SicilianB22

Kelleher W. FM (2392)
Mikhailuk S. FM (2433)

Blitz vs Seattle Sluggers (2)
USCL, Week 1, 2007


1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Be7 8. Nc3 Qd6 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Nc6 11. a3 b6 12. Re1 Bb7 13. Qe2 Rfd8 14. Rad1 Rac8 15. Bb1 g6 Blunting the b1-h7 diagonal, but this comes at a price of weakening the dark squares around the king, while the white bishop on b1 finds an alternative diagonal to occupy. 16. Ba2 Nd5 17. Ne4 Qd7 18. Bh6 Ba8 19. Nfg5 Nf4 20. Qf3 The queen stops one square short of her best square 20. Qg4! Nxd4 and now the knight is not attacking the queen like when she is on f3, which allows 21. Nxf7! Bxe4 (21... Nfe2+ 22. Kh1 Kxf7 23. Rxe2 Qc6 24. Qf4+ Nf5 25. Rde1 and the pressure on e6 and the open Black king give white a big advantage.) 22. Nxd8 Rxd8 23. Bxf4 Bf5 24. Rxd4 (24. Qg3? Ne2+) 24... Bxg4 25. Rxd7 Rxd7 26. f3 and White should win this. 20... Nxd4 21. Rxd4 Qxd4 22. Nxf7! 22. Qxf4 Bxg5 23. Bxg5 Qxe4 24. Qxe4 Bxe4 25. Bxd8 Rxd8 just leaves Black a pawn up. 22... Qxe4 22... Rc1!? a hard move to find and even harder to calculate the following 23. Rxc1 Bxe4 24. Qg4 Bf5 25. Qf3 Nh3+ 26. gxh3 Kxf7 is maybe slightly better for Black due to the pawn structure. 23. Qxe4 23. Rxe4?? Rc1+ leads to mate. 23... Bxe4 24. Nxd8 Rxd8 25. Bxf4 Objectively this position is equal but White plays on with no risk of losing. 25... Bd5 26. Bxd5 Rxd5 27. Kf1 Kf7 28. Rc1 b5 29. Rc7 a5 30. b3 Ke8 31. Ke2 a4 32. bxa4 bxa4 33. Ra7 Bxa3 34. Rxa4 Be7 35. Ra8+ Kf7 36. Ra7 h5 37. h4 Ke8 38. g3 Rd7 39. Rxd7 Kxd7 40. Kd3 Bc5 41. f3 Ke7 42. Ke4 Kf7 43. Bg5 Bd6 44. g4 hxg4 45. fxg4 Bf8 46. Ke5 Bg7+ 47. Ke4 1/2-1/2

Game(s) in PGN