Whitout the database the sicilian is much to complicated and to deep to understand for most of us.

If you really dislike the Sicilian (as white), you should obviously change your opening move. 1. Nf3 is a good non-committed and neutral move, but to be sure not to encounter the Sicilian you should acquaint yourself with the 1. d4 openings

I wasn't relying on the Game DB for my knowledge. I have a chess book with 230 pages of information on the openings that unequivocally states that if Black plays the Sicilian Defense and White can get in P-QB4 without immediate harm, White will get the better of the position.

Well, I'm not sure about that. I think it leads to a more positional sort of game, not necessarily worse for Black.

You get a marginally better position, called the Maroczy Bind (sorry if I misspelled it)

I've always found algebraic notation to be horribly confusing. Descriptive notation is much easier for me to understand.

This is descriptive notation for Nc3   (I think we should stick to algebraic notation in this Club) Let's not go into the old dispute about which notation is better. Descriptive is obviously better to everyone/anyone who is "grown up" with it. Yet, the entire field of chess (literature etc) has moved to algebraic, which is why I think you should, too. The switch will take its time - I know - but I think it is worth it, especially since everything in this Club is algebraic

Although I find the two equally easy to follow, I still make the occasional mistake of writing, say, e2 for e7. Oddly enough, I find Algebraic easier to 'write down' with a keyboard, but Descriptive easier on paper. I also find descriptive a rather easier to follow without a board, not that that's easy!

@jkarp: I think that position was different, because if you would play 7...Nxe4?? White could take with his bishop.

I think there is a transitional phase between the two, which is being entered here.

Even IF your knight where protected you would lose material after 9...e5.

@stalhandske: I think that carnic means that if the bishop were, for example, on c2, 9...e5 would fork bishop and knight and therefore still win a piece.

He was trying to say, if the knight was protected it was still a bad move because of the pawn hook.

Sort of like the Maroczy Bind.

8....Nfd7 unveils the threat against the knight at d4, but 8.....Nc6 was a stronger move. 9. B-K3 (= 9. Be3) should indeed have been played; also 9. Be2 is good, "unveiling" support for the poor knight from the white Q. I don't understand carnic's comment. @myevilluck & l-d-j: Right! Sorry, I did not realise that the comment concerned the position AFTER 9. Be3

...Nfd7 ought to have waited, I concur with stalhandske. With 9...Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6, Black gets a nice solid line of pawns - a long term asset for the end game.

10. N-R4 (=10. Na3) indeed guards the pawn at b2, but there was absolutely no need to move the knight at c3! Instead, developing with 10. Rc1 or 10. Qd2 had been much better

10.N-R4 = 10.Na4. Whatever, Black is best advised now to bring the Bishop back to g7 then continue development.

10.....Bxb2 is the natural consequence of white's blunder

Unfortunately, there is not much white can do at this point. The choice to attack is definitely the correct one in this situation

The Bishop really should have gone back to g7. Having gained a big material advantage, Black now needs to consolidate (close ranks, if you will), and then bring out the inactive material. As g7 is a safe spot for the Bishop, there is no real prospect of having to move it again if it is attacked, or White threatens to exploit the dark squares about the King.

@jkarp: that's correct and it's also the right word!

That plan is doomed by its slowness. 15. Bh6 or 15. Bg5 were better, perhaps followed up by advancing the f pawn against black's castle

What about Bg5, menacing Be7. If 15. ... Kc6xe7, Qxd4. So Black would have to play f6, weakening his Kingside. Then the white's black bishop can go to h6 ?

Bg5 is answered by ...Bf6 and Black is still well ahead.

16. Bh6 is very good (see above)!

What was the point of 15... e5? It leaves a cold draught on the dark squares around the black king.

Which was why the Bishop ought to have gone all the way back to g7. Now, the d4-square is an attractive-looking spot for the bishop, as it is hard for White to attack it. The ...e5 advance made it even harder. It was probably sound enough to leave it there, but there is always the risk things might slip away from Black. Now White has play around the light squares. This probably oughtn't to lead anywhere, but it gives White something to play for.

Isn't the knight at d5 eyeing f6? That is the answer to "but now what?"

...which is why Black should play 17...f5 here. Actually, I would have been tempted to have sacrificed the exchange to get it in: 16....f5 17.Bxf8 Qxf8. However, in the diagram position, 17...Re6 will stop the Knight reaching f6.

Nf6+ is the best move here and puts white vastly ahead. !8. Nf3+ kh8 19. Nxe8 and, if he takes the rook on b3 then Qxf7 and mate is unavoidable or if he takes the knight Qf6+ with mate in one. Because of this move black could of played f5 and ruin everything. It is the story of this game to me that f5 at any point up to now would of hurt you badly.

I completely agree with myevilluck. 17.....Na5 would have lost the game for black had white played Nf6+

The line runs 18.Nf6ch! Kh8 19.Nxe8! and now: [a] 19...Qxe8?? 20.Qf6ch and mates; [b] 19...Nxb3?? 20.Qxf7 and also mates {20...Qf6 21.Nxf6} [c] 19...f5!? 20.exf6 Qxe8 {not 20...Nxb3 21.Bf7ch! Kg8 22.Qd5ch Bd6 23.Qxe6#} 21.fxg6 e4 22.Qf7 Qxf7 23.gxf7 and White will enter the ending comfortably ahead; [d] 19...Be6 20.Nc7!! Nxb3 21.axb3! and now because 21...Rc8?? 22.Nxe6 is so lethal, probably Black has to play 21...Qh4 22.Nxa8 Qxh6. In this line it seems lies Black's best chance.

Well, here it comes!

You win the rook! without the loss of your knight!

Remember the adage: Never trust your opponent.

A very dynamic game indeed that follows the rule that the one who makes the last blunder will lose. 19. Nf6+ was not really a trap in the real sense of the word. It was made possible by White's support by 17. Qf3, and should at that time have alerted Black of the danger. Black should also have gotten rid of the advanced knight at d5 at an early stage

Good comeback indeed, although Black shouldn't have closed the a1-h8 diagonal to his own bishop.

Nice mate-to-come!

So did I, jkarp. I always enjoy playing chess, win lose or draw. Addition: the final position resembles this game. gameknot.com

That final position, and that featured in the Spielmann game linked to in that last comment, is a well known mating motif that should be in everyone's bag of tricks. Knowing and recognising motifs like this can guide you as to what plans to adopt or to avoid.