(1) as a model of how to approach attacking
positions with a closed
centre; compare many lines of the King's Indian Attack
and Ruy Lopez
(2) as a common system (e4 with Bg2) in many
openings - for example,
we see the same approach at work in many lines of the
English Opening.
Basically, White aims to concentrate enough firepower in the K-side to force a quick checkmate. In doing so, Black has a natural counterattack in ...Rb8, ...b7-b5-b4 and possibly also ...c5-c4.
There are many ways for White to play the position - for example, the dark-squared Bc1 could go to g5, e3 or even d2. The Ng1 could go to e2, f3 or h3. It is also possible to put the light-squared bishop somewhere on the other diagonal - c4 or b5 - as well as on g2. I will concentrate on one important line where the central bloackade is most obvious (Black plays ...e5), but I also include an example of games with the bishop on each of these two alternative squares c4 (Hodgson-Ady) and b5 (Hebden-Large), in variations of the Grand Prix Attack.
Black also has a wide variety of choices. Fianchettoing the Bf8 is not necessarily the best way to play - even if it is played, Black could play e6 or e5, with the Ng8 going to e7 or f6.
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6
6. f4 e5
[6... e6 is the main line 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 Nd4 else d4 may follow; this complex position has been the Grandmasters' starting point for many years]
This is relatively recent and has the advantage of
bolstering f4, and
leaving the f-file open for the rook(s). It also avoids
the pin
...Bg4, and allows a retreat of the Nc3 to e2 if White
wants to attack
d4 or play c2-c3. A rather drastic example of how White
wants to play
is as follows:
Holland-Whiteley, 1995
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nh3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O (?)
9. f5 gxf5 10. Qh5 f6
looks ugly, but it seems to be fairly standard in this line - how else to prevent Ng5?
11. exf5 Nd4
Thematic, and seemingly powerful, threatening
...Nxc2 and ...Nxf5
12. Nd5 Nxc2 13. Ng5 Bxf5
[13... fxg5 e.g. 14. f6 Nxd5 15. Bxd5+ Kh8
16. fxg7+ Kxg7 17. Rxf8
Qxf8 18. Bxg5 Kh8 19. Rf1]
14. Rxf5 fxg5 15. Rxf8+ Qxf8 16. Bxg5 Ng6 17.
Rf1
somehow the rook, which looked doomed on a1, escapes
17... Qc8 18. Be4 Qd7 19. Ne7+ 1-0
Black never had a chance to take the rook on a1, let alone create Q-side counterplay by advancing the a- and b-pawns. What went wrong? The whole position after f5 and Qh5 looks very good for White, and whether or not it is a forced win, we would all prefer to be White.
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nh3 (diagram A) 7... Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. f5 (all as before) 9... f6
Black allows f5 but not Qh5
10. g4 Nd4 11. Be3
White's idea - common in the Closed Sicilian - is to follow with Qd2 and doubling rooks on the f-file
11... Rb8 (the standard counter-attack ) 12. Qd2 b5 13. Nd1
An interesting choice: 13. Ne2 keeps the rooks connected but allows exchanges; the text covers b2 and allows c3 with tempo. Note that a4 or a3 do not stem the tide of Black's counterplay
13... b4 14. c3 bxc3 15. bxc3 Ndc6 16. Rf2 Qc7 17. Nb2 Nd8 18. Raf1
Mission accomplished - now Black's position looks
critical
18... Nf7 19. g5 gxf5 20. exf5 d5
The classic central response to a wing attack - possible because of the position of the Knight on b2 not c3
21. gxf6 Bxf6 22. Qe2 d4 23. cxd4 cxd4 24. Qg4+ Kh8 25. Bg5 Nxg5 26. Nxg5 Nxf5 27. Rxf5 Bxf5
Actually, Black can also prevent f5, and apparently equalise immediately, with
7...exf4!
Now
8. Nxf4
[8. Bxf4 Nge7 9. Qd2 h6 !? Lane]
8... Nge7 9. O-O O-O
Two Examples:
10. Be3 b5 ! 11. a3 Ne5 ! 12. h3 Rb8 13. Qd2 a5 14. Rf2 b4
15. axb4
axb4 16. Ncd5 Bb7 ! 17. g4 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. exd5 c4
! 20. Ra6 b3
! 21. d4 Qc8 22. Ra1 c3 23. Qxc3 Qxc3 24. bxc3 b2 (an
amazing march)
25. Rb1 Nc4 26. Bf4 Na3 27. Rff1 Nxb1 28. Rxb1 Rb6 29.
Bxd6 Ra8 30.
