Annotated chess game: Sicilian Miniature

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ANNOTATED GAME

Sicilian Miniature
belacqua17 (1469) vs. cak7 (1032)
Annotated by: belacqua17 (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian defence (B27)

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1. e4	This is a nice quick game, where i believe the sicilian develops a bit too slowly for black



1... c5 2. Nf3 f6 3. d4 e6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e5	the first non-database move attempting to open his kingside
	1 comment kingstuart (1200) on 15-May-07: 2...f6?? thats an awful move


5... Nc6 6. exf6 gxf6	Nxf6 is better here, because it develops the knight and attempts to close down the kingside
	1 comment kingstuart (1200) on 15-May-07: Nxf6 would leave black with a playable position unlike the move made


7. Bf4 Nge7	now he has to waste an extra move developing the knight that should have gone to f6
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-May-07: ...but the knight's development here is premature, as White's reply indicates. I'd be inclined to try 7...d5 with a view to ...Bd6 and then perhaps ...Ne7. Another plan might be 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 (not 8...e5 on account of 9.Qh5ch Ke7 10.Nf5ch Ke6 11.Bc4ch d5 12.Bxd5ch Kd7 13.0-0-0...). If 9.Qxd4 e5 forks Q and B; but 9.Qh5ch Ke7 10.0-0-0 gives White a big lead in development, with what looks like a strong attack in prospect.


8. dxc5	grabbing the pawn that the knight move freed up, again move 6 returns to haunt him



8... Nd5	attacking c5 and f4
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-May-07: The downside of this is that it loses a second pawn. 8...Ng6 might have been worth a look. For sure, White can play 9.Bd6 Bxd6 10.cxd6 (10.Qd6?! Qe7), but Black's B can develop via b7, and that mobile pawn phalanx at e6/f6 might later prove useful. I'm not saying Black's position at this point is OK - it isn't. A pawn down and a weakened K-side are will be difficult disadvantages to overcome. But Black isn't out of the game just yet! [Another idea, by the way, is 8...e5 and if 9.Be3 then ...Nf5. But Black needs to work out what might happen if White doesn't retreat the B but instead launches an attack like this: 8...e5 9.Nxe5!? fxe5 10.Qh5ch Ng6 11.Bd3 exf4?? 12.Bxg6ch hxg6 13.Qxg6ch Ke7 14.Nd5# Black doesn't have to be so greedy on move 11, but White's chances look pretty good to me!]


9. Nxd5	clearing out defenders from the kingside and winning a pawn



9... exd5 10. Qxd5 Nb4	do you see the force mate? try not to look at the notation first
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-May-07: Even if he didn't spot the mate, black might have tried instead 10...Qe7ch 11.Be3 (the only move that at once stops the check and protects c5 - but it's an obvious move) 11...d6 12.cxd6 Qxd6 13.Qxd6 Bxd6 ... The 2-pawn deficit means Black's chances of survival are rather skinny, but he would still have been in there fighting!


11. Qh5+	1



11... Ke7 12. Bd6+	2



12... Ke6 13. Nd4#	bam! game over! notice how white has three active pieces and an advanced pawn while black only has an oddly positioned knight in the game
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-May-07: More alert than black, White finishes the game neatly and economically. A nice mate in the middle of the board!