Welcome to my Sicilian Defense (ECO B20) game with Phil Curtis page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in the Sicilian Defense. This game is actually the English Opening, Botvinnik System, versus the Sicilian Defense. I played the set up taught to me by USCF Life Master Tom Stiers and was able to get an attack going on the f file. I pinned a Knight and won it. Things for Black quickly went downhill from there!

[Event "ICC 35 10"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2006.12.03"]
[Round "-"]
[White "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Black "PhilCurtis"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1511"]
[BlackElo "1508"]
[Opening "Sicilian defense"]
[ECO "B20"]
[NIC "SI.48"]
[Time "00:10:14"]
[TimeControl "2100+10"]

1. e4 c5 2. c4 d6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Ne2 Nf6 5. g3 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8.
Nbc3 Bd7 9. h3 a6 10. Be3 Qb6 11. Rb1 Rfe8 12. f4 e6 13. g4 Kh8 14. d4 e5
15. fxe5 dxe5 16. d5 Nd4 17. Bg5 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Rad8 19. Qf3 Rf8 20. Bxf6
Kg8 21. Bxd8 Qxd8 22. Qe3 b6 23. b4 Qh4 24. bxc5 Bh6 25. Qf2 Qxf2+ 26. Rxf2
Be3 27. cxb6 Bxf2+ 28. Kxf2 Rb8 29. a4 Kf8 30. a5 Ke7 31. c5 h6 32. c6 Be8
33. Bf1 Kd6 34. Bxa6 Ra8 35. b7 Kc7 36. bxa8=Q {Black resigns} 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. c4

I sometimes play this move order going into the English Opening in order to avoid some of the garbage that players throw at me when I open with 1. c4 instead. This gets my opponents out of the Sicilian lines that they wanted to play and into what I know and like.

d6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Ne2 Nf6 5. g3 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nbc3 Bd7

This is the setup that I go for against almost anything that Black plays. I usually play h3, f4 and Nd5 and try to get an attack going on the f file. The dark-squared Bishop usually goes to e3, but not always.

9. h3 a6 10. Be3 Qb6 11. Rb1 Rfe8 12. f4 e6

White now has the setup that he wanted, except that he can't play the Knight to d5. White continues with his Kingside attack in spite of not being able to put the Knight on d5.

13. g4 Kh8 (Does nothing.) 14. d4 e5?

Black makes a mistake that allows White to open up the f file and get a passed central pawn on the d file. Notice the broad pawn center that White has established, even if it is short lived.

15. fxe5 dxe5 16. d5 Nd4

Capturing the Black Knight on d4 gives Black a passed pawn too. White decided to leave the Black Knight on d4 and go after the one on f6 instead.

17. Bg5 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Rad8?

By moving the Rook to d8 Black has now pinned the Knight on f6 to that Rook. White now doubles up on that Knight and wins it outright.

19. Qf3 Rf8 20. Bxf6 Kg8??

After the captures on d8 Black goes from being down a Knight to being down a Rook! If instead of 20... Kg8?? Black had played 20... Bxf6 play would have continued with 21. Qxf6 and if then 21... Qxf6 then 22. Rxf6 followed by Rbf1 and White advances the Kingside pawns.

21. Bxd8 Qxd8 22. Qe3 b6 23. b4

White is up a Rook and has a passed pawn in the Center. Now seems like a good time to open up the Queenside. Open positions tend to favor the player who is up material.

Qh4 24. bxc5 Bh6 25. Qf2

Trading queens when down material is usually a bad idea. Here the exchange on f2 allows Black to pin the Rook to the King and win back some of his lost material. Even so, Black is giving White a powerful passed pawn on the b file and on the c file! Connected passed pawns are almost impossible to stop!

Qxf2+ 26. Rxf2 Be3 27. cxb6 Bxf2+ 28. Kxf2 Rb8

Black is down a Knight and 2 pawns here. Those connected passed pawns on the Queenside will force Black to sacrifice even more material in order to stop them from queening.

29. a4 Kf8 30. a5 Ke7 31. c5 h6

I have no idea why Black played on from here! The pawn on a6 falls and then Black blunders away yet another piece!

32. c6 Be8 33. Bf1 Kd6 34. Bxa6 Ra8 35. b7!

If 35... Rxa6 then 36. b8=Q+ Ke7 37. c7 or 37. d6+

Kc7?? 36. bxa8=Q 1-0

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