Dear Mr Silman,

I have a question regarding a line given in the first edition of your book, WINNING WITH THE SICILIAN DEFENSE. In chapter 4: Maroczy Bind Gurgenidze System, in part B, after, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.f3 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 you say 9.Bg5 is no threat to Black, giving 9…0-0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.b3 Rfc8 13.Nd5 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Nxd5 15.cxd5 (I think White might get more out 15.exd5) 15…Bd7 but it looks to me as if White can capture the pawn on e7: 16.Rxc8+ Rxc8 17.Bxe7 Bh6+ 18.Ke1 (18.Kd3 Bb5+ 19.Kd4 Rc120.Bxb5! Rxh1 21.Bxd6 is obviously good for White) 18...Rc1+ 19.Kf2 Bb5 20.Bxb5 Rxh1 21.Bxd6 and I like White’s chances.

My question is, can’t Black avoid all this and, by 15…f6, equalize without too much trouble?

Kind Regards,

Andrew Drabble

 

SILMAN REPLIES:

I remember looking at this over six years ago, though my analysis has since been lost with the crashing and changing of several computers. Nevertheless, I have some memory of the following: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.f3 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Bg5 0–0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.b3 Rfc8 13.Nd5 and now, instead of the main line with 13…Qxd2+, perhaps 13...Qd8!? 14.Nxf6+ (14.Bd3!? seems best) 14…exf6 deserves a look.

DOES WHITE HAVE ANYTHING HERE?

15.Bh4 (White has nothing after 15.Be3 f5 16.Bd3 since Black has 16…fxe4 17.Bxe4 d5! 18.cxd5 Rxc1+ 19.Qxc1 Bxd5, while 16.Rd1? fxe4 17.fxe4 b5! favors Black) 15…b5! 16.cxb5 (Also insufficient is 16.c5 due to 16…Rxc5 17.Rxc5 dxc5 18.Qxd8+ Rxd8 19.Bxb5 Rb8 20.Ba4 c4) 16…Rxc1+ 17.Qxc1 g5 18.Bf2 f5 and Black is doing very well.

Anyway, let’s go back to the position after 13…Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Nxd5 15.cxd5 Bd7 (I feel that 15…f6! is fully adequate, but I’ll let John Donaldson address that move) 16.Rxc8+ Rxc8 17.Bxe7!?

A TEMPTING PAWN GRAB

I must agree with you about the position arising from 17…Bh6+ 18.Ke1 Rc1+ 19.Kf2 Bb5 20.Bxb5 Rxh1 21.Bxd6 – it’s horrible for Black. I realized this when I did the aforementioned analysis and finally decided that Black improves by: 17…Bh6+ 18.Ke1 Rc1+ 19.Kf2 Bf8! when Black’s problems are a thing of the past.

HOWEVER, White should play 18.Kd3! (instead of the insipid 18.Ke1) 18…Rc1 19.a4! when a clear path to equality still must be discovered since 19…Bf8 20.Bg5 turns out to be somewhat bothersome.

LOOKING FOR A MOVE AFTER 19.a4!

Any readers want to tackle this position? It’s all moot, of course. As Donaldson will point out.

JOHN DONALDSON REPLIES:

Dear Andrew,

Good question! I think your instincts are right.

EQUALITY WITH 15…f6!

After 15...f6 White has two possibilities: (1) 16.Rxc8+ Rxc8 17.Be3 Bd7 looks fine for Black and (2) 16.Be3 Rxc1 17.Kxc1 Bd7 18.Bd3 Rc8+ 19.Kd2 a6 is also no trouble. The four Bishop ending after the inevitable trade of Rooks on the c-line has long been known to cause no problems for Black. See for example the game between Spassky and Petrosian from their 1969 title match (game 3) which is quite similar.

When Black has been forced to take on d5 with the Bishop, the resulting endings allow White chances to make things unpleasant, especially if Black has ...b5 in. This isn’t the case here (he took on d5 with the Knight), so Black is fine.