3 )
25...Rxh2+ 26.Kxh2 Ng4+ 27.Kg1
Bd4+ and White resigned. ]
[ c) 6...d6 7.Nf3 Nf6 ( not 7...Nc6
8.0-0 Qc7 9.f5 e5?! 10.Nd5 Qd8
11.Bg5 Be7 12.Nxe7 Ncxe7 13.Nh4
f6?! 14.Be3 Qd7 , N.Faulks-D.
Tyomkin, Bermuda 2001, where
15.Qh5+ Kf8 16.c3 Rc8 17.Rad1
leaves White dominating the whole
board ) 8.0-0 Be7 9.e5!? ( or 9.h3
d5!? 10.e5 Nfd7 11.g4 h5!? 12.f5
hxg4 13.hxg4 Nc6 14.Bf4 Qc7
15.Qd2 0-0-0 16.Rae1 Nb6
with chances for both sides, D.
Novitzkij-N.Rashkovsky, St
Petersburg 2000 ) 9...dxe5 ( not
9...Nfd7? 10.f5! exf5 11.exd6 Bxd6
12.Bg5! f6 13.Nh4! and White has a
very strong attack ) 10.fxe5 Nfd7 ( or
10...Nd5 11.Ne4 Nd7 12.Qe2 )
11.Ng5 Bxg5 12.Bxb7 Bxc1
13.Qxc1 Ra7 14.Qf4 0-0 15.Bg2
Qc7 16.Rae1 and White has perhaps
a small plus, R.Lau-B.Rechel,
German League 1994. ]
7.Qe2
[ White accomplishes little with other
moves:
a) 7.exd5 Nf6 8.Nf3 ( or 8.Qe2
Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 10.Bxd5 Qxd5
11.Nf3 Nc6 12.0-0 Be7 13.Be3 0-0
and Black can be happy with his
position, V.Prosviriakov-I.Khenkin,
Hastings 2015/16 ) 8...exd5 ( 8...Nxd5
9.0-0 Be7 is also fine ) 9.0-0 Be7
10.Nh4 Qd7 11.f5 h6 12.Bf4 Nc6
13.Qd2 0-0-0 ( or 13...0-0 ) 14.a3
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The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Rhe8 15.Rae1 Bd6 and Black has
no problems, Z.Andriasian-S.Zhigalko,
Martuni 2013. ]
[ b) 7.e5 Ne7 ( 7...Nh6 heads for the
same square; 7...h5 first is also
possible ) 8.Nf3 Nf5 9.0-0 ( or 9.Qe2
Nc6 10.Qf2 h5 11.0-0 Qc7 12.Ne2
d4 13.Bd2 Be7 14.a4 b4 15.h3
0-0-0 16.Rfc1 c4 17.Be1 c3
18.bxc3 dxc3 19.Kh2 Rd5 20.Qg1
f6 21.exf6 gxf6 22.Bf2 Rg8
with strong play for Black, M.
Meinhardt-K.Sasikiran, Mainz rapid
2007 ) 9...h5 10.Qe1 Nc6 11.Nd1
Nb4 12.Qe2 d4 13.Ng5 Bxg2
14.Qxg2 Be7 15.Ne4 Rc8 16.a4 c4
17.axb5 cxd3 18.cxd3 axb5 19.Bd2
Nd5 20.Kh1 Rc2 21.Qf3 g6 22.Rc1
Rxc1 23.Bxc1 Kd7! 24.Bd2 Qa8
25.h3 h4 26.g4 Ng3+ 27.Nxg3 hxg3
28.Kg2 Bb4 29.Bc1 Qc6 and Black
is completely winning (even if the
database does end here with ½-½),
D.Andreikin-V.Artemiev, Kirov (rapid)
2012. ]
7...Nc6 Following the example seen at
move five.
[ Instead:
a) 7...d4 8.Nd1 Nc6 9.Nf3 Nf6
10.Nf2 Be7 11.0-0 Qb6 12.g4 0-0-0
( or first 12...h6 13.g5 Nd7 14.h4
hxg5 15.hxg5 0-0-0 , as in R.Bellin-E.
