by Joel Benjamin

Before I get into the meat of the last anti-Sicilian installment, I would like to relate a little story. The Opening Shortcuts series has grown out of my personal investigations testing the Tango and serving against the Sicilian. I hope that during this period you all added some useful knowledge...I know that I have.

In the last U.S. Championship, I noticed the following game:

Dmitry Schneider-Alex Stripunsky [B40]
U.S. Championship (group A), 2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 a6 4.g3 b5 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.d3 d6 7.0-0 Be7! 8.e5

8...dxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Nd7! 11.Nxd7 (11.Nc6 Qc7 12.Nxe7 Nxe7) 11...Qxd7 12.Qf3 Rc8 13.a4 b4 14.Ne4 Nf6 15.Bf4 0-0 16.b3 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bf6 18.Be5 Bxe5 19.Qxe5 Qd5+ 20.Qxd5 exd5 21.Rfe1 Rfe8 22.Kf1 g5 23.h3 Re6 24.Re2 Kg7 25.Rae1 Kf6 26.Re3 Rce8 27.Rf3+ Kg6 28.Rfe3 Rxe3 29.fxe3 f5 30.g4 Re5 31.gxf5+ Rxf5+ 32.Kg2 h5 33.Re2 Re5 34.Kf3 Re6 35.Kg2 a5 36.Kf3 Re7 37.Re1 Re8 38.Re2 Re6 39.Re1 Rf6+ 40.Kg2 Rc6 41.Kf3 Kf6 42.Re2 Ke5 43.Rg2 Kf5 44.e4+ dxe4+ 45.dxe4+ Kg6 46.Rd2 c4 47.Rd5 cxb3 48.cxb3 Rc3+ 49.Kg2 Rxb3 50.Rxa5 Rb2+ 51.Kf3 h4 52.Ra6+ Kh5 53.Ra8 Rh2 54.Rh8+ Kg6 55.Rg8+ Kf6 56.Kg4 Rg2+ 57.Kh5 g4 58.a5 gxh3 59.Rf8+ Ke7 60.Rf1 h2 61.Rh1 b3 62.a6 Ra2 63.a7 b2, 0-1.

Dmitry was embarrassed to lose such a seemingly trivial rook endgame. Then I told him I had done the same thing! In the Empire City Open (December 2005) I had tried the same idea against Stripunsky. Alex thought for a few minutes and found a strong sequence that completely refutes 8.e5. (White might be advised to play 7.Ng5). I reached a drawish rook ending, and just like Schneider after me, I could not hold it either. When Schneider unwittingly repeated the line, Stripunsky just blitzed off the same moves.

The four-part Tango series, as well as my previous practical experience, received the full attention of British IM Richard Palliser in his TANGO! A DYNAMIC ANSWER TO 1.d4 (Everyman 2005). I was pleased to see my contributions to theory so thoroughly documented in Palliser's work. TANGO! builds well on the theory and practice of the opening's main practitioners (Orlov, Yermolinsky, Bologan, Vlassov, and myself) and provides useful explanations of the strategic goals. If you play this opening or intend to, this book is a must for your library.

Now on to 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5.  Black "closes" the Sicilian once and for all. White will be restricted to looking for play through patient exploration of pawns breaks. Black on the other hand, while solid, has little to do offensively. White has in his favor the control of the d5-square and the potential badness of Black's dark-square bishop.

Emil Sutovsky-Ilya Smirin [B30]
Israeli Ch. Tel Aviv 2002
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 e5 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Be7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Ng5

MY FIRST GRADERS WOULD LOVE THIS MOVE

This aggressive and direct move has been played most often.

7...0-0 8.f4 exf4 9.Bxf4 h6

Alternatively, 9...Na5 10.Qd2 Nxc4 11.dxc4 Bg4 12.Nf3 Re8 13.Qf2 Qb6 14.b3 Bh5 15.Rae1 Qc6 16.h3 Rad8 17.Nh4 Bg6 18.Nxg6 fxg6 19.Qf3 h6 20.Nd5 gave White a clear advantage in Topalov-Van Wely Wijk aan Zee 2003, though Black went on to win.

10.Nf3 Be6 11.Nd5

11.Qd2 allows Black to free himself with 11...d5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Rae1 (14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qxh6 f5 16.Rae1 Bf7 17.Re6 Bxe6 18.Qg6+ was perpetual check in deFirmian-Browne, U.S. Championship 2003, but Black could play for a win with 15...g6) 14 Re8 with equality.

11...Bxd5 12.exd5

Black had no troubles after 12.Bxd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne5 14.Qd2 Ng6 15.Bg3 Bf6 in J. Polgar-Illescas Madrid, 1995, but 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.c4 Bd6 16.g4!? (Sutovsky-Shaw, Gibraltar 2006) is an interesting try.

12...Na5

12...Nb4?! 13.Bd2 Nbxd5 14.Nh4 gives White excellent compensation for the pawn, e.g. 14...Nb6 15.Nf5 Nxc4 16.dxc4 Nh7 17.Bf4 Bf6 18.Bxd6 Re8 19.Qg4 with a big advantage, Smirin-Avrukh Israeli ch. Tel Aviv 2002

13.Nh4 b5

Since the text game, Black has preferred to simplify with 13...Nxc4 14.dxc4 Nxd5 15.Qxd5 Bxh4 16.Rad1 b6 17.Bxd6 Be7 18.Be5 Bf6 19.Bd6 Be7 20.Bf4 as in Kramnik-Leko Linares 2003. Leko held a draw in the ensuing endgame, but lesser mortals have since lost from this position. I would have to say Black does not have complete equality and certainly has no chances to win.

