Here we are, the final exercise!
This time, I am going to present the entire game.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nge7 5.0-0 a6 6.Bd3 a6. This is not a popular scheme for White, and indeed it might not be the best way to challenge this line of the Sicilian Defence. Nevertheless, the position is equal and playing outside the opening book feels like to breathe fresh air.
7.Re1 d6 8.Bf1 e5 9.Nd5 Nce7 I had the feeling that going back with the knight was slow and unnatural for Black, therefore I played immediately 10.b4!? Nxd5 11.exd5 cxb4. In this kind of position where Black has less space on the queenside is not unusual to sacrifice a pawn to get the initiative. White tries to exploit his advantages of space and development.
12.d4 f6?! If Black has to create these weaknesses on the white squares in order to keep the pawn, then the sacrifice is effective. 13.a3 Be7? The way I see things, when you are in an inferior position you better suffer for something. Principled would have been 13…bxa3 - at least Black can justify his ugly position with a material advantage. 14.axb4 Bf5 15.c4 0-0 16.Qb3 Kh8. The interesting position.
White is better because he has more space and a clear plan: to play c5 at the right moment. I can’t tell whether White’s black bishop is better in e3, b2, or a3 - this may also depend on what Black does. The other pieces are all fairly well placed. The position is strategic, not dynamic, but we should still consider how the pawn structure could change in case of exd4, e4, f5, dxe5. We can spend time to find the best plan for White reducing Black's counterplay. Black does not have many ideas - one could be to play Bg4 and f5, going for a desperate counter-attack on the kingside - what else?
Therefore, White can play patiently 17.h3! stopping this idea immediately. 17…Re8 18.Be3 Bd7. Black moved the bishop to d7 because he still wants to play f5 and, but this is slow compared to Bg4 that would have instead attacked the knight. 19.dxe5! fxe5
Now the pawn centre became fixed and White does not have to worry anymore about f5 or exd5 opening the e-column. Notice that I exchanged only after Black (mis)placed his rook to the e-column, which is now closed. Now that the position is static and I can find the new ideal square for my knight, which is…
20.Nd2 Nf4 21.c5 Bb5 22.Bxb5 axb5 23.Rxa8 Qxa8 24.Ne4! This is the ideal square. From e4 the knight attacks d6, supports c5 and could jump to g5 with deadly checkmate threats in some scenarios. 24…Rd8
25.Bxf4 exf4 26.Qd3 h6 White was threatening to capture in d6 deviating the bishop from controlling the diagonal (and the g5 square). Black is forced to play passively and White can simply win material 27.Qxb5 dxc5 28.d6 Bf8 29.bxc5.
Black’s position is hopeless, so he resigned.
I hope that this work has been useful for someone, and good luck with your chess games.
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