It’s time to work on our White openings. Many players avoid 1.e4 because they don’t want to deal with the mountain of theory in the Sicilian Defense. But 1.e4 can be fun, and if you like to play White in the Ruy Lopez, French, and Caro-Kann, you don’t have to give it all up. In 1995 I learned the Alapin (c3) Sicilian in great detail while working on the Deep Blue project. Ever since, I have been fascinated by Anti-Sicilian lines.

Let’s start with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3. From here, Black has to decide which Sicilian he wants to go for. Whether he plays 2...Nc6, 2...e6, or 2...d6, White will have interesting alternatives to 3.d4. This month we will begin our focus on 2...d6. In the past I’ve played several games with both 3.c3 and 3.Bc4. From time to time I get tired of the lines I’ve been playing, and need to try something new. Lately I’ve focused on a variation with an exaggerated reputation for drawishness. In some early practical tests, I’ve found the Moscow Variation can lead to quite interesting play. My first time out led to a dramatic success.

Joel Benjamin-Justin Sarkar [B51]
St John U. International New York,  2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+

Black has four legal interpositions, and three of them are quite reasonable. The check is often regarded as a drawing line and thus frequently underestimated (I was so tempted to write “misunderestimated”).

3...Nd7

Recommended by Anti-Sicilian author Joe Gallagher, this is clearly the most ambitious response. Black is willing to lag in development a bit to earn the bishop pair. White usually continues with 4.d4, leading to a much debated position after 4...Ngf6 5.0–0 a6 (5...cxd4 6.Qxd4 is the alternative) 6.Bxd7+ Nxd7 7.Nc3 e6 8.Bg5 Qc7. I’m not sure White can claim an advantage here, but he can at least set a devilish trap:  9.d5 e5 10.a4 g6 11.Nd2 Bg7 12.Nc4 Nb6 13.Na3 h6 14.Bh4 0–0?? [14...Bd7] 15.a5 Nd7 16.Be7! (Bhat- Wang Yue, USA vs. China-USA Summit Shanghai, 2002) and Black has to cough up the Exchange since 16...Re8 17.Nab5 axb5 18.Nxb5 Qb8 19.Bxd6 costs the queen!

I opted for a less analyzed course, aiming to occupy the center with pawns. I rejected 4.0-0 a6 when White does not have a retreat for the bishop.

4.c3 Ngf6 5.Qe2 a6 6.Ba4 c4!?

Sarkar finds a thematic attempt to disrupt White’s central ambitions. Note that Black prefers to play this move without 6...b5, which could lead to discomfort after a quick a2-a4.

7.Bc2

The text enables White to go for b2-b3. I was not much tempted by the pawn grab:  7.Bxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc4 Bb5 9.Qd4 e5 10.Qe3 Ng4 11.Qg5 Qxg5 (11...Nf6 12.d4 Nxe4 13.Qe3 might favor white) 12.Nxg5 Nf6 13.f3 Bd3 14.Nh3 d5 and though White keeps his pawn, he has trouble developing.

7...Qc7 8.0–0 Ne5!?

Black employs another sophisticated Sicilian technique, gaining space in return for doubled pawns. White has no choice – otherwise the pin with 9...Bg4 will annoy.

9.Nxe5 dxe5 10.b3 cxb3 11.axb3 Bd7

Sarkar smartly prepares to activate his rook should White break with d2-d4.

12.Ba3

I rightly felt that 12.d4 exd4 13.cxd4 Rc8 14.Na3 (14.Bd3?? Qxc1) would be too loosening, even though I missed 14...Bb5! 15.Bd3 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Qc3 with a clear edge for Black.  14...e5 is also fine.

I could have played more directly with 12.f4 exf4 13.d4 and now 13…g5!? creates a strange kind of King’s Gambit!

12...Rc8 13.f4?! exf4 14.e5 Ng4

This seemed obvious, but 14...Nd5 15.c4 g5!? also looks quite playable.

15.d4 Ne3

Sarkar should have given more thought to 15...g5!, which seems to favor Black. Thus I should have chosen a slower continuation like 13.c4 with Nc3 to follow.

16.Rxf4

16...Nxc2?!

After a good start, Sarkar loses the thread. I was sure he was going for 16...Nd5. Now 17.Rf3 Bg4 costs an Exchange, so White must gambit the c-pawn with 17.Rf2 Nxc3 and now either 18.Nxc3 Qxc3 19.Rd1 or 18.Qf3 Be6 19.Bc5.

17.Qxc2 g5?

White looks well on top now, but Black should hasten to develop with 17...g6.

