Gary Jackson (Redditch)- Raymond A Collett (Worcester Bishops)
Board 1 of Worcester & District Division 2 match played 30 January 2003
Sicilian Dragon Classical Variation

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 (8...d5 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.0-0 0-0 11.e5 Ng4 12.Bxg4 Bxg4 13.f4 f6 14.Bd4 Qa5 15.Qe3 Bf5 16.Ne2 c5 was investigated in the 1960s) 9.0-0-0 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 (10...Qa5 looks more active: 11.Kb1 e5 12.Be3 Be6= If 13.Qxd6? Rfc8!) 11.h3

An alternative continuation for white which has been explored in master praxis is 11.Kb1

(a) 11...a6 12.h4 b5 13.h5 b4 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.hxg6 hxg6 with a slight advantage to white.
(b) 11...Rc8 12.h4 Bc4 13.Bf3 (13.h5 may be better) 13...Re8 14.h5 Qa5 15.a3 Qa6 16.hxg6 hxg6 17.Nd5 e5 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6 19.Bc3 (Smyslov-Konstantinopolsky, 1945, USSR) 19...Be6! 20.Be2 Bc4=
(c) 11...Qc7 12.Bf3 Rfc8 13.Rhe1 Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nd5! Bxd5 16.exd5 Nf6 17.Re3 Qd7 18.Rde1 Rc7 19.g4! Fuchs-Liebert, 1961, Halle
(d) 11...Qa5 12.a3 Rfc8 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nd5 Qxd2 15.Nxf6+ Kg7 16.Nh5+ gxh5 17.Rxd2 h4 18.g3 Kf6 19.Rd3 Bc4 20.Rf3+ Kg7 21.Bxc4 Rxc4 22.gxh4 Rac8 23.Rg1+ Kf8 24.Rfg3 Ke8 25.Rg8+ Kd7 26.Rxc8 Kxc8 27.f3 f5 28.exf5 Rf4 29.Rg8+ Draw Glek-Khalifman, 1995, Elista)11...a6 (Again 11...Qa5 is more active: 12.Kb1 Rfc8 13.a3 Rab8 14.g4 b5 15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne4 18.Rdd1 b4 19.a4 Bxd4 20.Rxd4 Nc5 21.b3 g5 22.f4 gxf4 23.Rxf4 Nd7 24.Bb5 Nf6 25.Bc6 Kg7 26.Rhf1 Marx-Keessen, 1997, Hengelo)

12.g4 Rc8 13.f4 Qc7 14.e5 (Although this move gains space, both players in the post mortem thought it was the wrong break or too early. Instead14.Bf3 b5=) 14...Ne8 (14...dxe5 15.Bxe5 Qa5 16.g5= is better) 15.exd6 Nxd6 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Kb1 Rfd8 18.Qd4+ f6 19.Qe3 Bf7 20.Rhe1 Re8 21.Bd3 Nc4

(21...Qa5= was an alternative) 22.Qe4? (Overlooking my next move, which came as a relief because I was well behind on the clock. Instead 22.Bxc4 Bxc4 23.f5 preserves the initiative and an advantage in space) 22...Nxb2! 23.Kxb2 Qxc3+ 24.Kb1 (24.Kc1 also leads to the white king being harried: 24...Rcd8 25.g5 fxg5 26.fxg5 e5! (Less good is 26...Bxa2 27.Qxb7 Kg8 28.Rxe7) ) 24...e5 25.fxe5 Rxe5 26.Qh1 Bxa2+! 27.Kc1 (27.Kxa2? Ra5+ mates) 27...Qa3+ (I missed 27...Rb5! 28.Re7+ Kg8 29.Rxb7 Bd5! wins, but I had not seen the decisive 29th move with the bishop having only a few minutes left to the time control) 28.Kd2 Qa5+ (Missing the decisive 28...Qb4+! 29.Kc1 Ra5! 30.Qe4 Qa3+ 31.Kd2 Qc3+ 32.Ke2 (or 32.Kc1 Bd5 wins queen or mates) 32...Re5 when the white queen is lost and cannot take the black pawn on b7 because it is pinned against the king) 29.Kc1 Rc7 (29...Bd5! 30.Qf1 Qa3+ 31.Kd2 Bg2! 32.Qxg2 (or 32.Qg1 Qc3 32. Kc1 Ra5) 32...Qb4+ 33.Kc1 Ra5 wins the queen) 30.Rxe5 Qxe5 31.Qf3 Bd5 32.Qf2 Re7 33.h4 Bc6 34.Kb1 Bb5 35.c4 (A brave advance but other moves are no better) 35...Bc6 36.Qb6 Qd6 (36...Be4 is better) 37.c5 (37.Bc2 is slightly better) 37...Qe6 38.g5 fxg5 39.hxg5 Bd5 (39...Qe3 seems better) 40.Qb2+ Qe5? 41.Qd2? (Black's 40th move was inaccurate because both players had missed 41.Bxa6! when the resulting rook and pawn ending would be difficult to win in the couple of minutes black had left) 41...Bf7 42.Rc1 Qd5 43.Qc3+ Kg8 44.Bc4 Qe4+ 45.Bd3 Qe5 46.Qd2 47.Qa5 (47.Bc4!? is better subjectively because it invites the blunder 47...Qxc5?? 48.Bxf7+ Kxf7 49.Rxc5 =. Instead 47...Bxc4! maintains black's lead) 47...Rd7 48.Qd2 Qd5 49.Rc3 Qd4 50.Kc2 Qa4+ 51.Kc1 Qa1+ 52.Kc2 Qa2+ 53.Kd1 Bb3+ 54.Ke1 And white's flag fell with black having a minute to spare. White must forfeit a piece: 55. Rc1 (or 55.Ke2 Qd4 56.Rc3 Re7 57.Kg3 Qg1+ 58.Qg2 Qe1+ winning the rook) 55...Qd4 56.Rc3 Re7+) 0-1