December Match Internet Chess Club (2), 11.12.2005
B97 - Sicilian : Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn variation
Before the game Kirk mentioned that he wanted me to play the Poisoned Pawn v. him. I had already decided to play 1.e4 but i was thinking more of the English attack lines, but if he wanted it... 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 [Again my pregame plans included stuff like 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 -- 8.Qd2 -- 9.g4 -- 10.0-0-0] 6...e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Nb3 is something I will try in the future. It definitely gives a different game, as is played by GMs including Bluvshtein and more recently in the FIDE World Cup Kamsky. 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6?! [I got the move order screwed up 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5! Vallejo-Pons - Kasparov, Armenia - ROW 2004] 10...gxf6 11.f5 [Thinking I was following theory. 11.Be2 probably was better at this point] 11...Nc6
[I was hoping he'd play something like ...e5, that way i can attack f7 with Bc4 and he'd really have to fight to get d5 in. An interesting line in this variation is 11...e5 12.Nd5 (Another interesting idea in this line (and others) is 12.Rb3 with the idea of comign over to the kingside on the 3rd rank.) 12...Kd8 13.Nb3 with lots of play for White.] 12.Bc4?? dropping a piece. [12.Nxc6 bxc6 was better, but i can't easily get the bishop to c4 with the pawn on e6.] 12...d5? [12...Bh6! 13.Qd3 Ne5 and I'm sunk. That Ne5 idea (in general in this line) is a good one and impotant to remember.] 13.exd5 I was moving too quickly around here. [13.Bb3 as ugly as it was, had to be played.] 13...Nxd4? [Again 13...Bh6 was playable.] 14.Qxd4 Bc5 15.Qd3 [I totally missed 14. ...Bc5 in my calculations, but again I was moving too quickly. For whatever reason I was blind to that bishop, between here and the Bh6 idea a couple moves previous. 15.Qxf6! was much better. Sure I can't castle, but he has to spend a tempo saving the rook.] 15...exd5 [15...Bb4 was better.] 16.Nxd5! Know he's in trouble. The knight is easily the best piece on the board. and causes a lot of threats. 16...0-0 17.Qxa3 Black resigns[I have a much better position, even with the queens off, but I think he should have played on. One of the lines we were looking at after the game was 17.Qxa3 Bxa3 18.Nxf6+ (18.Nb6) 18...Kg7 19.Nh5+ Kh6 (19...Kh8 was another idea. THe trick is that he has to stay on the dark squares.) 20.g4 b5 (20...Bxf5 21.gxf5 Kxh5 22.Rxb7) 21.Be2 and I'm better but it's tough.
I thought Kirk would want to give up the Poisoned Pawn after this game because i know he hates positions like this with wild play and no king safety. Surprisingly he said right after the game that he wants me to book up with White in this line and we'd play it again in two weeks. I mentioned that we could always play the Alekhine :) It should be an interesting run up to the Canadian Open.] 1-0
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