Exeter Chess Club

A. Piece attacks against the common half-open defences

In each of these lines White has a straightforward plan of campaign:

Piece Attacks vs. Sicilian

CONTENTS


A5. Piece attacks vs. Sicilian: lines with piece play

A5.1. Ideas with Be2


tSlDjLsT
Xx+xXxXx
-+-+-+-+
+-X-+-+-
-+-+p+-+
+-+-+n+-
pPpPbPpP
RnBqK-+r
It would be wrong to say there is much theory on these lines.

The basic idea is to develop the King's side pieces quickly, and play c3 and d4 (very much the same plan as the normal 1. e4 e5 openings).

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3

Now Black has a basic choice between 2...d6, 2...Nc6 and 2...e6. Alternatives are less strong, e.g. 2...a6 3. c4 or 2...Nf6 3. e5. These should not be scorned - GMs have played each line - but are less good for Black than normal lines.

2...d6

[after 2... e6 White can play an interesting gambit, borrowed from a variation of the English Opening: 3. Be2 Nc6 4. b4 Nxb4

[4... cxb4 5. d4]

5. c3 Nc6 6. d4;

(compare the line 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 b5)]

3. Be2 Nf6

[3... e6 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 Nf6 6. Nbd2]

4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Qa5+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. d5

t+l+jLsT
Xx+xXxXx
-+s+-+-+
D-Xp+-+-
-+-+s+-+
+-N-+n+-
pP-+bPpP
R-BqK-+r
...with interesting gambit play in each line.


A5.2. Ideas with Bb5

Rossolimo Variation with 2... Nc6
3. Bb5

t+lDjLsT
Xx+xXxXx
-+s+-+-+
+bX-+-+-
-+-+p+-+
+-+-+n+-
pPpP-PpP
RnBqK-+r
Now the most common line is

3...g6

Alternatives:

[3... Nf6 e.g. 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nc3 Nc7 6. a4 Nxb5 7. axb5]

[3... e6 e.g. 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 d5 6. exd5]

4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Qb6 6. Na3 Nf6 7. Re1

t+l+j--T
Xx+xXxXx
-Ds+-S-+
+bX-+-+-
-+-+p+-+
N-P-+n+-
pP-P-PpP
R-BqR-K-
[or 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bc4 Nc7 9. d4]

...when White has good play.


Rossolimo Variation with 2...d6
3. Bb5+

tSlDjLsT
Xx+-XxXx
-+-X-+-+
+bX-+-+-
-+-+p+-+
+-+-+n+-
pPpP-PpP
RnBqK-+r
This is a complex line. After 3...Bd7 White will often play 4. Bxd7+ and 5.c4, placing the pawns on light squares to complement the dark-squared bishop.

One example in another line:

3... Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Ngf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O a6 9. Bxd7+ Bxd7 10. Rad1 Bc6 11. Rfe1 O-O 12. Bxf6 gxf6

t+-D-Tj+
+x+-Lx+x
x+lXxX-+
+-+-+-+-
-+-Qp+-+
+-N-+n+-
pPp+-PpP
+-+rR-K-
Again, White has good piece play, although the bishops may be dangerous


Example games A5
A5.1. Examples with Be2

Basman-Stean,Hastings 1974
This is a famous game in this line.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Be2 Nf6 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nxe4 7. d5 Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ne5

t+l+jL-T
Xx+-XxXx
-+-X-+-+
D-+pS-+-
-+-+-+-+
+-P-+n+-
p+-+bPpP
R-BqK-+r

[9... Nd8 may be better]

10. Nxe5 Qxc3+ 11. Bd2 Qxe5 12. O-O Qxd5

[The main alternative is 12... a6

Nikolenko-Obukhov 1991

13. Rb1 g6 14. Rxb7 Bg7

[14... Bxb7 15. Qa4+ Kd8 16. Ba5+ Kc8 17. Qe8#]

15. Qa4+ Kf8 16. Rc7 Bf5

[16... Qxe2 17.Qc6 Bb7 18. Qxb7 Re8 19. Rc8 Qb5 20. Rxe8+ Qxe8 21. Rc1]

17. Qc6 Rd8 18. Bxa6

-+-T-J-T
+-R-XxLx
b+qX-+x+
+-+pDl+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-
p+-B-PpP
+-+-+rK-
idea Re1 - Gallagher]

The game as it goes is a rout.