Berg, Gibraltar 2011 ) 13.Bd2 Nd7
14.a4 b4 15.b3 Rdg8 16.Nh1 e5
17.Ng3 and here a draw was agreed
in Wang Chen-A.Kovalyov, Santa
Clara 2014, although there is
obviously tons of play left in the
position. ]
[ b) 7...Nf6 8.e5 (compared with 7 e5,
the black knight cannot reach f5 so
quickly) ( 8.exd5 Nxd5 is the note
with 7 exd5 above ) 8...Nfd7 9.f5!? b4
10.fxe6 fxe6 11.Nd1 Nc6 12.Nf3
Qc7 13.Bf4 h6 14.h4 0-0-0 15.Bh3
Re8 16.Ne3 Nd4 17.Nxd4 cxd4
18.Ng4 Be7 19.h5 Kb8 20.Nh2 Bc5
21.Nf3 and White has the somewhat
better chances, N.Cabarkapa-D.
Nestorovic, Sarajevo 2013. ]
8.Nf3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 This is a central
theme in this variation: the exchange of
knights leaves Black with a slightly
exposed d-pawn, who in return gains
counterplay down the c-file. White's
other knight will be rerouted via d1 and
f2 where it will help cover the e4-pawn
and may later find a nice post on d3.
[ The alternative 9.Qf2 makes less
sense: the queen gets in the way of
the knight; b4 and 10...dxe4 forces
White to exchange on d4 anyway;
and 9...Nf6 may be even better for
Black. ]
9...cxd4 10.Nd1 dxe4
[ After 10...Bb4+ 11.Bd2 ( or 11.c3
Bc5 ) 11...Bxd2+ 12.Qxd2 Qb6
13.0-0 Ne7 14.f5 dxe4 15.dxe4 d3+
16.Qe3 Qxe3+ 17.Nxe3 dxc2
18.Rac1 Rc8 19.Rf2 , the players
seems to be heading for a drawish
endgame, but ultimately White
managed to win, G.Giorgadze-M.
Marin, Spanish League 2001. ]
11.dxe4
[ Swapping bishops as well with
11.Bxe4 Bxe4 12.dxe4
is also possible, and safeguards the
c2-pawn since Rc8 13.0-0 Qc7
14.Bd2 Qxc2?? now just loses to
15.Rc1 . But White is not really
concerned about the c2-pawn, and
his king feels safer with the bishop
still in the vicinity. ]
11...Rc8 12.0-0 Nf6
[ QUESTION: So what happens if
Black attacks the c2-pawn with
12...Qc7 then? If White defends it
with 13 Rf2, his rook is in the way of
the knight and Black can play 13...
243
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
Bc5 with the threat of ...d4-d3.
A) ANSWER: White will not protect
the pawn with the rook, but rather
sacrifice it for the initiative; e.g.
13.Bd2 Qxc2 ( or 13...Qb6 14.Nf2
Rxc2 15.Rfc1 ) 14.Rc1 Qa4
15.Nf2 and White has a useful lead
in development to compensate for
the missing pawn(s).;
B) In G.C.Jones-A.Hunt, Hastings
2008/09, Black did in fact play 12...
Qc7, but if he was planning to take
the c-pawn, he quickly changed his
mind: 13.Nf2 Nf6 14.Bd2 Be7
15.Nd3 0-0 16.Rac1 a5 17.a3
Qb6 18.Qe1 Ra8 ( 18...b4!?
19.axb4 Bxb4 20.Bxb4 axb4
21.Qxb4 Qxb4 22.Nxb4 Bxe4
23.Bxe4 Nxe4 is perfectly playable
too ) 19.h3 Bc6 20.Ne5 Be8
21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Ra2
and Black had a pleasant enough
game. ]
13.Nf2 Be7
[ Attacking the c-pawn with the queen
is still possible as a feint, but taking it
is just bad: 13...Qc7 14.Bd2 Qxc2?
