Welcome to my Sicilian Defense game with TheMissingPawn page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in the Closed Variation of the Sicilian Defense. My opponent got out of the book early and then opened up the position with d4. His real name is Jeremy Wayne Griffin. My opponent had a provisional rating over 2300 during the game. The ratings below are what each of us was at the end of the game. The game was played at Stan's Net Chess.

[Event "Game 376528"]
[Site "Stan's NetChess"]
[Date "2006.12.24"]
[Round "?"]
[White "TheMissingPawn"]
[Black "mserovey"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. d3 Nc6 3. Be3 d6 4. f4 g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. Nf3 e5 7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bg4
9. Qb3 Bxf3 10. gxf3 exd4 11. Qxb7 Nge7 12. Bb5 Qc8 13. Bxc6+ Qxc6 14. Qxc6+
Nxc6 15. Bd2 Rb8 16. a3 Rxb2 17. O-O Kd7 18. Rf2 Rhb8 19. Rf1 R8b3 20. a4 d3 21.
Be3 Re2 22. Nd2 Rb4 23. Rae1 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Rxa4 25. Rb1 Ra1 26. Rxa1 Bxa1 27.
Nb3 Bc3 28. Kf2 a5 29. Nc1 d2 {White resigned} 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. d3

I seldom see this second move when playing the Sicilian Defense. This move is not listed in MCO 14. I tried to transpose into "book" lines here but White resisted this.

Nc6 3. Be3 (Again a novelty.) d6 4. f4 g6 5. c3 Bg7

Now we have something resembling "book" but the Knight is usually on c3 instead of a pawn.

6. Nf3 e5

Black is attempting to play the Botvinick System against White's setup. White avoids this by playing 7. d4. Also good was 6... e6.

7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bg4

Black wants to pin the White knight of f3 to the Queen and then win the pawn on d4.  If White had played 9. d5 Black was prepared to play 9... Nd4 and take the doubled, but passed, pawn in the Center.

9. Qb3 Bxf3

If 10. Qxb7 then Bxe4 followed by Rb8 and exd4.

10. gxf3 exd4 11. Qxb7 Nge7

The material is even and both sides have doubled pawns. However, Black has a passed pawn in the Center and this pawn turns out to be the game winner. Black has a slight lead in development.

12. Bb5 Qc8 13. Bxc6+ Qxc6 14. Qxc6+ Nxc6

Black still has the lead in development and the passed pawn in the Center. Black now goes after, and wins, the White pawn on b2.

15. Bd2 Rb8

Instead of playing 16. a3? better is 16. b3. Black would have played 16... d3.

16. a3? Rxb2 (Now, White truly is missing a pawn!) 17. O-O Kd7

Black still controls the long diagonal from a1 to h8 and also controls c3. White is having trouble developing his queenside pieces and is thus a little cramped. Black takes advantage of his lead in development for a few more moves. Because the queens are off the board, Black decided that it is better to move his King to the Center and protect the Knight at c6 than to castle.

18. Rf2 Rhb8 (Protecting the Rook on b2 and putting more pressure on the Knight at b1.) 19. Rf1 R8b3!

White is quite cramped here while Black has his pieces well placed. Black is preparing to play d3 followed by Rc2 or Rxd2 winning material. Instead of winning a piece or the exchange Black ends up winning the a pawn.

20. a4! d3! 21. Be3 Re2! 22. Nd2!

I had overlooked this move when analyzing this game. Because the Rook on b3 is now en prise, I don't win the exchange by capturing the Rook on a1 nor do I win a piece by capturing the Bishop on e3. Moving the Rook to b4 does win the a pawn.

Rb4 23. Rae1! (Saves both the Rook on a1 and the Bishop at e3.) Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Rxa4

Now Black is up two passed pawns! Black wants to exchange rooks and play out a won endgame.

25. Rb1 Ra1 26. Rxa1 Bxa1

Black now has the position that he wanted and is looking at playing the Black Bishop to d4 to exchange the bishops. When up material you usually want to trade off pieces.

27. Nb3 Bc3 28. Kf2 a5 29. Nc1? d2!! 0-1

If 30. Na2 then Black can play d1=Q and Black will be up the exchange after 31. Nxc3 or Black can play 30... d1=N+ followed by 31... Nxe3 and Black is up a piece and a pawn. Otherwise, White can play 30. Bxd2 and after 30... Bxd2 Black is still up a piece and a pawn!

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