Welcome to my Sicilian Defense (ECO B44) game with rayz page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in the Four Knights Variation of the Sicilian Defense. This is a correspondence game played at ICC.

[Event "ICC correspondence 2006Quad.30.09"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2006.08.05"]
[Round "-"]
[White "rayz"]
[Black "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ICCResult "Game drawn by mutual agreement"]
[Opening "Sicilian defense"]
[ECO "B44"]
[NIC "SI.39"]
[Time "21:08:44"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. f3 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Qa5
8. Nb3 Bxd2+ 9. N1xd2 Qb4 10. Qe2 O-O 11. O-O-O d5 12. exd5 exd5 13. Bd3 Be6
14. g4 Nxg4 15. Rdg1 Nge5 16. Bb5 Rfc8 17. a3 Qd6 18. Bxc6 Nxc6 19. h4 Qe5
20. Qf2 b5 21. Rg5 Qf6 22. Rhg1 g6 23. h5 b4 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. a4 Bf5 26.
Qh4 d4 27. Rxg6+ Qxg6 28. Rxg6+ fxg6 29. Nxd4 Nxd4 30. Qxd4 Rxc2+ 31. Kd1
Rcc8 32. Qxb4 a5 33. Qb3+ Kh7 34. Qf7+ Kh6 35. Ne4 Bxe4 36. fxe4 Re8 37.
Qf4+ g5 38. Qh2+ Kg6 {Game drawn by mutual agreement} 1/2-1/2

Online Game
ICC
Game Played 05 Aug 2006 to 06 Oct 2006
White: Rayz (1592) Black: Mike Serovey (1551)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. f3

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 6.f3.

Black is playing the move order for the Four Knights Variation of the Sicilian Defense. White is playing moves that I rarely see against the Four Knights. Black continues with his normal plan of development.

Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Qa5

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 7... Qa5.

Black is still continuing with his normal move order. This is the first time that I have seen this setup for White.

8. Nb3 Bxd2+ 9. N1xd2 Qb4

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 9... Qb4.

Now Black is in uncharted territory. Black's plan includes castling kingside, playing d5 and getting a queenside attack going.

10. Qe2 O-O 11. O-O-O d5

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 11... d5.

Castling on opposite wings is typical of the Sicilian Defense. White will attack on the Kingside and Black will attack on the Queenside.

12. exd5 exd5 13. Bd3 Be6

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 13... Be6.

In the opening an isolated Queen's Pawn can be a strong point. It becomes a weakness in the endgame. Black has more active placement of his minor pieces and Queen here and simply needs to bring his King's Rook over to the Queenside and get his attack against the White King going. White now starts his Kingside attack.

14. g4 Nxg4!

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 14... Nxg4!

This move ends up winning a pawn. Play could have continued 15. fxg4 Bxg4 attacking the White Queen and after 16.Qf2 Bxd1 17.Rxd1 Black has a Rook and 2 pawns for a Bishop and Knight.

15. Rdg1 Nge5 16. Bb5 Rfc8 17. a3 Qd6

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 17... Qd6.

Black played the Queen to d6 so that if White captured on c6 Black can recapture with the Rook and the Black Knight on e5 is safe. Black then changed his mind and decided to play the Queen to e5 to offer the exchange of queens.

18. Bxc6 Nxc6 19. h4 Qe5 20. Qf2 b5

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 20... b5.

White declined the exchange of queens so Black continues with his Queenside attack.

21. Rg5 Qf6 22. Rhg1 g6

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 22... g6.

White wisely doubles his rooks on the g file to continue his Kingside attack on the half-open g file. This forces Black to take a move to defend his King's position.

23. h5 b4 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. a4 Bf5

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 25... Bf5.

Although Black is somewhat vulnerable along the h file his King's position is still solid. Black is putting pressure on c2 but doesn't have a strong Queenside attack yet. White now sets up a combination that leaves the material pretty much even.

26. Qh4 d4 27. Rxg6+

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 27.Rxg6+

Black has to capture the Rook on g6 with his Queen because his Queen is being attacked at the same time that his King is. White ends up getting a Queen and pawn for two rooks.

Qxg6 28. Rxg6+ fxg6

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 28... fxg6.

Black has lost his material advantage and still doesn't have much of a Queenside attack going!

29. Nxd4 Nxd4 30. Qxd4 Rxc2+

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 30... Rxc2+

I had trouble deciding whether to capture on c2 with the Bishop or Rook. I had originally planed to play the pawn to a5 here to guard the pawn on b4 and then realized that if I did White could then play 32. Qd5+ winning the Rook on a8. If instead Black had played 30... Bxc2 then 31.Qxb4 Bxa4+ and Black has a slight material edge.

31. Kd1 Rcc8 32. Qxb4 a5

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 32... a5.

Black is hoping that White will allow him to play Bc2+ winning the pawn on a4 at the opportune time. That never happened.

33. Qb3+ Kh7 34. Qf7+ Kh6 35. Ne4

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 35. Ne4.

White is threatening to play his Knight to f6 and then the Queen to h7+. However, Black can escape this attack. Capturing the Knight with the Bishop allows both players to have passed pawns, but neither player can do much with those pawns.

Bxe4 36. fxe4 Re8 37. Qf4+ g5 38. Qh2+ Kg6 1/2-1/2

Sicilian Defense, 4 Knights Variation after 38... Kg6 (final position).

Black offered a draw here because he cannot avoid the perpetual check.

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