Sicilian Sac Bxb5

I was feeling a bit bogged down and unwound by playing some blitz. The guy played the Bxb5 sac, then sacced on e6 as well as white in the Sicilian. Any of you know these lines?

None of ye lazy dudes/duddettes have got "essential chess sacrifices" or sumthink similar? Probably not "Essential Chess Sacrifices" but "Sicilian Sacrifices".

Originally posted by enrico20
None of ye lazy dudes/duddettes have got "essential chess sacrifices" or sumthink similar? Probably not "Essential Chess Sacrifices" but "Sicilian Sacrifices".

Pages 16-31 in Essential Chess Sacrifices covers the bishop sac to clear the queenside in the Sicilian. I don't recall a follow up sac on e6.

Originally posted by enrico20
None of ye lazy dudes/duddettes have got "essential chess sacrifices" or sumthink similar? Probably not "Essential Chess Sacrifices" but "Sicilian Sacrifices".

the piece sacrifice on b5 is well known, Kasparov covers it in how to play the Najdorf series and attributes its invention to Bronstein. White gets three passed pawns for the piece.

Thanks dudes. Might actually get a book on sacs/Sicilian Sacs.

Originally posted by enrico20
I was feeling a bit bogged down and unwound by playing some blitz. The guy played the Bxb5 sac, then sacced on e6 as well as white in the Sicilian. Any of you know these lines?

[pgn]1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 a6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. Kb1 b5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Ncxb5 Qb8 13. e5 Bb7 14. Qh3 dxe5 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Qxe6 Nf8 17. Nd6+ Qxd6 18. Rxd6 Nxe6 19. Rxe6 Kf7 20. Rxe5 Bd6 21. Bxf6 Bxe5 0-1[/pgn]

I know both sacs are thematic, and open Sicilian players usually train themselves to look for them, but I don't know all the essential conditions necessary to make each one work.

I remember vaguely that sacs on e6 usually come from Fischer/Sozin Attack lines where white has played Bc4 or from lines where white had played an earily f4-f5, and the sacs on b5 are usually strongest when white has played (the somewhat obvious) Nf3-xd4 and Nc3, but has not yet moved the Bf1.

In blitz I suspect they may often be strong enough to work without all the essential conditions, if your opponent doesn't have memorized refutations ready to go!

Levy had a book on Sicilian Sac's right?

Yes I sold my copy of Levy's book on EBAY last year.

Two OTB games from the days when I used to play the Open Sicilian
One where I sac on b5, one where I sac on e6.
Never did both in one game.

You can never calculate all the variations you just do it because it looks good.

G.Chandler - J. Bhopal. Edinburgh Congress 1980

At the time my Qh3 was a TN. I kind of telegraphs what I'm going to do.



G. Chandler - D. Wallace Edinburgh League 1983

My 11.h4 reeks of theory, perhaps not, it's the kind of move
I often try in OTB play. It's looks interesting.
My opponent believed it.

Good games greenpawn. Certainly when black delays development then a sac catching black's King in the centre is very much on the cards.

The original Bronstein sac is this game against Miguel Najdorf.

Hi Enrico

Bronstein on his game was the ultimate chessboard artist.
And a true lover of the game.

If you look at his playing career you will see 1992 Scotland.
He entered a weekend tournament, my mate Kenny Neil got a draw with him.

There he was sitting amongst all the minnows with a plastic set and roll up board.
He even played in a few London league matches.

Cannot imagine for one minute any of the current top lot doing this.

However Bronstein was not the first to sac here
The exact same postion had been seen before.

Rauzer - Makogonov, URS Championship, Leningrad, 1934



White to play. White sacced on b5. 10.Bxb5
It came from a slightly different move order so some writers have missed this.

There was also a game lillienthal - Kotov, USSR 1942. same postion, same sac, White lost.

My sourse indicates that Bronstein spent over 50 minutes on 9.Qg3

Was he trying to recall the other two games?
Did he think Najdorf had an improvement up his sleeve?
Did he not know of the other two games and cooked this up OTB?

Rauzer - Makogonov

enrico20 and GP, you guys have made this into an awesome thread. Bravo! Your game samples are the kind that improve any player who reads through them.

Classics played by the giants upon whose shoulders we stand!