13. Rb1 e6 14. Bb5+ Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Kxd7 16. Qa4+ Kd8 17. Rb5 Qc6 18. Rc1 Qa6 19. Ra5 Qd3 20. Be3 d5 21. Rxa7 Rxa7 22. Qxa7 Ba3 23. Qb8+ Ke7 24. Bg5+ f6 25. Qxb7+ Kd6 26. Qc7#


A5.2. Examples with Bb5

Georgiev,Kr - Feher,G [B30], Cappelle
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. b3 Qb6 6. Na3 Ng6 7. Bb2 a6 8. Nc4 Qc7 9. Bxc6 Qxc6

White is miles ahead in development, so breaks with d4.

10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4

t+l+jL-T
+x+x+xXx
x+d+x+s+
+-+-+-+-
-+nNp+-+
+p+-+-+-
pBp+-PpP
R-+q+rK-
Black now grabs a hot pawn while behind in development.

(Kids! Don't try this at home!)

11... Qxe4 12. Re1 Qf4 13. Nb6 Rb8 14. Nd5

-Tl+jL-T
+x+x+xXx
x+-+x+s+
+-+n+-+-
-+-N-D-+
+p+-+-+-
pBp+-PpP
R-+qR-K-
Almost inevitable

14... f6 1-0

Smirin,I - Nun,Ji [B30], Polanica
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. b3 Ng6 6. Bb2 Be7 7. Bxg7 Rg8 8. Bb2 h5 9. Nc3 Qc7 10. Re1

t+l+j+t+
XxDxLx+-
-+s+x+s+
+bX-+-+x
-+-+p+-+
+pN-+n+-
pBpP-PpP
R-+qR-K-
10... h4 11. Nd5

A very typical Sicilian sacrifice.

11...exd5 12. exd5 Nd4 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Ba3 Qa5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Qe2 Qa3

t+l+j+t+
Xx+xSx+-
-+-+-+-+
+b+p+-+-
-+-X-+-X
Dp+-+-+-
p+pPqPpP
R-+-R-K-
White threatens Qe5 and d6, winning the knight. Black keeps the Knight, but loses the King.

17. Qe5 Kf8 18. d6 Ng6 19. Qf6 Qa5 20. Bc4 Rg7 21. Re7 1-0

Bogumil - Sarosi, [B30] Budapest
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 d5 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. d4 cxd4 8. c4 Qd8 9. Nxd4 Bd7 10. Nf3 Nf5 11. Nc3 Be7 12. Ba4 O-O 13. Bc2 Nh4 14. Nxh4 Bxh4 15. b3 Bf6 16. Ba3

t+-D-Tj+
Xx+l+xXx
-+s+xL-+
+-+-+-+-
-+p+-+-+
BpN-+-+-
p+b+-PpP
R-+q+rK-
A neat move making use of the extra space and mobility.

16... Re8

[If 16...Bxc3, 17. Qd3!]

17. Qd3 g6 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Qg3 Qa5 20. Ne4 Bg7 21. b4 Qc7 22. Nd6 Red8 23. Bb2 Nc6

t+-T-+j+
XxDl+xLx
-+sNx+x+
+-+-+-+-
-Pp+-+-+
+-+-+-Q-
pBb+-PpP
+-+r+rK-
White is obviously winning. He finds a neat unmasking (Nf5)

24. Bxg7 1-0


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This document (sic7.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by

Dr. Dave