Rxb2 Rxb2 Savage-Gheorghiu 1979
10. Nfd5 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 b5 ! 12. c3 b4 13. Bf4
Note the power of ...Ne5, as opposed to ...Nd4
7. Nf3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 Nd4 10. Qd2 Nec6 still seems to equalise for Black, e.g.
11. Nh4 exf4 12. Bxf4 Be6 13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5
Ne5 (that move again)
15. c3 Nb5 16. Rae1 Qd7 17. Nf3 Rae8 18. h4 Nc7
= Ignatiev-Vasiukov
1962
or
11. Nd1 Bg4 12. Ne1 exf4 13. Bxf4 Ne2+ 14. Kh1 Nxf4 15. gxf4 f5 16. Ne3 Bh5 17. exf5 gxf5 18. c3 Qd7 19. Nf3 Kh8 20. Rae1 Rae8 21. Nd5 draw, Minev-Vasiukov 1962
======================================
White cannot castle Queen's-side
into Black's counterplay
Jackson - Regis, Plymouth-Exeter, 1993
1. e4 g6 ( this was the actual move order) 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e5 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. Be3
17. Bd2 ?? ( black to play and win )
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6.
Nge2 e5
denying squares to the Ne2
7. Nd5 Nge7 8. c3 Nxd5 9. exd5 Ne7 10. O-O O-O 11. f4
does nothing for the Bc1 or Ne2
11... Bd7 12. h3 Qc7 13. Be3 Rae8 14. Qd2 Nf5 15.
Bf2 h5 16. Rae1 Qd8
17. Kh2 Bh6 18. h4 Qf6 19. Be4
19... exf4 20. Nxf4 Nxh4 21. Be3 Nf5 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 23. Qg2
Qg4 24. Qe2
Qxe2+ 25. Rxe2 Re5 26. Ree1 Rfe8 27. Bf2 h4 28. Rxe5 Rxe5
29. d4 hxg3+
30. Kxg3 Rg5+ 31. Kh2 Rf5 32. Be3 cxd4 33. cxd4 Kh7 34.
Rf2 g5 35. Ne2
Rxf2+ 36. Bxf2 f5 0-1
One of the best example games I have on file for the Closed Sicilian is this one.
1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nf3 e5
6. d3 f5 7. O-O Nf6
8. Rb1 h6 9. b4 O-O 10. b5 Ne7 11. a4 Be6 12. Ba3
Rc8
Black does not rush but secures the Q-side.
13. Nd2 b6 14. e3 g5 15. d4 exd4 16. exd4
f4
17. Re1 Bg4 18. Nf3 Qd7 19. c5 Rce8 20. Rc1 Nf5 21. Qd3
Kh8 22. cxd6
cxd6 23. Rxe8 Qxe8 24. Rf1 Qh5
The Black pieces hover like vultures
25. Ne4 Nxe4 26. Qxe4 Bh3 27. Ne5 Bxg2 28. Kxg2 g4
29. Bxd6 Rf6 30. Bb8 Qh3+
0-1
Hodgson - Ady, Streatham Vs Ymca, London, 1981[B23]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. f5
exf5 7. d3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O?
This natural-looking move is probably a decisive mistake.
Black has
no effective counter to White's simple mating attack.
9. Qe1 Nd4 10. Qh4 Nxf3+ 11. Rxf3 fxe4 12. Rh3 h6 13. Bg5 Re8 14. Rf1 d5 15. Nxd5 hxg5 16. Nf6+ Black resigns
Hebden - Large, British Ch'p, 1982[B21]
1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bb5 Bg7 5. Bxc6
dxc6 6. d3 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. O-O b6
White has an obvious plan. And the player with a
plan will always beat the player without one.
9. Qe1 Ne8 10. Qh4 Nd6 11. f5 gxf5 12. e5 Ne8 13.
Bh6 f6 14. Kh1 Bxh6
15. Qxh6 Ng7 16. Rae1 Be6 17. Ne2 c4 18. Nf4 cxd3 19. cxd3
Bxa2
Black might as well snatch a pawn, he has achieved nothing
to counter
White's simple attack.
20. e6 Qc8 21. Re3 Nxe6 22. Nxe6 Bxe6 23. Rxe6 Rf7
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Dr. Dave