I recently played 3 OTB as black for my team, in which a similar variation of the open Sicilian (Najdorf) was played. This happens to be one of the openings I know best (unlike for instance 1.c4 when I'm basically out of 'book' on move 1), so for a change it was nice to have a little opening advantage OTB.
I think all 3 games have elements that are critical to the typical Najdorf, such as white wasting tempi in the opening giving black a great position, or black screwing up the attack in which case white wins. (That was me in the second game, and almost in the third).
I've put in some short comments about my thoughts during the game.
They are only clublevel games but I had good fun, hope you enjoy 😉
Opponent (1755) - me (1817)
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PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 {this game has a different move order but actually reaches the same position as the second game by move 11} e6 7. Be3 b5 8. a3 {rather slow, black can play natural developing moves} Qc7 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O {this setup with f3 and Be3 usually unleashes the English attack with white 0-0-0 and launching g4 and h4 - strangely enough white decided to go kingside} Nbd7 {gives a lot of flexibility to the knight} 11. Nb3 {not necessary} Rc8 12. Rc1 Be7 13. Kh1 O-O 14. Qd2 Rfd8 15. a4 b4 16. Na2 d5 {always tricky to figure out if d5 in the Sicilian is correct; as a rule of thumb, if it is, black has equalised} 17. Nxb4 Bxb4 18. Qxb4 dxe4 19. fxe4 Bxe4 20. Bxa6 {a small trap - this lets me split open the kingside} Bxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Qc6+ 22. Kg1 Qxa6 23. Nc5 Nxc5 24. Bxc5 Rd5 25. Bf2 h5 {played with double intentions - threatening to attack the pinned bishop after Rg5 and Bg3 and at the same time giving the King air so my other rook can join in} 26. b3 Rg5+ 27. Bg3 Rg4 28. Qe7 Qb6+ 29. Kg2 Qe3 {not exact enough - I missed that white's queen now can come back to defend} 30. Qb7 Rc3 {threatening Rxg3 with mate to follow} 31. Qf3 Qd4 32. Qa8+ {leaving the defending area again - dangerous} Kh7 33. Qa5 Qd2+ 34. Kh1 h4 35. Rfd1 Qe3 36. Qe5 Qf3+ 37. Kg1 hxg3 {setting up a killing discovered double-check} 38. Rd2 gxh2+ 39. Kxh2 Rh4+ {Qh3 is mate in 1 but I saw the mate in two first and went for it - no direct time pressure} 40. Kg1 Rh1# 0-1
Opponent (1945) - me (1817)
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PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. a3 Bb7 9. f3 Qc7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Qe1 {a slightly more dangerous approach than in the previous game} d5 {I think black is equal again} 12. Qf2 Bd6 13. g3 dxe4 14. fxe4 Ne5 15. Rad1 Qe7 16. Nb3 Neg4 17. Bxg4 Nxg4 18. Qe2 Nxe3 {obtaining bishop pair against 2 knights} 19. Qxe3 O-O 20. h4 Rac8 21. Kh2 {a silly mistake} Qxh4+ {Rxc3 is even stronger, I hadn't seen it in this situation} 22. Kg2 Qe7 23. Rf2 Rxc3 24. bxc3 Bxa3 25. Rfd2 f5 26. Rd7 Bxe4+ 27. Kf2 {Qxe4 doesn't work} Qf6 28. Ra1 Bb2 29. Rxa6 Bxc3 30. Raa7 f4 {going headfirst into a typical Sicilian two-side attack} 31. Rxg7+ Kh8 32. Qxe4 fxg3+ 33. Kxg3 {here I was under some time pressure - I saw a winning move but thought there was mate and went for it...} Be5+ {NO... Qf2 check and taking rook on g7 wins. I was mad at myself because I had seen it and didn't play it} 34. Kg4 h5+ 35. Kxh5 {and no more checks - that's what I missed} Qxg7 36. Rxg7 Bxg7 {and resigned soon after} 0-1
Opponent (1801) - me (1817)
Header
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 {a different variation - one that obligates to play e6, a move I will play anyway} e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Qf3 b5 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. O-O-O b4 11. Nce2 {Nd5 seemed an option} Nbd7 12. Kb1 Be7 13. f5 {not very dangerous atm - white should probably have been trying to push g and h pawns} e5 14. Nb3 Rc8 15. Bd2 a5 16. Ng3 a4 17. Nc1 d5 {again} 18. Rhe1 d4 {black has massive queenside control} 19. Nce2 O-O 20. Rc1 Qb6 21. Nh5 Rc3 {offering the exchange - bxc3 will be mated, of course, but I believe taking the rook isn't good anyway} 22. Nxf6+ Nxf6 23. Bxc3 bxc3 24. b3 Qb4 {too hasty - I thought I could put pressure on white and win, Ra8 was much better, then white has no time to organize defense} 25. Ka1 Ra8 26. Rb1 axb3 27. Rxb3 {not 27. cxb3?? Rxa2+ 28. Kxa2 Qa3#!} Qa4 28. Nc1 Ba3 29. Kb1 {unfortunately the defense fits exactly - I missed this move several moves earlier} Bc6 30. Qe2 Bxc1 31. Kxc1 Qxa2 32. Rb1 {a blunder - but I missed the beautiful winning move} Ba4 {now Qa3 followed by Qb2 wins the b1 rook or mates!} 33. Qd1 {under severe timepressure on both sides my opponent blunders away the game} Qa3+ {and mates. My opponent resigned}
You made "lapsus keyboard" with your last comment "27... Rxa3" you meant Rxa2, but that everyone figured out, I think.
Anyways, good games, nice to see effective Najdorf. I remembered now one of my Poluagevski variaton-OTB games from ... khm 1980! It turned into something like your third game.
Great games. Thanks for sharing.The second game really shows the importance of not giving up, since white was in a hopeless position but ended up winning anyway.
I have just recently started playing the Sicilian on a regular basis. For a novice like myself, this was a breath of fresh air. Thank you for sharing the games - very exciting and informative.
"Never go in against the Sicilian when death is on the line." ... sorry I love Vizzini.