18.Rf1 Qb6 19.Qf2 Qxb3 20.Nd2

This pawn sacrifice is clearly well worth the price, as White is finally mobilizing all his pieces. You don’t often see a knight emerge for the first time on move 20, but even stranger…the Black bishop is still sleeping on f8!

20...Qe6 21.c4

21.Ne4 is also strong.

21...Rxc4

This Exchange sac is a desperate bid for a light square blockade, but again Black should develop – 21...Bg7 22.d5 Qg6 23.Rae1 – and pray.

22.d5! Qxd5 23.Nxc4 Qxc4 24.Rac1 Qe6 25.Qa7! Bg7

The bishop makes a cameo appearance before resignation, but 25...f6 26.exf6 is not worth playing out.

26.Qb8+, 1–0.

The check cleared another hurdle in the last round of the World Open

Joel Benjamin-David Vigorito [B51]
World Open Philadelphia, 2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6

This position also commonly arises from 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 d6. A topical continuation is 4.Bxc6+ bxc6 5.0-0, but I went for a more familiar position. 

4.0–0 Bd7 5.Re1 a6?!

Much of my knowledge in this line stems from an encounter with Alex Yermolinsky.  Yermo played 5...Nf6 6.c3 and only then 6...a6. He told me 5...a6 was premature because White develops too quickly after 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.d4. Vigorito rejected 5...Nf6 because he had the feeling (correctly!) that I was going to play 6.h3. This too I learned from Yermo – I did not enjoy my position after I allowed his bishop to come to g4. The pin cannot be broken without consequences.  [For the record: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0–0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.d3 e6 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 Nd7 13.Ng2 e5 14.f4 exf4 15.Nxf4 Bh4 16.Re2 Nde5 17.Rg2 0–0 18.Be2 Bg5 19.Nf1 Bxf4 20.Bxf4 d5 21.Ng3 dxe4 22.dxe4 Qxd1+ 23.Rxd1 f6 24.Be3 b6 25.Kf2 Rfd8 26.Rgg1 Bf7 27.b3 a5 28.Bb5 Na7 29.Ba6 Nac6 30.Bb5 Na7 31.Ba6, 1/2-1/2, Benjamin- Yermolinsky U.S. ch Seattle, 2000]

6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4

Developing another piece seems more natural than 8.Nxd4, though a number of name players have done that instead. After the text move, White is essentially playing with an extra tempo. Picture this: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6. In my game, Black has a7-a6 when he needs a move for kingside development.

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 e6

9...g6 looked too slow at the time, and both players assessed it properly. 10.e5 dxe5 11.Qxe5! (I liked 11.Qxd8+ Rxd8 12.Nxe5, but this is stronger) 11...Bg7 12.Bh6! Bxh6 13.Rad1!, and Black has to give up his queen with 0-0 to stay alive. If that looks like a Fritz variation, what can I say – you got me.

10.Nd5!

Graphically exploiting the extra tempo. I wasn’t aware at the time that this position had occurred before. Sutovsky won a game after 10...Bxd5 11.exd5 e5 12.Nxe5!

10...Be7 11.Nxe7 Qxe7 12.e5 dxe5 13.Nxe5 h6

Black has no time to rest. 13...Rc8 or 13...0-0 allows the most unpleasant pin 14.Bg5.

14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Qc3!

This accurate move plagues Black on three fronts: the c6-pawn, the long diagonal, and the a3-f8 diagonal.

15...Qb7 16.Be3

16...0–0?

16...Kf8 offers the best chance to resist. White’s advantage is undeniable, but it would be some work to crack Black’s defenses.

17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxf6 Kh7 19.Re3 Rg8 20.Rf3 Raf8 21.Rd1

My technique the rest of the way could surely be improved, but Black never gets much hope anyway.

21...c5 22.Rg3 Qe4 23.Qc3 Rxg3 24.hxg3 Qg4 25.Rd3 Rc8 26.Rd6 c4 27.Qf6 Rc7 28.c3 Rb7 29.Rd2 Qg5 30.Qxg5 hxg5 31.g4 Kg6 32.Kf1 Rb5 33.Ke2 Ra5 34.b3 cxb3 35.axb3 Rb5 36.Rb2 Kf6 37.Kd3 Ke5 38.c4 Rb6 39.Re2+ Kd6 40.Kc3 Rc6 41.b4 f6 42.c5+ Kd5 43.Rd2+ Ke5 44.Kc4, 1–0.

Next month we will consider Black’s most natural response, 3...Bd7, as the Polish contingent in America weighs in on the subject.