Tony's analysis session....

Anyone want to have some more fun analyzing this one? I played it
last night at a tournament.....



Linyuan Cai- Tony Rotella
Sicilian - Dragon variation - Yugoslav Attack(!)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0
8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Ne5 11.Bb3 Rc8 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Nc4
14.Qe2 Ne5 15.Kb1 a6 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 a5 18.a4 Re8 19.Nb5
Qb6 20.Be3 Bxb5 21.axb5 Qc7 22.Bd4 Ra8 23.Ba4 Rec8 24.Rhe1 Kf8?
25.f4 Nc4 26.Bxg7+ Kxg7 27.Qxe7 Qc5 28.f5?! Qb4 29.Bb3 Nd2+
30.Ka1?? a4! 31.Ba2 a3 32.Rb1 axb2+ 33.Rxb2 Rxa2+ 34.Rxa2!
Qc3+

0-1 I think I have identified the major mistakes and good movesfor
both sides.......any thoughts? I think white was winning until 28. f5
and 30. Ka1 lost on the spot!

Tony, for what it's worth, here is my analysis if your game:-

Linyuan Cai - Tony Rotella, Sicilian Dragon - Yugoslav Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0–0
8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Ne5 11.Bb3 Rc8 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Nc4
[best is 13...Rc5] 14.Qe2 Ne5?! [a waste of time. 14...Na5 makes
more sense] 15.Kb1 a6 [better is 15...a5] 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5
[17.Bxd5 may give white more of an advantage] 17...a5 18.a4 Re8
19.Nb5 Qb6 20.Be3 Bxb5 21.axb5 Qc7 [black seems close to equality]
22.Bd4 Ra8 23.Ba4 Rec8 24.Rhe1 [24.g4 Qc4 25.Qxc4 Rxc4 26.Bb3
Rb4 =] 24...Kf8? [simply 24...Qc4, forcing the queens off] 25.f4 Nc4
26.Bxg7+ [Fritz found a beautiful win with 26.Qxe7+!! Qxe7 27.Bxg7+
Ke8 (27...Kxg7 28.Rxe7) 28.b6+ Kd8 29.Bf6 Qxf6 30. Re8 mate]
26...Kxg7 27.Qxe7 Qc5 28.f5 [I don't see anything better] Qb4
29.Bb3 Nd2+ 30.Ka1?? [He had to try 30.Rxd2 Qxd2 31.fxg6 (31.Re6
is also promising) with an unclear position] 30...a4 31.Ba2 a3 32.Rb1
axb2+ 33.Rxb2 Rxa2+ 34.Rxa2 Qc3+ 0–1

A good, hard-fought game, with a nice finish. Well played, Tony!