Download PGN of July '14 Open Sicilian games
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The Kan 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Qc7 [B41]
I would like to start with the important theoretical line which occurred in Baron, T - Golod, V. One of White's main attempts to fight for an opening advantage nowadays is 7.Be2, when the critical position arises after 11.Nb3:
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Surprisingly enough, almost all the Black players (including the Grandmasters) went for 11...0-0 here, which leads to a very difficult position. Vitali made the same mistake, and only a couple of inaccuracies from his opponent allowed him to escape. The correct move is 11...e5, which needs more testing.
The Kan 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0-0 Qc7 with 8...Be7 [B42]
Our next game is important for the theory of this line. As Vasieseu, D - Manolache, M shows, 8...Be7 gives White too many attacking possibilities.
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Still, in the Diagram position (after 14.b4), the position would still be playable had Black played 14...Rfe8. However, after 14...g6? White was able to develop a crushing attack. Even then, as a result of mutual mistakes, the game ended in a draw, but White had many winning paths on the way.
The Taimanov with 5...a6 6.Nxc6 [B46]
The game Caruana, F - Svidler, P is very important for theory.
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The diagram position after 12...Rb8 is considered satisfactory for Black, but Fabiano was able to pose Black serious strategical problems after 13.Nd1! Peter's position was extremely precarious all the time, but after 18.Qc3? he managed to equalize. However, even then Peter didn't manage to save this game.
The English attack vs Taimanov with 8...Be7 9.f3 [B48]
The game Anand, V - Movsesian, S saw an interesting novelty in a very current theoretical position, 11.Bf4!?:
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Sergei Movsesian was playing quite well till move 16, but then a few mistakes led to a lost position. Luckily for him Vishy missed a clear win on move 23. Moreover, at the end White even had to fight hard for a draw.
The English attack vs Taimanov with 8...Be7 9.f4 [B48]
Our next, very attractive game is Shankland, S - Kovalyov, A, which saw the rare 11.Ncb5!?, and as a direct result the players entered into a complex and critical position after 16.Rd3:
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The real test of White's idea should be 16...Qa1+, but instead, after 16....Qa5?! Anton couldn't solve his king problems, and White won convincingly.
The game Yu Yangui-Svidler is very important for another well known theoretical line, White coming up with an original idea of keeping a rook on the 4th rank. Svidler's reaction was correct, but in the diagram position, after 18.Kb1, he starts to err and loses in a few moves.
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However, the correct 18...d4! would be acceptable for Black.
The Perenyi piece sac, 7.g4 e5 8.Nf5 h5 [B81]
One more important theoretical game is Molner,M-Ortiz Suarez,I. The players entered into a long sharp line with 12...e4, White's reaction was the most principled, and a critical position arose after 17...Be6:
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Instead of 18.g6!, which poses Black definite problems, White spent an important tempi on 18.Bg2?, and was crushed nicely.
Najdorf with 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.h3 [B90]
Our last game in this issue is Steinberg, N - Tseitlin, M, where Black tried a brand new, and very concrete idea, 10...Nb4!?:
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In general, this line seems playable for Black, the critical position arising after 15...Nxd5. The preceding game Laznicka-Wojtaszek led to a draw by force, but Nitzan's attempt to deviate with 16.Qe4?! was unsuccessful. Had Tseitlin played 16...Be7! White would have found himself in a difficult situation, but Steinberg was lucky to win this game. No doubt the ball is in White's court in this important line!
I hope you enjoy this update!
See you next month, Michael Roiz
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