Welcome to my Sicilian Defense (ECO B30) game with Stephen D. Cohle page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in the Sicilian Defense. I played the Black side of the Sicilian Defense. This game is one of my correspondence games played at ICC. The ratings listed below are after the game was completed. My opponent's rating dropped from 1622 to 1596 as a result of this game. When I had connected passed pawns in the Center I was a little annoyed that my opponent was making me play this game out. He finally did resign when I was up a Knight and passed pawn and he realized that he couldn't stop me from queening that pawn. If he had made me play this game out to checkmate it could have lasted another 20 moves.

[Event "ICC correspondence 2007Class.01.08"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.07.14"]
[Round "-"]
[White "sdcohle"]
[Black "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White resigns"]
[Opening "Sicilian defense"]
[ECO "B30"]
[NIC "SI.31"]
[Time "19:40:17"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qe6+ 6. Qe2 Qxe2+ 7. Nxe2
g6 8. Bg2 Bg7 9. O-O Nf6 10. c3 O-O 11. b3 Bd7 12. Bb2 b6 13. c4 Rac8 14.
Rfe1 e6 15. Rad1 Rfd8 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bc6 18. Bh3 Ne8 19. Bxg7 Kxg7
20. Nf4 Bf3 21. Ne2 Rd6 22. Bg2 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Rcd8 24. d4 cxd4 25. Rd3 e5
26. Red1 Nc7 27. f4 f6 28. fxe5 fxe5 29. g4 Ne6 30. Kf3 Nc5 31. R3d2 e4+ 32.
Kg2 d3 33. Nc3 e3 34. Rb2 e2 35. Nxe2 dxe2 36. Rxd6 Rxd6 37. Rxe2 Re6 38.
Rc2 a5 39. g5 h6 40. gxh6+ Kxh6 41. h3 Kh5 42. Rf2 g5 43. Rb2 Kh4 44. b4 Nd3
45. Rb3 Nxb4 46. a3 Na6 47. Rd3 Nc5 48. Rd4+ Kh5 49. Kf3 Rc6 50. Ke3 Ne6 51.
Re4 Nf4 52. h4 Kxh4 53. Kd4 Rd6+ 54. Kc3 Rd3+ 55. Kb2 Kg3 56. Re5 g4 57. Rb5
Rd6 58. Rb3+ Kf2 59. Kc2 g3 {White resigns} 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5

I was using MCO 14 as my guide here and I can't remember when we got out of "book". I don't normally develop my Queen this early in the game because I lose time when it gets chased around by my opponent's pieces. In this game it worked out OK.

5. Nc3 Qe6+ 6. Qe2 Qxe2+

White violated an opening principle here by moving his Knight twice before developing his other pieces. He did that because he wanted to put his light-squared Bishop on g2. Because the Knight moved twice Black has a chance to catch up in development.

7. Nxe2 g6 8. Bg2 Bg7 9. O-O Nf6 10. c3 O-O 11. b3 Bd7 12. Bb2 b6

Both sides have now completed development of their pieces. White has fianchettoed both of his bishops, but the dark-squared one is temporarily blocked by his own pawn on c3. White corrects that situation on his next move, but that leaves his d pawn backwards. Black's last move exposes the Rook at a8 to the White Bishop at g2. Thus, the Knight at c6 is temporarily pinned. Black corrects that situation on his next move.

13. c4 Rac8 14. Rfe1 e6 15. Rad1 Rfd8 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bc6

Black is not going to let White have undisputed control of the diagonal that runs from a8 to h1. Oddly enough, White concedes control of that diagonal on his next move. Black's next move is intended to exchange dark-squared bishops and discourage d4.

18. Bh3 Ne8 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Nf4 Bf3

Black saw the possibility of 21. Bxe6 winning a pawn and attacking the Rook at c8. If 21... fxe6 then 22. Nxe6+ forking the King and Rook. White would then end up with a Rook and 2 pawns for a Knight and Bishop. So, Black decided to counter with a threat of his own. White can still play 21. Bxe6 and come out of the combination up a pawn. Instead, White chickened out and put the Knight back on e2.

21. Ne2 Rd6 22. Bg2 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Rcd8

Because of White's inaccurate play he is now going to lose the backwards d pawn.

24. d4 cxd4 25. Rd3 e5 26. Red1 Nc7 27. f4 f6 28. fxe5 fxe5

Black is up one pawn and has connected passed pawns in the Center. White can resign now. From this point on Black was winning this game but it took several moves before Black could convince White to resign this game.

29. g4 Ne6 30. Kf3 Nc5 31. R3d2 e4+ 32. Kg2 d3 33. Nc3 e3 34. Rb2 e2

Passed pawns must be pushed and connected passed pawns need to advance in tandem. Black's plan to advance his passed pawns has worked out perfectly so far. Originally, I was going to play the pawn to d2 here and then I realized the e2 was the better move. I was expecting 35. Re1 here in which case I was going to play 35... d2! and White can't stop black from queening the d pawn unless he sacrifices a Rook. After the Knight sacrifice Black is up a Knight. Again, that is usually enough of a material advantage to win most endgames.

35. Nxe2 dxe2 36. Rxd6 Rxd6 37. Rxe2 Re6

Black has lost both of his passed pawns and now has a Knight for a pawn. Black now wants to trade off the rooks in order to make this endgame easier to win. White wisely declines the trade and keeps his Rook for the rest of this game. I think that both d2 and f2 were better squares for White's Rook than c2.

38. Rc2 a5 39. g5 h6 40. gxh6+ Kxh6 41. h3 Kh5 42. Rf2 g5 43. Rb2 Kh4 44. b4?

Black's next move wins the b pawn and that leaves Black up a full Knight. This is not the last of White's pawns to fall.

Nd3! 45. Rb3 Nxb4 46. a3 Na6 47. Rd3 Nc5 48. Rd4+ Kh5

Black needs to leave his King where it can guard the g pawn and the Rook where it can guard the b pawn. Then he needs to maneuver the Knight over to the Kingside so that it can help to win White's h pawn.

49. Kf3 Rc6 50. Ke3?? Ne6 51. Re4 Nf4!

By moving his King over to the Queenside White left his h pawn unguarded. I think that his intent was to win one of my queenside pawns and then to advance one of his, but it didn't work for him. Black is now going to be up a Knight and a passed pawn. It is definitely time for White to resign!

52. h4 Kxh4 53. Kd4 Rd6+

If 54. Ke5 then Re6+ forcing the exchange of the rooks. After that Black should have and easy win.

54. Kc3 Rd3+ 55. Kb2 Kg3 56. Re5 g4 57. Rb5 Rd6 58. Rb3+ Kf2

I was expecting either 59. Ka2 followed by 60. Rb2+ or 59. c5 bxc5 60. Rb5 Ra6 61. Rxc5 g3 and White cannot stop the passed g pawn from queening unless he sacrifices his Rook for it.

59. Kc2 g3 0-1

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