Download PGN of September ’20 Anti-Sicilian games
>> Previous Update >>
c3-Sicilian 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 d5 7.exd6 [B22]
Van Foreest, J - Anton Guijarro, D saw an unusual recapture here, the solid 7...exd6!?:
             |
Black soon reached a very reasonable IQP position.
In Giri, A - Gelfand, B the players reached the position after 7...c4 8.Bc2 Qxd6 9.Na3 g6 10.b3 cxb3 11.axb3 Bg7 by transposition. After 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nc4:
|
|
Gelfand avoided the critical 13...Nxc4 14.bxc4 Be6 in favour of 13...Qc7, which left White with some initiative.
c3-Sicilian 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 [B22]
This pawn sacrifice was essayed in Mamedyarov, S - Giri, A, but with a modern twist after 8...dxe5 9.d5 Na5 10.Nc3 Nxb3 11.Qxb3 e6 12.Nxe5 exd5 13.Be3 Be6 14.Qb5+ Kf8, namely 15.f4!?:
|
|
White retains decent compensation but Giri was wonderfully prepared and played an almost perfect game.
c3-Sicilian 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Na3 cxd4 [B22]
Van Foreest, J - Maurizzi, M was a battle behind the scenes, since Van Foreest happily played into the position after 8.Nb5 0-0-0 9.Nfxd4, allowing 9...Ng4! when I believe that Black is doing excellently. Instead Black played 9...Nxd4?, which led to approximate equality after 10.Qxd4:
|
|
However, I think Black would have been busted after 10.cxd4!.
Rossolimo 3...g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nd7 8.Be3 b6 9.Qd2 [B31]
In Gullaksen, E - Mamedov, R, Mamedov repeated a blitz game from a couple of months previously with 9...e5 10.Bh6 Bf6!?:
|
|
It worked like a dream in the game, with Black quickly obtaining an ideal position.
Zviaginsev 2.Na3, transposing to a Rossolimo [B31]
Nepo tried a few bizarre Anti-Sicilians in his Legends of Chess games against Gelfand, but Nepomniachtchi, I - Gelfand, B quickly started looking like a Rossolimo after 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Re1 0-0 9.d3. Now Gelfand played the principled 9...f6!:
|
|
and quickly obtained an excellent position.
Moscow Variation 3...Nd7 4.Ba4 [B51]
Adams, M - Djukic, N featured this line, which prioritises slow manoeuvring with all the pieces on the board.
|
|
Djukic played more or less a model game, achieving a structure with ...dxe5 under good circumstances, and drew from a position of strength.
Zaitsev Variation 4...a6 5.Be2 [B53]
In Adams, M - Lupulescu, C, after 4...a6 5.Be2 Nc6 6.Qe3 Nf6 7.0-0, Black opted for 7...e6, leading to a bad Hedgehog:
|
|
Adams played a model game for the first 25 moves, though the rest was rapid online chess.
Till next time, Sam
>> Previous Update >>
Please post you queries on the Anti-Sicilians Forum, or subscribers can write to me at support@ChessPublishing.com if you have any questions or queries.