1985-08-01 - Elliott, Sean 1-0 Eng, K
A nice Sean Elliott win from the Lloyd's Bank Masters. Sean cashes in on an early pair of Black errors that compound each other. His interest switches to the Kingside and Black is held to account for his lack of fluidity in defence.
[Event "LLOYDS BANK MASTERS"] [Site "?"] [Date "1985.08.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Elliott, Sean"] [Black "Eng, K"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B57"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "41"] {From Issue 12 with the appropriate heading of "Brief Engcounter." However, the game was played in London, not Carnforth. Not much is known about the opponent other than he had a FIDE Elo of 2215. Original notes by a combination of Sean Elliott and Graham Burgess (SEGB).} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 Qb6 {"This move avoids the complications of the Velimirovic Attack after 6...e6 7 Be3 Be7 8 Qe2 and 9 0-0-0." SEGB.} 7. Nde2 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. Be3 {"The 'book' move is 9 Bb3 followed by 10 Bg5 when White plays for an attack hoping that Black's Queen is misplaced on b6. Although the move played develops a piece with tempo White's Knight may be badly placed on e2." SEGB. 9 Bb3 is indeed the most common move here but 9 Be3 is okay. One of the points of 6 Bc4 line is the advance f2-f4-f5 to pressure e6. With the Queen on b6 the f-Pawn is pinned so White either plays Be3 or Kh1 to unpin. Upon either move Black probably replies ...Qc7 because, as the following notes suggest, Black wants to play ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5. White's Knight is not well-placed on e2 but a quick transfer to h5 will sort that out, and if White is attacking on the Kingside then the swap of Black's f6 Knight can only help the first player.} Qc7 {"Not 9...Qxb2? 10 a3! when Black is in big trouble." SEGB, This is a common trap not just in the Sicilian Defence but other openings as well. Here White is threatening 11 Ra2 trapping the Queen so Black probably has to give up a piece with 10...Nxe4 to save Her Majesty. A clear example of why the Queen's Knight Pawn is sometimes called The Poisoned Pawn.} 10. Ng3 a6 11. Bb3 O-O 12. f4 Rd8 $2 {"This is unnecessary. Black cannot play . ..d6-d5 as White's Bishop on b3 controls this square. The natural 12...b5 is best when Black has a good position." SEGB. Of the 11 games on the database 12...b5 was played twice and Black won them both. Far more popular was 12... Na5 to swap the b3 Bishop whilst 12...Kh8 featured once and was drawn. The text does not feature on the database and Black rapidly regrets playing it.} 13. f5 {The immediate 13 Na4 is also good but, as already indicated, the text is thematic. As it goes waiting a move is rewarded.} Na5 $2 {"Again 13...b5 is best." SEGB. Compounding the error on his previous move.} 14. Na4 $1 {A very strong move. On the previous move 13 Na4 could have been met by 13...Nd7, but now White has the extra move f4-f5 so Black can't play ...Nd7 because e6 is en prise. The text now threatens 15 Bb6 winning a piece, so Black is in trouble and it's all down to 12...Rd8?.} Nxb3 {If 14...b5 15.Bb6 Qc6 16.Bxd8 bxa4 17. Bxe7 axb3 18.axb3 Ne8 19.Qd2! - not 19 Rxa5? Qb6+ - and White stamps his authority on the position.