( Black should adjust to the realities
on the board and play 14...Be7
as in Jones-Hunt above ) 15.e5! Nd5
( or 15...Bxg2 16.Rfc1 ) 16.Bxd5 d3
( or 16...exd5 17.Nd3 Qc7 18.f5
, followed by 19 e6! etc ) 17.Qh5! g6
18.Bxb7!! gxh5 19.Rac1 and White
wins, since if Qxd2? 20.Rxc8+ Ke7
21.Rfc1 , Black will have to give up
the queen anyway to prevent R1c7
mate. ]
14.b3 0-0 15.Bb2 While the d4-pawn is
definitely a target, Black has sufficient
resources available both to defend it
and put pressure on White's backward c-
pawn in return. 15...Qb6
[ If desired, there's an even simpler
solution: 15...Bb4 16.Rfd1 Bc3
17.Bxc3 Rxc3 18.Qd2 Qc7 19.Qxd4
( or 19.Rdc1?! Rd8 ) 19...Rxc2
and Black has nothing to worry
about. ]
16.Rad1 QUESTION: Shouldn't White
keep the queen's rook available to
defend the c-pawn?
ANSWER: Which is the right rook? That
is often a troublesome question. Here it
doesn't much matter since Harikrishna
intends to advance the rook on the d-file,
after which the f1-rook can go wherever
it likes.
16...Rfd8 17.Rd3 Qc7 By attacking the
c2-pawn Black aims to prevent the
white rooks from doubling the d-file.
[ Alternatively, he could just sit tight,
since it is hard to see how White
might arrange to take the d-pawn
advantageously; e.g. 17...b4
(fixing the queenside) 18.Rfd1 Bc5
19.Qd2 ( or 19.e5 Bxg2 20.Kxg2
Nd5 21.R1d2 Nc7 , followed by ...
Nb5 ) 19...Rd7 20.e5 ( or 20.Bxd4
Bxd4 21.Rxd4 Rcd8 22.Rxd7 Rxd7
23.Qe2 Rxd1+ 24.Qxd1 Nxe4 )
20...Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Nd5 22.Ne4 Qc6
23.Kh3 ( not 23.Nxc5?? Nxf4+
and Black wins ) 23...Ne3 24.Nxc5
Qf3 25.Rxe3 dxe3 26.Qxd7 Qh5+
with a draw by perpetual check. ]
18.Rc1 Capturing the d4-pawn obviously
achieves nothing, as Black just takes on
c2.
18...e5? I'm not sure what prompted Bu
to play this, unless he perhaps mixed up
his move order.
[ Instead, 18...Bc5 is perfectly okay; e.
g. 19.Rcd1 ( or 19.c3 dxc3
20.Rdxc3 Qb6; or if 19.Qd2 then
e5! ) 19...h6 (ruling out back rank
tricks). ]
19.fxe5
[ QUESTION: Should White not just
play 19.f5 and start rolling the pawns
244
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
on the kingside?
ANSWER: It would be lovely if things
were that simple, but White's pieces
are not arranged to do that, so all it
achieves is allow Black to set his d-
pawn in concrete. Even worse, after
Qa5! , White is already struggling on
the queenside; e.g. 20.a3 Bxa3
21.Ra1 b4 22.Bxa3 bxa3 23.b4
Qxb4 24.Rb3 Qe7 will leave Black a
pawn up. ]
19...Qxe5 20.Rcd1 Qh5
[ Here 20...Bc5 fails to secure the d-
pawn, since White can simply play
21.c3! , exploiting the pin on the d-file
with a clear advantage. ]
21.Bf3 Qg6 22.Bxd4 White has won a
pawn, which means it is just a matter of
getting his pieces coordinated before he
can start converting his advantage, or so
it might seem. In fact Black's actively
placed pieces make that matter a great
deal more complicated.
22...Re8 23.c3 Bf8 24.e5?!
[ The e-pawn was en prise so White
had to do something, but I think it
might be better simply to defend the
pawn with 24.Re3 (and Re1 too if
necessary), aiming to consolidate
further before making any committal
moves. ]
24...Bxf3 25.Rxf3 Nd7 26.Nd3 Nc5
27.Nxc5?! The rule of thumb that you
should swap pieces when ahead on
material does not quite apply here,
since White's weaknesses at e5 and c3
make a pure major piece endgame
difficult to navigate.