14.Nf5!

Sutovsky unleashes a sacrificial attack that could not be calculated to the end. It seems to hold up until post-mortem scrutiny. Furthermore, Black's position is a nightmare to defend over-the-board. There are many more variations than listed here; I will give the highlights while urging readers to turn to Nunn's more complete analysis in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST GAMES.

14...bxc4 15.Bxh6 gxh6

15...Ne8 16.Qe1 Bf6 17.Bd2 Nb7 18.Bc3 does not quell White's attack.

16.Nxh6+ Kh7

Likewise, 16...Kh8 17.Rxf6 Bxf6 18.Qh5 is no picnic.

17.Nf5 cxd3?

This unfortunate choice just brings White's pieces into play faster. But even Nunn's best line 17...Kg8 18.Qe2 Re8 19.Qe3 Bf8 20.Qg3+ Kh8 21.Rf4 Re5 22.Rh4+ Nh7 23.Qh3 Qxh4 24.Nxh4 looks insufficient.

18.Qxd3 Kh8 19.Rae1 Qb6 20.Qh3+ Nh7 21.Rxe7 c4+ 22.Kh1 Qxb2 23.Re4 Rg8

Black collapses after 23...Qf6 24.Rh4 Qg6 25.Rg4 Qf6 26.Rg7 Qxg7 27.Nxg7 Kxg7 28.Qc3+.

24.Qxh7+, 1-0.

It's mate after 24...Kxh7 25.Rh4+ Kg6 26.Rh6+ Kg5 27.h4+ Kg4 28.Ne3+ Kg3 29.Rf3!

YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE

Veselin Topalov-Vladimir Kramnik [B30]
Linares (14) 2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Be7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Ng5 0-0 8.f4 Bg4

To my mind, more logical than 8...exf4 because Black will pick up a tempo with ...Nc6-d4.

9.Qe1

White has also tried the awkward-looking 9.Qd2!? After 9...exf4 10.Qxf4 Ne5 (White is threatening 11.Nxf7 Rxf7 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Qxg4, but 10...Qd7 also sensibly guards against that threat) 11.Bb3 h6 12.Nf3 Nh5 13.Qe3 Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 Bh3 15.Rd1 Bf6 16.Ne2 Be5 17.f4?! (17.c3 would be unclear) 17 Nxf4 18.Nxf4 Bd4 19.Nxh3 Qh4 20.Nf2 Bxe3 21.Bxe3 Kh8 and the queen proved superior in Bruzon-Smirnov, FIDE WCh KO Tripoli 2004.

9...exf4

9...Nd4?! is shown to be too risky after 10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Qh4 h6 12.Nxf7 Rxf7 13.Bxf7+ Kxf7 14.Qxg4.

10.Bxf4 Nd4 11.Qd2 Qd7

Kramnik's refinement on the commonplace 11...h6 12.Nf3 Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Be6, which has been seen in a number of grandmaster games.

The big boys like to test this position before agreeing to a draw

Two days before the text game, Topalov stabilized the center with 14.Rae1, but Leko easily equalized with 14...Kh7 15.Kh1 Nh5 16.Bg3 Bh4 17.Rg1 Nxg3+ 18.hxg3 Bf6 19.Kg2 Qa5 20.Re2 Bxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxc3, 1/2-1/2 (Topalov-Leko Linares (12) 2004). After 22.bxc3 Bxc4 23.dxc4, the weak d6-pawn balances the triplets on the c-file.

Even a future World Champion can get the "Irish pawn center."

And I can say, that, because my wife is Irish.

Alongside the Topalov-Kramnik game, Shirov went straight for the g-file but Leko's center counter proved sufficient: 14.Kh1 Kh7 15.Qg2 d5 16.Rg1 g6 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Qh3 h5 20.Rae1 Bf6 21.Bxd5 Qxd5 22.b3 Rad8 23.Re4 Qd7 24.Qxd7 Rxd7 25.Kg2 Rfd8, 1/2-1/2, Shirov-Leko, Linares (14), 2004.

12.h3

Or 12.Be3 h6 13.Nf3 Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 Be6 15.Kh1 Kh7 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qg2 Qe8! (an accurate move covering tender squares on the kingside) 18.Qh3 d5 19.Ne2 Bd6 20.Rf2 Qh5 21.Qxh5, 1/2-1/2, Gallagher-San Segundo European Team Ch. Plovdiv 2003.

12...Bh5 13.g4 h6 14.gxh5

No choice here, as 14.Nf3 Bxg4 15.hxg4 Qxg4+ wins material for Black.

14...hxg5 15.Bxg5 Qxh3 16.Qg2 Qxg2+ 17.Kxg2 Nxc2 18.Rac1 Nd4 19.h6 Rae8 20.Bd2

In this balanced position the elite GMs shockingly agreed to a draw. 1/2-1/2.