} 15. cxb3 $5 {If 15 Bb6 Qd7 16 Bxd8 Nxa1 and White doesn't win the Exchange. Now Sean again threatens to do just that and he's also got Rc1 taking control of the c-file with a tempo. Curiously that never happens but the point is that he has the option. Recapturing towards the centre with 15 axb3 is more usual in this sort of Pawn structure but doesn't give White as much bite. Of course the King and Pawn ending is lost for White but Black has a lot of worrying to do before he gets there, and in this game he doesn't!} Nd7 {If Black tries 15...Rf8 - conceding two tempi regardless - then here's a few lines: 16.Rc1 Qa5 17.Nb6 Rb8 (if 17...Ra7 18.Nc4 wins) 18. Nc4 and now: a) 18...Qxa2?? 19.Ra1 wins the Queen. b) 18...Qd8 19.Bb6 Qd7 20. Ba7 Ra8 21.Nb6 wins a Rook; c) 18...Qb4 19.a3 Qb5. Now 20.Nxd6 is very good for White although 20.Ba7 also wins material by 20... Ra8 21.Nb6 Rxa7 22.Nxc8 Ra8 23.Nxe7+. Instead 15...Re8 guards the Bishop at the end of the last line but takes more space away from the Black Queen. Here's an amusing line 16. Rc1 Qd8 17.Bb6 Qd7 18.Bc7 Qb5 19.Nb6 Ra7 20.Qd4 - threat 21 Nxc8 so Black must attack the Queen - 20...e5 21.Qe3 Ng4 22.Qf3 Nf6 23.a4 Qb4 24.Rc4 Qd2 25.Bb8 traps the Rook. Also 15...Qb8 16 Nb6 is no good while 15...Qc6 16 Rc1 runs into similar lines as before. Hence Black guards b6 with his Knight. The problem is that it cuts off the Queen from the Kingside.} 16. Nh5 {This is strong but exchanging on e6 first is even better.} Bf8 {"16...g6 may be better but White still gets a strong attack." SEGB. White was threatening 17 fxe6 fxe6 18 Qg4 attacking both g7 and e6. I don't think much of 16...g6 and neither does Deep Rybka. When under fire the defender does well to leave the Pawns in front of his King unmoved for as long as possible. Here after 16...g6 17.fxe6 fxe6 (if 17...gxh5 18.exf7+ Kg7 19.Qxh5 is awful. White has three Pawns and a raging attack for his Knight.) 18.Rc1 Qa5 (if 18...Qb8 19 Nf4 is worse.) 19.Nf4 Qe5 (if 19...Bg5 20.Qxd6 is one good line) 20.Bd4! Qxe4 21.Nc3 - the return of the prodigal Knight - 21...Qc6 22.Ncd5 wins material. This line is not forced but it is a good illustration of some of White's possibilities coupled with Black's lack of co-ordination. Only the Knight and the dark-squared Bishop have much to do with the Kingside, but even the Knight is hamstrung by the need to defend against Bb6.} 17. Qg4 {Deep Rybka again says 17 fxe6 first is stronger. One line goes 17...fxe6 18 Rc1 Qa5 19 Qg4 - threatening 20 Qxe6+ and 20 Rxf8+ - 19...Qe5 20 Nb6 Nxb6 21 Bxb6 and both 21... Rd7 and 21...Re8 are met by 22 Nf6+. Again not completely forced but still a clear demonstration of the respective pluses and minuses.} exf5 18. exf5 Nc5 $2 {Effectively conceding the game. Best is the obvious move 18...Ne5 and after 19 Qg3 to play 19...Kh8. This drops an Exchange to 20 Bb6 but that's the least of Black's worries. There is also the immediate 18...Kh8 to which Deep Rybka has a nice line: 19 Nb6! Nxb6 20 Rac1 - this motif comes up in quite a few lines - 20...Qe7 21 Bxb6 Re8 22 Rxc8! Raxc8 23 f6! followed by 24 Bd4 winning.} 19. Bd4 f6 {"Forced. Either Black allows Knight or Bishop to take on g7, or he plays 19...g6 which allows 20 Nf6+." SEGB.} 20. Nxf6+ Kh8 21. Qh4 {"If 21...h6 22 Nd5 Qd7 23 Nab6 or 22...Qa5 23 Bc3 and the d8 Rook is lost." SEGB. Obviously 21...gxf6 22 Bxf6+ loses the Rook, and a couple of Pawns, even more quickly.} 1-0
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