[ White does better to to play
something like 27.Nf4 Qc6 28.Rdf1
Rc7 29.Qg2 Ne6 30.Rd3
, when any exchange of minor pieces
will involve Black making a
concession. ]
27...Bxc5 28.Bxc5
[ Leaving the bishop alone is not clear
either; for example, after 28.Qe3 Bd6
(intending ...f7-f6) ]
[ or 28.Qf2 Bxd4 29.Qxd4 ( or
29.cxd4 Rc2 ) 29...Qh5 ]
[ or even 28.Qd3 Rcd8 29.Qxg6
hxg6 30.Re3 Rd5 , Black still has
considerable counterplay. ]
28...Rxc5 29.Rd7?! Bangiev assessed
this position as winning for White, but in
fact 29 Rd7 throws away the remainder
of White's advantage. 29...Rf8?
Black misses his chance.
[ Obviously he can't play 29...Rcxe5?
due to 30.Qxe5! etc; ]
[ but 29...f6! creates headaches for
White: 30.exf6 Rxe2 31.f7+ Qxf7
32.Rfxf7 Rxc3 and White's second
rank issues are no less serious; after
33.Rxg7+ Kf8 34.Rdf7+ Ke8
35.Rxh7 Rxa2 36.Rc7 Rxc7
37.Rxc7 b4 , Black should not have
too much difficulty in holding a draw. ]
30.Rd6 Qh5 31.e6 Rc7??
One bad move follows another.
[ Black had to play 31...Re5! 32.Qf2
f6 and while White has the clearly
better chances, Black is far from lost.
As we've already mentioned, These
purely heavy piece endgames (or
middlegames) are notoriously difficult
to play. ]
32.Rd7! Now White is winning.
32...Qc5+
[ Swapping the rooks is no better:
32...Rxd7 33.exd7 f6 34.Qe6+ Qf7
35.Qd6 Rd8 36.Rd3 and so forth. ]
33.Qe3 Qxe3+? This makes it even
easier;
[ 33...f6 would prolong the game. ]
34.Rxe3 Rcc8 35.e7 Rfe8 36.Red3
[ And with no effective way of meeting
Rd8, Black resigned; e.g. 36.Red3 f6
37.Rd8 Kf7 38.Rxc8 Rxc8 39.Rd8
245
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
etc. ]
1-0
B24
Krapivin,A
Gorbatov,A
72: Moscow Championship 2009
[Carsten Hansen]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
[ As an offbeat try for White, I'd also
like to mention 3.g4!? . Obviously this
is not really a Closed Sicilian, but it is
reasonably close. I will call it the
Accelerated Closed Sicilian, because
White hopes to save a move by
throwing the pawn two squares
forward at once, rather than having it
halt at g3 and perhaps move on later.
That being said, Black does not need
to be accommodating and play a line
where having the pawn on g4 actually
makes sense. If you want to bring up
the argument that early g2-g4 attacks
are in fashion in many openings,
these typically only occur when Black
has a knight on f6, which is not the
case here. Objectively speaking, 3
g4!? is a fun-looking line, but it is
hardly worth pulling it out of the
pocket except for rapid or blitz games.
Nevertheless, here are a few
variations:
A) 3...g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.Bg2 e5
6.Nh3 Nge7 7.f4 (now g2-g4 is
quite useful) f5?! ( 7...d6
is not so bad ) 8.gxf5 exf4 9.Nxf4
0-0 10.0-0 gxf5 11.Nh5 Bd4+
12.Kh1 d6 13.Bg5 and White is
clearly better, H.Nakamura-R.Blum, absurd, moving the rook to support the
Lloydminster 2010.;
B) 3...d6 4.h3 Nd4 5.Bg2 e5
6.d3 Be7 7.Be3 Qa5?! ( 7...h6
8.Nd5 Nf6 9.c3 Ne6 10.Ne2 0-0
11.Nxe7+ Qxe7 12.Qd2
seems better, despite the
appearance of castling into it ) 8.Nf3
Be6 9.Nd2 Qd8 10.Nd5 Nf6
11.c3 Nc6 12.g5 Nd7 13.h4
and White has the initiative, M.
Vokac-P.Jirovsky, Pribram (rapid)
1998.;
C) 3...e6 4.Bg2 ( or 4.d3 d5
5.Bg2 d4 6.Nce2 e5 7.Ng3 Nge7
8.Nh3 Ng6 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Nf5 0-0
11.f4 exf4 12.Nxd6 Qxd6 13.Nxf4
Nce5 with a comfortable game for
Black, J.Alonso Moyano-A.Bofill
Mas, Catalunya 2014 ) 4...h5!?
