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

On this page I have posted one my chess games in the Sicilian Defense that transposed into an English Opening, Botvinnik System. This game is one of my correspondence games played at ICC. The ratings listed below are after the game was completed. This is my second win in a correspondence game against ThreeofSeven. My opponent's real name is Dave (He didn't give a last name.) and he is from Castle Rock, Colorado. I used to live not too far from there in Colorado Springs.

[Event "ICC correspondence 2007Quad.04.07"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.03.07"]
[Round "-"]
[White "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Black "ThreeofSeven"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black checkmated"]
[Opening "Sicilian defense"]
[ECO "B20"]
[NIC "SI.48"]
[Time "20:54:28"]

1. e4 c5 2. c4 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nge2 Bg4 7. h3 Bxe2 8.
Nxe2 e6 9. O-O Nge7 10. d3 O-O 11. Rb1 Nd4 12. Be3 Nec6 13. a3 a5 14. Nxd4
Bxd4 15. Bxd4 Nxd4 16. b4 axb4 17. axb4 b6 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Qd2 Qc7 20. f4
Rfb8 21. g4 Ra3 22. Rxb8+ Qxb8 23. f5 e5 24. f6 Qa8 25. Qh6 Qf8 26. Qxf8+
Kxf8 27. Rb1 Ke8 28. Rb8+ Kd7 29. Rb7+ Ke6 30. g5 Rxd3 31. Re7#
{Black checkmated} 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. c4

I played 1.e4 hoping to get into a French Defense or Italian Game. White's second move is meant to confuse Black and to transpose into an English Opening. Black has seen the English in a previous game that we played.

d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nge2 Bg4

Because I seldom play this move order as White this is the first time that I have seen Bg4 this early in the game. I considered playing 7.f3 preventing the capture on e2, but h3 is what I would normally play in this system in order to prevent the Black Knight from going to g4. In the future I may play f3 followed by h3 and then f4 instead.

7. h3 Bxe2 8. Nxe2 e6 9. O-O Nge7 10. d3 O-O 11. Rb1

White needs to protect his pawn at b2 before he can move his dark-squared Bishop. Black controls most of the long diagonal from a1 to h8 and is about to occupy d4. White wants to get rid of Black's dark-squared Bishop and to mount a kingside attack.

Nd4 12. Be3 Nec6 13. a3 a5

Black wants to prevent b4 by White. I realized that I needed to capture on d4 first and then I can play b4. Black's capture on d4 with his Bishop allowed me to get rid of that pest on the long diagonal!

14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxd4 Nxd4 16. b4 axb4 17. axb4 b6 18. bxc5 bxc5

Black now has a dark-squared weakness around his King and White does eventually take advantage of that. Black has a well placed Knight on d4 and White needs to be mindful of forks. At this point in the game, I had trouble deciding between queenside play and a kingside attack. I chose the latter but played the Queen up so as to protect the d pawn with both my Queen and a Rook if necessary. The kingside attack turned out to be convincing.

19. Qd2 Qc7 20. f4 Rfb8 21. g4 Ra3 22. Rxb8+ Qxb8

I looked at the continuations after 23. f5 and either pawn took on f5. According to my analysis, opening the f file hurts Black, especially after I play Qh6. Still, I was surprised by 23... e5. I did see that getting a White pawn to f6 and the Queen to h6 threatened mate and forced the exchange of queens. I still thought that White was better after all of that.

23. f5 e5 24. f6 Qa8 25. Qh6 Qf8

Forcing the exchange of queens takes some of the pressure off White's pawn at d3. White can now defend that pawn with his Rook and Bishop and even maneuver his king over to defend the d pawn. However, White now forces Black's next three moves and Black walks into a mate in one on move 31.

26. Qxf8+ Kxf8 27. Rb1 Ke8 28. Rb8+ Kd7 29. Rb7+

Black played the move that I was hoping for here. If 29... Ke8 then 30. Re7+. If 29... Kc8 or 29... Kc6 then 30. Rxf7 followed by Rxh7, f7, and f8=Q. The checkmate should follow quickly once White queens the f pawn.

Ke6 30. g5 Rxd3?? 31. Re7# 1-0

If instead of 30... Rxd3?? Black had played 30... Nc6 to defend the mate White could play 31. Rc7 threatening to win the Knight if it doesn't move and to mate if it does move. Play could then continue 31... Ra6 to protect the Knight and then 32. h4 followed by 33. Bh3#. OR, if 30... d5 then 31. exd5+ Kd6 32. Rxf7 Rxd3 33. Rxh7 Nf3+ 34. Bxf3 Rxf3 35. f7 Ke7 and Black has counterplay.

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