Openings / c3 Sicilian 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5
pawn with the simple Nd2. Note that Black cannot take on g4 since he started with 4. ... Nc6 instead of 4. ... Nf6. The devil is in the details.
7. Qxf3 Qxc5 8. Na3
(Losing is 23. Rxd1? Rd8 24. Rxd8 Qxd8 25. Ng5 Qd1 mate) 23. ... Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Ba6+ 25. Ke1 Qg7 Amazingly, Black’s only defense is to sacrifice back the queen. 26. fxg7 Kxg7 27. Qf3, Black resigned—Alisa Melekhina (2244)-Razvan Preotu (2358), Philadelphia Open, 2014.
19. Ng5 Bxf6 No better is 19. ... Qxc3 20. Nxh7 Kxh7
(20. ... Qc6 21. Be4! Qxe4 22. Qxe4 Bxe4 23. Rxd7 Bxf6 24. Nxf6+!) 21. Qh3+ or 19. ... Rad8 20. Qh3 (Another useful threat facilitated by the queen on e3. Not only is h7 hanging, but sacrifices on e6 abound.) 20. ... h5 21. Bxg6 fxg6 (21. ... Rxd1 22. Bxf7+ Kf8 23. Nh7+ Kxf7 24. Qxh5+ Kg8 25. Qg6 mate) 22. Qxe6+ Kf8 23. Qf7 mate.
20. exf6 Rad8?
Keep in mind the common theme of developing the knight to a3, especially when Black has moved his queen so far ahead so early. Although I could have played Be3 immediately, I wanted to keep the option of playing Nb5, threatening Nc7+ and limiting the scope of Black’s queen after Be3.
The 2. ... d5 reply to the c3 Sicilian is
logical. Since the c3-square is no longer available for the knight, Black can opt for a quasi-Scandinavian where White will have to work harder to chase away the queen.
3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nc6 The more accurate continuation is 4. ...
Nf6, leaving open the possibility of ex - chang ing queens on d1 should White decide to take on c5. 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. dxc5 White should capture on c5 when possible, but unlike the game, Black’s move order with 4. ... Nf6 gives him an edge. (6. Be2 e6 7. h3 Bh5 8. Be3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4+ 10. Nc3 preserves White’s initiative in an isolated-queen-pawn struc - ture.) 6. ... Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 e5 8. b4 e4 9. h3 Bh5 10. g4 The move order in this line is subtle. Since Black started with 4. ... Nf6, he can capture on g4, regain the pawn, and put the burden on White to untangle his king. 10. ... Nxg4 11. hxg4 Bxg4 12. Nbd2 exf3.
5. Nf3 Bg4 6. dxc5 Bxf3 Who would have thought that Black
could get carried away merely by doubling rooks? My next move caused the grand - master to resign.
21. Ne4!, Black resigned. The d8-rook subversively cuts off Black’s
queen from accessing d8 in time to protect from mate. It’s surprising that the winning move is a retreat by the knight. As seen, White is the one calling the shots in the 2. ... Nf6 line. Black decides that 21. ... Kf8 22. Qh6+
Ke8 23. Qxh7 Rxd3 24. Qg8+ Kd7 25. Rxd3+ Bd5 26. Qxf7+ Kc8 27. Qxc7+ Kxc7 is not worth playing out.
2. ... d5
Sicilian Defense, 2. c3 Variation (B22) FM Alisa Melekhina (2267) Joshua Hill (2075)
Hamilton Chess Quads - May (1), 05.11.2013 42 October 2014 | Chess Life White is better here and would be happy
to reach this position. c5 is solid while White is threatening to pick up another
An inaccuracy typical of an unprepared opponent facing the c3 Sicilian. Believe it or not, it all goes downhill following move seven. 6. ... Qxd1+ would have been the better continuation even though the exchange is not as optimal as it would have been had Black went 4. ... Nf6 immediately. 7. Kxd1 e5 8. b4 e4 9. h3 Bh5 10. g4 exf3 11. gxh5.
10. ... Qf6
Probably lamenting forgoing the queen exchange earlier, Black retreats to an inactive square that only blocks his other pieces.
11. Qg3
It is only move 11, and Black has barely developed any of his pieces. White domi - nates the dark squares and has control of the pivotal b6-square.
11. ... e5 12. Nb6 Rb8 Even worse is 12. ... Rd8 13. Bg5 Since
this prevents Black from playing ... Rd8, it’s as if the rook is trapped.
13. 0-0-0 Usually Black castles queenside in the
2. ... d5 lines. However, my king is tucked away safely while releasing staggering control of the d-file.
13. ... Bd6
Black’s pieces are uncoordinated. The d6-bishop is quite loose, protected only by
8. ... a6 The move 8. Na3 did its job. Black spent
a tempo defending b5. Now, the b6-square becomes my new target. The a3-knight is also poised to jump to c4 at the right moment.
9. Be3 A typical way of developing, no matter if
Black still has his pawn or the queen on c5.
9. ... Qe5 10. Nc4
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