5.gxh5 Nf6 6.d3 Rxh5 7.Nge2 d5
8.Ng3 Rh8 9.Bg5 Be7 10.h4 g6
( here 10...d4!? 11.Nb1 Qb6
12.b3 Qa5+ 13.Bd2 Qc7
looks quite pleasant for Black )
11.Qd2 ( 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Qd2
improves, but Black is still fine )
11...d4 12.Nce2 e5
with a comfortable game for Black,
who eventually won the game, as I
recall watching on German
television, V.Hort-S.Kindermann,
Bath 1983.;
D) 3...h5!? 4.g5 g6 5.h4 Bg7
6.Nd5?! e6 7.Ne3 Nge7 8.Ne2
Ne5?! playing for a cheapo;
( 8...d5! looks more appropriate )
9.Bg2 d6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4
is now a strange sort of Open
Sicilian, which is probably about
equal at this point, S.Drazic-M.
Pucovski, Novi Sad 2016. ]
3...Rb8!? QUESTION: Seriously? Isn't
this ridiculously premature?
ANSWER: Although it looks a little
advance of the b-pawn, even as soon as
this, is not a bad idea; and an early Rb1
is quite common with colours reversed
in the English Opening.
246
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
[ There are two or three other minor
options for Black worth mentioning:
a) 3...h5!? 4.Bg2 (there's no need to
touch the h2-pawn yet) h4 5.g4
( if White ignores the pawn advance,
then Black actually achieves what he
wants; e.g. 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 Nf6
7.Qd2 h3 8.Bf3 g6 9.0-0-0 Bg7
10.Nge2?? Ne5 11.Ng1 Nxf3
12.Nxf3 Bg4 13.Qe2 , R.Hess-Z.
Andriasian, Dos Hermanas blitz 2008,
and now Nd7 is more or less winning
for Black ) 5...h3!? ( after 5...e5 6.h3
Nge7 7.d3 Ng6 8.Nge2 Bd6 9.Nd5
Nce7 10.0-0 Nxd5 11.exd5 0-0
12.f4 Nxf4 13.Nxf4 exf4 14.Bxf4
Bxf4 15.Rxf4 , Black has a thankless
defence ahead but not necessarily a
hopeless one, Ji.Nun-B.Gurgenidze,
Hradec Kralove 1978 ) 6.Nxh3 e5
(Black hopes the dark square
weaknesses in White's position are
worth the pawn sacrifice, which is a
little optimistic) 7.Ng1 Nge7 8.d3
Ng6 9.h3 d6 10.Be3 Be6 11.Qd2
Be7 12.Nd5 Qd7 13.c3 0-0-0
( 13...Nh4!? is a better try ) 14.Nf3
and Black does not have enough for
the pawn, A.Stripunsky-A.Shabalov,
New York 2003. ]
[ b) 3...e5 can easily transpose to
other lines if Black follows up with a
kingside fianchetto, but this move
order gives White the freedom to
choose a critical set-up, such as one
with Nh3. Therefore, Black might be
advised to adopt a non-standard
formation; e.g. 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.d3 d6
6.Nge2 ( or 6.Nh3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0
8.Kh1 Nd4 9.f4 Bg4 10.Qd2 h6
11.Ng1 Bd7 12.Nd1 Qc7
with chances for both sides, although
I would much rather play White in
this position, V.Sergeev-S.Sztercsco,
Kosice 1997 ) 6...Be7 7.h3 ( or 7.0-0
0-0 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.exd5 Nd4 10.c3
Nxe2+ 11.Qxe2 Bf5 12.Be4 Bxe4
13.dxe4 Qd7 and Black has
completely equalized, L.Krajnc-D.
Leben, correspondence 2005 ) 7...Rb8
8.0-0 b5 9.f4 0-0 10.g4 b4 11.Nb1
exf4 12.Nxf4 Be6 13.Nd2 Nd7
14.a3 a5 15.Nf3 Nde5 16.Nxe5
Nxe5 17.axb4 axb4 18.Be3
and here a draw was agreed in V.
Malaniuk-Y.Vladimirov, Sverdlovsk
1987, which doesn't tell us much
except that Black probably stands no
worse. ]
[ c) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d5?! ( this is better
prepared by 4...e6 as in Chapter
Twelve; otherwise, 4...g6 5.d3 Bg7
and ...d7-d6 will transpose to a main
line with ...Nf6; while 4...d6 5.d3 e5
is line 'b' ) 5.Nxd5 Nxd5 6.exd5 Nb4
7.Ne2 Nxd5 ( or 7...Bf5 8.d3 Nxd5
9.0-0 Qd7 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.bxc3
Rd8 12.c4 e5 13.Bb2 f6 , N.Ferrari-
I.Nemet, Baden 1999, and now 14.f4
looks very good for White ) 8.d4 e6
9.0-0 Be7 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.c4 Nb6
12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.b3 Ke7 14.Nc3
f5 15.Bg5+ Kf7 16.Rad1 a6 17.Be3
Bxe3 18.fxe3 Ke7 19.e4 and White
is clearly better, D.Bronstein-G.
Lisitsin, Leningrad 1947. ]
4.Bg2 b5 5.d3
[ Obviously 5.a3 is possible, but then
White is committed to answering ...b7-
b5 with a2-a3 in whichever standard
variation Black prefers: g6 ( or 5...e6
. )]
5...b4
[ Gorbatov actually delayed this for a
move and played 5...g6
first, presumably waiting for White
again to commit to a set-up; then
6.Be3
A) 6...b4 (otherwise 7 Qd2 will give
the knight the d1-square) 7.Nce2
247
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
transposed below. ( 7.-- );
B) Black has also tried 6...Qa5
, but then White might well play
7.a3! , followed by Nge2 and 0-0,
after which it is not clear what the
queen is doing on a5, apart from
encouraging b2-b4 perhaps. ]
6.Nce2
[ Here 6.Nd5 e6 7.Ne3
A) 7...g6 8.f4 Bg7 9.Nf3
transposes to Game 61. ( 9.-- );
B) But Black can also play as in
Chapter Twelve with 7...Nf6 8.f4
d5 9.e5 Nd7 10.Nf3 , when the
knight on e3 is not particularly well
placed; e.g. Be7 11.0-0 0-0
12.Qe1 Qc7 13.h4 Nd4 14.Nh2
Nb6 15.h5 Na4 16.Nhg4 c4
and Black's queenside initiative is
more significant, Ja.Havasi-Am.
Peter, Hungarian League 1993 ]
6...g6
[ If Black opts for 6...e6 now, White
should castle quickly and break with
d3-d4; e.g. 7.Nf3 d5 ( or 7...Nf6
8.0-0 d6 9.d4 Nxe4 10.Nd2 d5
11.Nxe4 dxe4 , K.Valkesalmi-M.
Kivisto, Espoo 1991, and now
12.Bxe4 Bb7 13.Bf4 Rc8 14.c3
looks good for White ) 8.exd5 exd5
9.0-0 Bd6 10.d4 Nge7 11.dxc5
Bxc5 12.Bf4 Ra8 , G.House-O.
Kozlitin, Budapest 2014, when 13.c4!
bxc3 ( or 13...dxc4 14.Ne5 ) 14.Nxc3
gives White the better chances
against the isolated d-pawn. ]
7.Be3
[ Instead, 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 returns to
Game 61 again (see the note with 8
Ne2). ]
7...Bg7 On the face of it, the positions
after the impending ...d7-d6 are similar
to those in Chapter Three, except that
Black's rush forward with the b-pawn
has prevented the white knight from
retreating to d1, so the early 3...Rb8!?
has already proved itself quite justified.
8.Qc1 Defending the b-pawn and lining
up a possible Bh6.
[ It is far too soon to play in the centre;
e.g. 8.d4?! Qa5! (highlighting White's
uncastled king) 9.Qd2 ( or 9.Nf3 Ba6
, intending 10.0-0? cxd4 and Black
wins material ) 9...Ba6 10.c3? bxc3
11.bxc3 cxd4 12.Bxd4 Nxd4
13.cxd4 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Rb2+
15.Kc3 Rb6 and White is in big
trouble, M.Coimbra-D.Hamelink,
European Women's Championship,
Kishinev 2005. ]
[ Or 8.c3 bxc3 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Qd2
Ba6 11.Nf3 Nf6 12.h3 , S.Glinert-D.
Cummings, Guelph 2002, and now
0-0 13.0-0 c4! is good for Black. ]
[ White has also tried 8.Rb1 d6 9.f4
Qc7 ( here too 9...Qa5!? should be
considered ) 10.Nf3 Nh6 (an idea
reminiscent of Game 14) 11.0-0 Ng4
12.Bd2 f5 13.h3 Nh6 14.exf5 gxf5?!
( 14...Nxf5 is preferable, despite no
longer hitting the bishop ) 15.c4 0-0
16.Be3 Nf7 17.b3?! ( the immediate
17.d4! is stronger, when e5?! 18.fxe5
dxe5 19.Nxe5 is good for White )
17...Rd8 18.d4 e5 and both sides
have their share of the chances, A.
Krapivin-A.Areshchenko, Moscow
2008. ]
8...d6 9.Nf3 Keeping the c1-h6 diagonal
open;
[ after 9.f4 Bd7 10.Nf3 f5!? 11.0-0
Qb6 12.h3 e6 13.Rd1 Nge7 14.g4
0-0 15.Ng3 Nd4 , Black was fine at
this point, An.Karpov-J.Smejkal,
Trinec 1966/67. ]
9...Bg4
[ Another of Smejkal's games saw
9...Bd7 10.d4?! (again premature)
( 10.0-0 is the sensible move )
10...cxd4 11.Nexd4 Nf6 12.Bh6 0-0
248
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Nxc6 Bxc6
15.Nd4 Ba8 16.Qe3 e5 17.Ne2
Qb6 18.Qxb6 Rxb6 19.f3 Rc8
20.Kd2 d5 and Black has a decisive
initiative, J.Tompa-J.Smejkal,
Oerebro 1966. ]
10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 QUESTION: Didn't
Black just hand over the bishop pair for
no reason?
ANSWER: This is actually a standard
plan, both here and in the English
Opening (with reversed colours). It
helps Black maintain better control over
the centre, as well as limiting White's
active options somewhat.
11...h5!? Not necessarily standard, but
not a bad move either, even if Black has
no reason to fear Bh6.
[ For instance, 11...Nf6 12.Bh6 0-0
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.0-0 Nd4!
(highlighting an issue with Qc1; White
has nothing better than to take the
knight) 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.b3 Qc8
17.Qb2 , A.Krapivin-U.Eliseev,
Moscow 2011, and now e5 18.Kg2
Qc5 leaves Black on the better side of
a draw. ]
12.Bg2 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Bd2
Qb6 15.0-0 Nf6 16.a3! bxa3?
This seemingly logical move is harshly
refuted;
[ 16...a5 17.axb4 axb4 18.Ra4 Qc5
is more or less okay for Black, even if
the two bishops make White's
position more appealing. ]
17.b3! This little trick is worth
remembering and is a wake-up call for
Black. Instead of recapturing on a3 at
once and ceding control of an open b-
file, White pushes past, leaving Black
with serious issues on the a-file,
primarily with his isolated a-pawn.
17...0-0?! Simply letting the a-pawn go
doesn't offer Black much hope.
[ He might as well try 17...e5!?
18.Rxa3 ( or 18.Qxa3 Rb7 ) 18...0-0
19.Qa1 Rb7 , even if it looks quite
unpleasant. ]
18.Qxa3 e5 19.Qxa7 Qc6 20.Qa2
Rfc8 21.Rfc1 White is a pawn up for no
compensation. All that remains is the
technical task of converting that
advantage. 21...h4 This doesn't
improve Black's position at all.
[ A better plan might be to try and
activate his minor pieces with 21...d5
and ...Bf8, even if it means allowing
the g2-bishop more scope at the
same time. ]
22.g4 Nd7 23.b4 Ra8 24.Qb2 Rxa1
25.Qxa1 Ra8 26.Qb2 Qa4 Black is
correctly trying for as much activity as
possible, but controlling the a-file does
not accomplish much in itself, so White
begins to move on the queenside.
27.c3 Qa2 28.Rb1 Qxb2 29.Rxb2
Ra1+
[ 29...dxc3 30.Bxc3 Ra3 is met by
31.Bd2! Rxd3 32.b5 and the passed
pawn is too strong; e.g. Ra3 ( or
32...Nb6 33.Bf1 Ra3 34.Be3 ) 33.b6
Ra8 34.b7 Rb8 35.Be3 Nc5 36.Rb6
Nd7 37.Rb4! Nc5 38.Bf1 Kf8
39.Bc4 f6 40.Bd5 Ke7 41.Rb5 Kd8
42.Bxc5 dxc5 43.Rxc5 and Black's
position is hopeless. ]
30.Bf1 dxc3 31.Bxc3 Nb6 Black has
established a blockade of the b-pawn
which can be reinforced by ...Bf6-d8,
but this is unlikely to hold in the long run.
32.b5
[ Another option is 32.Bd2 Bf6
33.Be3 Bd8 34.Rc2 Rb1 35.Rc6
Rxb4 36.Rxd6 Bc7 37.Rc6 Bd8
38.Bc5 Rb1 39.Bd6 f6 40.g5
and so on, but there's no real need to
give up the b-pawn, nor any real hurry.
White prefers to bring his light-
squared bishop into the game
before undertaking concrete action. ]
249
The Closed Sicilian Move by Move - Carsten Hansen

32...Bf6 33.Kg2 Bd8 34.Rc2! Ra4 endgame. ]

35.Be2 Kf8 36.Bd1 g5 37.Rb2 44.Bd2 Kc8 45.Kf3 Kb7 46.Ke4
[ Leaving the rook on the c-file with And White is winning. The remaining
37.Rc1! is stronger; e.g. Ra7 ( or moves look like they were played in a
37...Ra3 38.Bb4! Rxd3 39.Bc3 time scramble.
and 40 Be2 traps the rook ) 38.d4 46...Rf1 47.Bb4 Bb6 48.Bxd6 Rh1
exd4 ( or 38...f6 39.dxe5 fxe5 49.Rb3 Re1+ 50.Kf5 e4 51.Ra3 Bxf2
40.Bb4 and 41 Rc6 etc ) 39.Bb4! Be7 52.Ra4 Rd1 . I'm guessing that Black's
40.Rc6 Rb7 41.Bxd6 Bxd6 42.Rxd6 flag fell here.
Nc4 43.Rxd4 Na3 44.Be2 Nxb5 1-0
45.Bxb5 Rxb5 46.Rd5!
with a winning rook or pawn
endgame. ]
37...Ra1 38.Bb3 Ke7 39.d4
With his forces now fully mobilized,
White breaks again in the centre. 39...f6
40.dxe5 fxe5 41.Bb4
[ Here 41.Bd2 Kd7 42.Be3 Ra5
43.Bd5 is a simpler realization of
White's plan; e.g. Nxd5 ( or 43...Ra4
44.Bc6+ Kc7 45.Rc2 Kb8 46.Rc3
, followed by Bc1 and Rf3-f5 ) 44.exd5
e4 45.b6 Kc8 46.b7+ Kb8 47.Rb4
and wins. ]
41...Kd7 42.Bd5! By offering his bishop
up for exchange, White aims to create a
path for his king into Black's position;
[ whereas after something like 42.Rd2
Bc7 43.Rd3 Rb1 , it's no longer clear
how White makes progress. ]
42...Nxd5 43.exd5 Rd1? Black has
few chances of resistance once the
white king penetrates.
[ The best try is 43...e4! (keeping the
king out) 44.Bd2 Kc7 , but after
45.f4! exf3+ ( or 45...gxf4 46.Bxf4
Rd1 47.b6+ Kb7 48.g5 Rxd5 49.g6
Bf6 50.Rb4 ) 46.Kxf3 Ra4 47.b6+
Kb7 48.Be3 Rc4 49.Rb3 Kb8
50.Ra3 Rb4 51.Ra1 , Black finds
himself in zugzwang and loses
anyway. ]
[ 43...Ba5 44.Bxa5 Rxa5 45.Kf3
Ra3+ 46.Ke4 Rxh3 47.b6 Kc8
48.b7+ Kb8 49.f3 is a winning rook

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